---
title: "Ubuntu Studio for Musicians"
id: "9430"
type: "page"
slug: "ubuntu-studio-for-musicians"
published_at: "2026-10-09T01:19:10+00:00"
modified_at: "2026-10-09T01:47:28+00:00"
url: "https://ubuntustudio.org/ubuntu-studio-for-musicians/"
markdown_url: "https://ubuntustudio.org/ubuntu-studio-for-musicians.md"
excerpt: "Whether you play guitar in the garage, compose for a string quartet, produce electronic music in your bedroom, or spin records for a crowd, Ubuntu Studio gives you a complete, free music workshop from the first boot. Everything below is..."
---

*Photo: Markus Spiske, [CC BY 2.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)
, via [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Guitar_and_amplifier.jpg)*

Whether you play guitar in the garage, compose for a string quartet, produce electronic music in your bedroom, or spin records for a crowd, Ubuntu Studio gives you a complete, free music workshop from the first boot. Everything below is installed with the Ubuntu Studio audio workflow, so you can plug in an instrument and start making music without hunting for software.

## Write and record your music

- **Ardour** – a full-featured digital audio workstation (DAW) for recording, editing, and mixing multitrack audio and MIDI.
- **Qtractor** – a lighter audio and MIDI multitrack sequencer, great for MIDI-heavy projects.
- **LMMS** – a pattern-based music production studio, popular for electronic music and beat making.
- **Audacity** – quick, simple audio recording and editing for demos, podcasts, and cleanup.
- **Hydrogen** – an advanced drum machine and pattern sequencer, with extra drum kits and effects included.
- **Sonic Pi, SuperCollider, Csound, Pure Data, and BespokeSynth** – live-coding and modular environments for experimental and generative music.

## Notation and learning

- **MuseScore** – score writing and notation. Print sheet music or play it back to hear your arrangement.
- **VMPK and vkeybd** – virtual MIDI keyboards, so you can play and test instruments with the computer keyboard or mouse.
- **GxTuner and FMIT** – instrument tuners that work with any JACK/PipeWire input.
- **KMetronome** – a MIDI metronome for keeping time.

## Instruments, synthesizers, and samplers

A large collection of software instruments is ready to play, using the LV2 plugin format and available in Ardour, Qtractor, Carla, and other hosts:

- **Synthesizers:** Yoshimi, ZynAddSubFX, Synthv1, Padthv1, WhySynth, Hexter (a Yamaha DX7 emulation), DIN, and Geonkick (a kick drum synthesizer).
- **Samplers and drums:** Samplv1, Drumkv1, DrumGizmo (with the DGEdit kit editor), AVL Drums, and the new **Loopino** sampler.
- **Organs:** Aeolus, a pipe organ, and setBfree, a tonewheel organ in the style of the Hammond B3.
- **Soundfonts:** FluidSynth and QSynth with the Fluid General MIDI soundfont, plus Polyphone for creating and editing your own soundfonts.
- **Step sequencers and arpeggiators:** B.Sequencer, QMidiArp, and QMidiRoute.

## Guitarists and bassists

- **Guitarix** and **Rakarrack** – complete virtual amplifiers and effects racks, so you can record with a tone you like straight into the computer.
- **Plugin suites** such as the Linux Studio Plugins (LSP), x42 plugins, ZAM, and Dragonfly Reverb give you compressors, equalizers, reverbs, and more.
- **Plugins for creative sound design** such as B.Choppr, B.Slizr, and the Autotalent and Rubber Band pitch tools.

## Play live and perform

- **SooperLooper and Freewheeling** – live looping instruments for building up a performance layer by layer.
- **Mixxx** – DJ software for mixing, beatmatching, and playing live sets.
- **IDJC** – a streaming DJ console for broadcasting to Icecast or SHOUTcast servers, and **DiscoDOS** for tracking and analyzing your sets.
- **JackTrip** – play together with other musicians over the Internet with very low latency.
- **Ableton Link utilities** – keep tempo in sync between multiple applications and devices.
- **Carla** – host all your plugins and instruments in one rack, and save it as a stage setup.

## Connect your gear

Ubuntu Studio is built so that audio and MIDI devices simply work together:

- **Ubuntu Studio Audio Configuration** and **PipeWire** with JACK support handle low-latency audio, including USB interfaces, Focusrite Scarlett and Clarett devices (through Scarlett GUI), and FireWire interfaces (through FFADO).
- **Patchance**, **Helvum**, and **QjackCtl** let you patch any audio or MIDI source to any destination, like a virtual patch bay.
- **Ray Session** saves your entire setup, including all the applications and their connections, so you can come back to a project exactly where you left it.
- **QMidiNet** sends MIDI between computers over the network, and **A2jmidid** bridges ALSA and JACK MIDI devices.

*Photo: David J, [CC BY 2.0](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/)
, via [Wikimedia Commons](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Friend%27s_home_studio_(by_David_J).jpg)*

## Get started

1. [Download Ubuntu Studio](https://ubuntustudio.org/download) and install it or add the Ubuntu Studio audio workflow to an existing Ubuntu system using the **Ubuntu Studio Installer**.
2. Open **Ubuntu Studio Audio Configuration** and pick your audio interface.
3. Launch Ardour or Qtractor, create a new session, and start playing.

Ubuntu Studio is free software, built by volunteers, and always free of charge.

*See also: [Audio Engineers](https://ubuntustudio.org/ubuntu-studio-for-audio-engineers/)
 · [Recording Studios](https://ubuntustudio.org/ubuntu-studio-for-recording-studios/)
 · [Houses of Worship](https://ubuntustudio.org/ubuntu-studio-for-houses-of-worship/)*