Crafting Apps GuideAudio recording, editing and mixing · In development
SoundCraft: Free Open-Source Avid Pro Tools Alternative
SoundCraft is a free Rust app from the ArtCraft team for audio recording, editing and mixing. Check its documented capabilities and gaps before relying on it for your work.
What is SoundCraft?
Its README describes a clean-room Rust reimplementation of the Avid Pro Tools workflow. The official listing describes the apps as free, open source and built from scratch in Rust.
GitHub license metadata: Apache License 2.0 (Apache-2.0). The README documents a choice of MIT OR Apache-2.0; GitHub's single-license field does not show that full choice. Read the repository license and asset notices.
GitHub stars: 1,942 at the 2026-10-12 snapshot. Official one-line description: Professional audio recording, editing and mixing in pure Rust.
Source: official apps listing
Key features
Editing and recording
Arrange clips with edit modes, fades, playlists and comping. Punch and loop recording, input monitoring and autosave recovery are documented.
Mixing and MIDI
Use buses, sends, faders and automation. Built-in processors, plug-in hosting, a piano roll, quantization and a score editor are described.
File formats
| Format | Documented behavior |
|---|---|
| WAV/BWF/RF64, AIFF/AIFC, FLAC | Import/export. |
| MP3, Ogg Vorbis, AAC, ALAC, CAF, MP4/MOV audio | Import. |
| Standard MIDI Files | Import/export. |
| MusicXML | Export from the score workflow. |
AAF/OMF session interchange is still missing. Audio import does not imply session compatibility.
Status and limits
The official listing says In development, while the README is more specific: pre-alpha. Choosing an audio interface and buffer size, recording MIDI from a controller, session interchange (AAF/OMF) and translations remain gaps. Record/edit/mix/bounce is described as working end to end, but the project is not presented as ready for all professional work.
Download and install SoundCraft
Start at SoundCraft on getartcraft.com or the official GitHub Releases page. You can also use ArtCraft Launcher to install the desktop apps.
The latest snapshotted release is v0.5.0, published . These are exact asset names from that release; download them on the official Releases page.
Windows 6 release files
Match x64, arm64 or x86 to your computer. The MSI is an installer; the portable ZIP is the alternative for running an unpacked build. Follow the README for permissions and portable settings.
Show 6 Windows release files
soundcraft-0.5.0-windows-arm64-portable.zipsoundcraft-0.5.0-windows-arm64.msisoundcraft-0.5.0-windows-x64-portable.zipsoundcraft-0.5.0-windows-x64.msisoundcraft-0.5.0-windows-x86-portable.zipsoundcraft-0.5.0-windows-x86.msi
Windows troubleshooting
The README documents graphics-driver startup problems and a backend override. Read its full warning before using the following verbatim commands.
$env:WGPU_BACKEND = "vulkan"
& .\soundcraft.exe
Remove-Item Env:WGPU_BACKEND # restore the default for later launchesAn explicit `gl` override can bring the driver crash back on affected systems.
Official README, Windows downloads
See the README for additional shader-compiler and renderer-fallback notes, where documented.
macOS 2 release files
The universal DMG is the desktop app for Apple silicon and Intel. The README labels it signed and notarized. A separate CLI ZIP, where listed, contains the command-line tool.
Show 2 macOS release files
soundcraft-0.5.0-macos-universal.dmgsoundcraft-cli-0.5.0-macos-universal.zip
Linux 13 release files
Choose the package for your architecture: AppImage, Debian/Ubuntu DEB, Fedora/RHEL/openSUSE RPM, sandboxed Flatpak or a tarball. RISC-V support and runtime requirements are package-specific. Read the README installation notes.
Show 13 Linux release files
soundcraft-0.5.0-linux-aarch64.AppImagesoundcraft-0.5.0-linux-aarch64.AppImage.zsyncsoundcraft-0.5.0-linux-aarch64.debsoundcraft-0.5.0-linux-aarch64.flatpaksoundcraft-0.5.0-linux-aarch64.rpmsoundcraft-0.5.0-linux-aarch64.tar.gzsoundcraft-0.5.0-linux-riscv64.tar.gzsoundcraft-0.5.0-linux-x86_64.AppImagesoundcraft-0.5.0-linux-x86_64.AppImage.zsyncsoundcraft-0.5.0-linux-x86_64.debsoundcraft-0.5.0-linux-x86_64.flatpaksoundcraft-0.5.0-linux-x86_64.rpmsoundcraft-0.5.0-linux-x86_64.tar.gz
FreeBSD 1 release files
The README provides tarball instructions and required runtime libraries. Read those before unpacking into system directories.
Show 1 FreeBSD release files
soundcraft-0.5.0-freebsd-x86_64.tar.gz
Web (WebAssembly) 1 release files
A web ZIP contains a static WebAssembly build to host on a static server. The official listing also labels browser support.
Show 1 Web (WebAssembly) release files
soundcraft-web-0.5.0.zip
Verify your download against SHA256SUMS.txt from the same official release. Compare a locally calculated SHA-256 digest with the entry for the exact file you downloaded. See the checksum guide.
Build SoundCraft from source
The following first-run block is copied verbatim from the official README. Run it from the repository checkout; commands without a clone step assume you already have the code. Read the README for Rust toolchain requirements, operating-system dependencies and optional fonts.
git clone https://github.com/storytold/soundcraft
cd soundcraft
cargo run --release -p soundcraft -- --demo # opens the demo songSoundCraft vs Avid Pro Tools
The comparison here covers only SoundCraft's documented capabilities. Its README positions it against Avid Pro Tools; the official apps listing labels it In development. The feature summary describes documented tools, and status and limits records the gaps. File support is scoped by the format table.
This is a documentation-based review, not a hands-on test or a guarantee of replacement readiness. For your workflow, test a copy of a representative file and check the result before moving important work.
Agent, CLI and MCP features
The SoundCraft README documents a command-line tool, a JSON control channel and an MCP server. These expose app operations to scripts and agents; the exact commands and protocol depend on the repository. Read the official automation documentation ↗
Frequently asked questions
Is SoundCraft made by ArtCraft?
Yes. The official listing and repository README identify the ArtCraft team and community behind the Crafting Apps. Its source is published under the storytold GitHub organization.
Where can I download SoundCraft?
Use its official getartcraft.com page or the storytold GitHub Releases page. This guide links to official sources and does not distribute installers.
Is SoundCraft safe?
This guide has not audited the binaries. Use official releases, verify the published SHA-256 checksums and read the documented platform warnings. Early software can have bugs.
Which platforms does SoundCraft support?
The official listing documents macOS, Windows, Linux, Web. Check the download section for the packages in the latest research snapshot.
Which audio formats does SoundCraft support?
The README lists WAV/BWF/RF64, AIFF/AIFC and FLAC in and out. MP3, Ogg Vorbis, AAC, ALAC, CAF and audio from MP4/MOV are import formats.
Is SoundCraft free?
Yes. It is part of the free, open-source Crafting Apps. GitHub records Apache-2.0; the README offers MIT OR Apache-2.0.