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# LMMS: A Free & Open Source Digital Audio Workstation (DAW)
- URL: https://itsfoss.com/lmms/
- Published: 2020-01-13T14:52:15.000Z
- Updated: 2020-01-13T14:54:29.000Z
- Author: Ankush Das
- Tags: Applications, #Import 2022-12-26 08:27

***In this week’s Linux application highlight, we take a look at a free and open-source DAW that helps make music with most of the essential features offered.***

## LMMS: A Free & Open Source Software To Help Make Music

[LMMS](https://lmms.io/?ref=itsfoss.com) is a cross-platform open source [DAW](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Digital%5Faudio%5Fworkstation?ref=itsfoss.com) hosted on [GitHub](https://github.com/LMMS/lmms?ref=itsfoss.com). It is completely free to use and you do not need to purchase any kind of license to use it.

If you’re curious, there’s no specific full-form for “LMMS” acronym but you can consider it along the lines of “**Let’s Make Music**” or formerly known as “**Linux MultiMedia Studio**” as stated in one of their [official forum post](https://lmms.io/forum/viewtopic.php?t=5908&ref=itsfoss.com) years back.

So, with the help of LMMS, you should be able to work on making music on Linux.

Of course, you should not expect a free DAW to replace a full-fledged professional DAW bundled with proprietary plugins – but for starters, it isn’t a bad one.

![Lmms Screenshot](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/wordpress/2020/01/lmms-screenshot.png)

If you’re used to other DAWs, it might take a while to get comfortable with the user interface. For instance, I’ve used [Studio One](https://www.presonus.com/products/studio-one/?ref=itsfoss.com) and [Mixcraft](https://acoustica.com/mixcraft?ref=itsfoss.com) as a beginner – so the UI of LMMS looked different.

But, the good news is – you get a [detailed official documentation](https://docs.lmms.io/user-manual/?ref=itsfoss.com) of LMMS. So, if you have trouble learning how it works, simply refer to the official documentation available on their [website](https://lmms.io/?ref=itsfoss.com).

**Recommended Read:**

## Features of LMMS

![Lmms Project](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/wordpress/2020/01/lmms-project.png)

Just like any other DAW, you will find plugins, samples to use, instruments, and MIDI support. However, it is indeed a long list of features. So, instead of taking a whole day explaining it, let me highlight all the necessary features that LMMS provides.

- Ability to add notes within the project without needing a separate note-taking app
- Bundled free plugins to use
- Note playback via MIDI or typing keyboard
- MIDI Editor
- Separate editor for instruments
- Track Automation support
- 64-bit VST instrument support (for wine-based VSTs)
- Built-in synthesizers that include some popular emulators for Yamaha and Roland
- Feature-rich audio plugins built-in
- Demo projects to easily get started
- Several samples included
- Native multisample support for SoundFont (SF2), Giga (GIG) and Gravis UltraSound (GUS) formats for high-quality instrument patches and banks (only if it’s relevant for your work)
- [LADSPA](https://www.ladspa.org/?ref=itsfoss.com) plugin support
- You will also find the essential delay/reverb/compressor/limiter and distortion tools built-in
- Spectrum analyzer

You can find some extensive [documentation on using LMMS](https://docs.lmms.io/user-manual/?ref=itsfoss.com). If you face any difficulties, LMMS also has its [own forum](https://lmms.io/forum/?ref=itsfoss.com) where you can ask for help.

## Installing LMMS on Linux

![Lmms Setup](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/wordpress/2020/01/lmms-setup.jpg)

You can also find LMMS listed in the software center of your distribution- however, it might not feature the latest version.

To get the latest LMMS version, you can download the .**AppImage** file from the [official download page](https://lmms.io/download?ref=itsfoss.com#linux). If you want to take a look at the latest or previous releases on GitHub, you can find those in their [releases](https://github.com/LMMS/lmms/releases?ref=itsfoss.com) section.

If you want to use the AppImage file, you can refer to our guide on [using AppImage file](https://itsfoss.com/use-appimage-linux/).

You may also try [installing the Flatpak package](https://itsfoss.com/flatpak-guide/) available on [Flathub](https://flathub.org/apps/details/io.lmms.LMMS?ref=itsfoss.com).

[Download LMMS](https://lmms.io/download?ref=itsfoss.com#linux)

## My Thoughts On LMMS

![Lmms Midi Editor](https://itsfoss.com/content/images/wordpress/2020/01/lmms-midi-editor.png)

Even though this is a feature-rich free and open-source DAW – personally, I found the UX a little dull.

Of course, technically, it offers quite a lot of features and this could be useful for anyone who does not want to break their wallet to produce music. And, after all, it is an open-source solution.

If you want a full-fledged professional DAW using the VST plugins, you might just hold on to Windows/Mac (if you’re used to it) because you still need to utilize Wine on Linux in order to make sure that the 64-bit VSTs work.

**Wrapping Up**

That being said, I’m not a professional music producer – so feel free to explore LMMS on Linux and make the most out of it without spending a penny.

If you’ve used LMMS (or any similar DAW), let me know your thoughts in the comments below.