NOTE: This project is deprecated. Check out its successor here.

Free Music Plugins

This is a list of free audio and MIDI plugins for music production, all of which should be:

• High quality. This is subjective, but the goal is to list plugins which are good not just because they're free, but by some merit of their own.
• 64-bit. While many great plugins are only 32-bit, this list omits them in favor of plugins that are easier to run on modern systems, and more future-proof.
• Cross-platform. Most major DAWs are cross-platorm, and plugins should strive to be, too. Each plugin here supports at least macOS and Windows, and many also support Linux.

Open source entries are marked with a ⭐.

Note: These plugins are not guaranteed to run on all systems, including macOS Catalina or higher. Please open an issue if you have any compatibility problems.

Table of Contents

• Instruments
  • Synthesizers
  • Chiptune / Video game synths
  • Vocal synths
  • Drum synths
  • Utility synths
  • Samplers
• Effects
  • Reverb
  • Delay / Modulation
  • EQ
  • Compressors / Limiters
  • Distortion / Saturation
  • Vocoders
• MIDI
• Utilities

Instruments

Synthesizers

• ⭐ Surge - Hybrid synth capable of wavetable, subtractive, and FM synthesis. Microtuning via .scl/.kbm files. VST3 (Mac, Win, Linux) / AU (Mac)
• ⭐ Dexed - FM synth based on the Yamaha DX7. Microtuning via .scl/.kbm files. VST3 (Mac, Win, Linux) / AU (Mac) / LV2 (Linux)
• ⭐ OB-Xd - Virtual analog synth based on the Oberheim OB-X. VST3 (Mac, Win), VST2 (Mac, Win, Linux), AU (Mac)
• ⭐ Helm - Polyphonic synth with flexible modulation. VST3 (Mac, Win), VST2 (Mac, Win, Linux), AU (Mac), LV2 (Linux)
• TAL-NoiseMaker - Virtual analog synth with built-in effects. VST3/VST2/AAX (Mac, Win) / AU (Mac)
• Tyrell N6 - Virtual analog synth, inspired in part by the Juno-60. VST2 (Mac, Win, Linux (beta)), AU (Mac)
• ModulAir - Modular synth with over fifty module types. Microtuning via .scl/.tun files. VST2 (Mac, Win) / AU (Mac)
• FB-3300, FB-3200, FB-3100 - Based on the very rare Korg PS-3300 and its siblings. Microtuning via GUI. VST2 (Mac, Win) / AU (Mac)
• Fury-800 - Based on the Korg Poly-800. VST2 (Mac, Win) / AU (Mac)
• VK-1 Viking Synthesizer - Hardware model of a "classic monophonic analog synthesizer". VST2 (Mac, Win)
• Crystal - Semi-modular synth featuring both subtractive and FM synthesis, with built-in effects and .sf2 SoundFont support. VST2 (Mac, Win) / AU (Mac)
• PG-8X - Based on the Roland JX-8P. VST2 (Mac, Win)
• Triple Cheese - Synth with a unique synthesis approach using comb filters. VST2 (Mac, Win, Linux (beta)), AU (Mac)

Chiptune / Video game synths

• ⭐ ADLplug / OPNplug - Emulations of the OPL3 (Sound Blaster 16) and OPN2 (Sega Mega Drive/Genesis) respectively, with multiple emulation cores to choose from. VST3/VST2/LV2 (Mac, Win, Linux)
• ⭐ Socalabs SID - Commodore 64 SID emulation. VST2 (Mac, Win, Linux), AU (Mac)
• ⭐ Socalabs RP2A03 - NES RP2A03 emulation. VST2 (Mac, Win, Linux), AU (Mac)
• ⭐ Socalabs PAPU - Gameboy PAPU emulation. VST2 (Mac, Win, Linux), AU (Mac)
• ⭐ Socalabs SN76489 - Master System SN76489 emulation. VST2 (Mac, Win, Linux), AU (Mac)

Vocal synths

• ⭐ Socalabs Voc - Simple synth emulating the glottis and shape of the vocal tract. VST2 (Mac, Win, Linux), AU (Mac)
• Alter/Ego - Real-time singing synth with several free voices available for download. VST3/VST2/AAX (Mac, Win) / AU (Mac)
• VST Speek - Text-to-speech synth based on S.A.M. for the Commodore 64. VST2 (Mac, Windows, Linux (beta)) / AU (Mac)

Drum synths

• Bucket Pops - Emulation of the Korg Mini Pops 7 drum machine with multi-outs and built-in sequencer. VST2 (Mac, Win) / AU (Mac)

Utility synths

• ⭐ Tuning Workbench Synth - A synth which lets you experiment with tunings in real time. Currently in late alpha / early beta. Microtuning via .scl/.kbm files and built-in editor. VST3 (Mac, Win, Linux) / AU (Mac)

Samplers

• sforzando - SFZ player. Compatible with a large variety of free sample libraries, many of which can be found at SFZ Instruments and VSCO Community. VST3/VST2/AAX (Mac, Win) / AU (Mac)

