There is a huge range of open source free audio software available for Linux which is both mature and feature-laden. Linux has all the tools needed to be a serious contender in music production without a user having to venture into the commercial software world. Linux is a superior platform for professional audio production: rock solid, efficient, and you don’t get fleeced for software licenses. Software that creates music can often be expensive.
Linux also sports a wide range of useful audio tools. This article examines audio analyzers. This type of software lets you visualize audio spectrum for real-time signals. Some of the programs also lets you analyze amplitude and phase spectrum as well. Also, you can visualize audio spectrum in FFT spectrum, 2D spectrogram, Octave spectrum, etc. modes.
This type of software is useful for audio/multimedia researchers, developers, composers, and performers. They help you analyze an audio signal to understand the characteristics of this signal (fundamental, harmonics, feedback, etc.), to describe the source/room/receiver behaviour (reverberation, gain peaks, etc.), or to make adjustments in the preprocessing (room equalization).
We also include software that lets you identify songs.
Here’s our verdict summarized in one of our legendary ratings chart.
Let’s explore the 20 audio analyzers at hand. For each title we have compiled its own portal page, providing a screenshot of the software in action, a full description with an in-depth analysis of its features, together with links to relevant resources.
| Audio Analyzers | |
|---|---|
| Sonic Visualiser | View and analyse the contents of music audio files |
| Friture | Visualize and analyze live audio data in real-time with rolling 2D spectrogram |
| Spek | Acoustic spectrum analyser |
| projectM | Music visualizer originally based on Milkdrop |
| SongRec | Open source Shazam client |
| Cava | Cross-platform audio visualizer |
| sndpeek | Real-time audio visualization tool (animated, 3D) |
| MasVisGtk | Powerful and comprehensive audio analysis tool |
| Mousai | Simple application that can identify songs similar to Shazam |
| AudMeS | System for audio measurement through a sound card in the PC |
| Cavalier | Audio visualizer based on Cava |
| Le Biniou | Music visualization / VJing tool |
| Cavasik | Fork of Cavalier |
| GLava | OpenGL audio spectrum visualizer |
| rtspeccy | Real time spectrum analyzer |
| FMIT | Graphical utility for tuning musical instruments |
| cli-visualizer | Command line visualizer for MPD, ALSA and PulseAudio |
| Music Radar | Simple application that can identify songs similar to Shazam |
| shaq | Bare-bones CLI client for Shazam |
| audioprism | Spectrogram tool for PulseAudio and WAV files |
This article has been revamped in line with our recent announcement.
 Explore our comprehensive directory of recommended free and open source software. Our carefully curated collection spans every major software category.This directory is part of our ongoing series of informative articles for Linux enthusiasts. It features hundreds of detailed reviews, along with open source alternatives to proprietary solutions from major corporations such as Google, Microsoft, Apple, Adobe, IBM, Cisco, Oracle, and Autodesk. You’ll also find interesting projects to try, hardware coverage, free programming books and tutorials, and much more. Know a useful open source Linux program that we haven’t covered yet? Let us know by completing this form. |
As long time Linux user (1996) you surprised me with this site. Nice to find applications in so many fields compared. Really helps to widen the horizon. I would like to thank you for your efforts
I’m sure kind words are what’s needed.
Fine words butter no parsnips.