Effects

Reverb

• ⭐ Freeverb3VST - An entire suite of reverb plugins, both algorithmic and convolution. Includes the great Hibiki Reverb. VST2 (Mac, Win)
• ⭐ Dragonfly Reverb - A bundle of four reverbs based on the Freeverb3 project, but with a more modern interface. VST2/LV2 (Mac, Win, Linux)
• OrilRiver - Algorithmic stereo reverb. VST3/VST2 (Mac, Win), AU (Mac (experimental))
• ValhallaSupermassive - Massive reverb/echo effect. VST3/VST2/AAX (Mac, Win), AU (Mac)
• TAL-Reverb-4 - Vintage reverb. VST3/AAX (Mac, Win) / VST2 (Mac, Win, Linux (experimental)) / AU (Mac)

Delay / Modulation

• ⭐ PitchedDelay - Multitap delay which allows pitch shifting both inside and outside the feedback loop. VST3/VST2 (Mac, Win) / AU (Mac)
• ⭐ ChowPhaser - Phaser "based very loosely" on the classic Shulte Compact Phasing "A". VST3/VST2 (Mac, Win, Linux), AU (Mac), LV2 (Linux). Requires macOS 10.14+
• ⭐ ChowMatrix - Delay using an infinitely growable tree of delay lines. VST3/VST2 (Mac, Win), AU (Mac)
• Full Bucket Brigade Delay - Analog bucket-brigade delay (BBD). VST2 (Mac, Win) / AU (Mac)
• Full Bucket Phaser - Analog phaser. VST2 (Mac, Win) / AU (Mac)
• ValhallaFreqEcho - Analog echo with Bode-style frequency shifter. VST3/VST2/AAX (Mac, Win), AU (Mac)
• ValhallaSpaceModulator - A very flexible flanger. VST3/VST2/AAX (Mac, Win), AU (Mac)
• TAL-Chorus-LX - Chorus inspired by the Juno-60. VST3/AAX (Mac, Win) / VST2 (Mac, Win, Linux (experimental)) / AU (Mac)

EQ

• ⭐ Luftikus - Analog style EQ. VST3/VST2 (Mac, Win) / AU (Mac)
• QRange - 12-band IIR linear phase EQ. VST3/VST2 (Mac, Win) / AU (Mac)
• TDR VOS SlickEQ - 3-band mixing/mastering EQ with four saturation models. VST3/VST2/AAX (Mac, Win) / AU (Mac)
• TDR Nova - Parallel dynamic EQ. VST3/VST2/AAX (Mac, Win) / AU (Mac)

Compressors / Limiters

• Molot - Flexible character compressor. VST2 (Mac, Win), AU (Mac)
• TDR Molotok - Simplified version of Molot's paid successor, TDR Molot GE. VST3/VST2/AAX (Mac, Win) / AU (Mac)
• DC1A - Two-knob character compressor. VST3/VST2/AAX (Mac, Win), AU (Mac)
• MJUC jr. - Variable-mu compressor. VST3/VST2/AAX (Mac, Win), AU (Mac)
• Limiter No6 - Modular mastering limiter. VST2 (Mac, Win), AU (Mac)
• TDR Kotelnikov - Wideband dynamics processor. VST3/VST2/AAX (Mac, Win) / AU (Mac)

Distortion / Saturation

• ⭐ Temper - Distortion with variable saturation curve and resonant lowpass filter. VST3/VST2/AAX (Mac, Win), AU (Mac)
• ⭐ ChowTape - Physical model of an analog tape machine. VST3/VST2 (Mac, Win, Linux), AU (Mac), LV2 (Linux)
• ⭐ ChowCentaur - Circuit model of the Klon Centaur overdrive pedal. VST3/VST2 (Mac, Win, Linux), AU (Mac), LV2 (Linux). Requires macOS 10.15+
• IVGI - Mixing desk saturation. VST3/VST2/AAX (Mac, Win), AU (Mac)
• Tube Amp - Single-tube microphone pre-amp saturation. VST3/VST2/AAX (Mac, Win), AU (Mac)

Vocoders

• TAL-Vocoder - Vintage 11-band vocoder. VST3/VST2/AAX (Mac, Win) / AU (Mac)

MIDI

• ⭐ Stochas - Advanced probabilistic polyrhythmic sequencer. VST3 (Mac, Win, Linux) / AU (Mac)
• hypercyclic - LFO-driven, MIDI-mangling arpeggiator. VST2 (Win, Linux), AU (Mac)
• tonespace - Chord generator and visualizer. VST2 (Win, Linux), AU (Mac)

Utilities

• ⭐ Element - Modular plugin host with advanced routing options. Note: This software is free and open source, but has a subscription model for much earlier access to binary builds. The most recent freely available build at the time of writing is 0.41.1. VST3 (Mac, Win, Linux), VST2 (Mac, Win), AU (Mac), LV2/LADSPA (Linux)
• ⭐ S(m)exoscope - Oscilloscope with four retrigger modes. VST2 (Mac, Win)
• ⭐ Socalabs Maths - Run mathematical formulas on stereo channels. VST2 (Mac, Win, Linux), AU (Mac)
• SPAN - FFT spectrum analyzer. VST3/VST2/AAX (Mac, Win), AU (Mac)
• Latency Delay - Manual latency compensation delay. VST3/VST2/AAX (Mac, Win), AU (Mac)