# alda-lang/alda

A music programming language for musicians. :notes:

Repository: https://github.com/alda-lang/alda
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/alda
Homepage: https://alda.io
Language: Go
License: EPL-2.0
License Family: copyleft
Topics: music, programming-language, music-programming-language, music-composition, alda, hacktoberfest, music-programming
Last push: 2026-08-19T20:01:02+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 76/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 98, release rhythm 35, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 4390, "days_push": 14, "days_rel": null, "gap_med": null, "n_releases_24m": 0}
- flags: no_releases
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 5935, forks 313 (observed 2026-08-28T04:09:32.532480+00:00)

## What it is
Alda is a text-based music composition language where scores are plain text files played back via the `alda` command-line tool. It includes an interactive REPL for real-time music entry and supports algorithmic composition using General MIDI instruments.

## Use cases
- compose music as text files from the command line
- live code music in a REPL
- write algorithmic music programmatically
- create MIDI music with General MIDI instruments
- learn music composition without sheet music software

## When to choose
- you prefer text-based notation over graphical score editors
- you want to compose or live-code music from a terminal
- you want to generate music programmatically

## When to avoid
- you need graphical sheet music editing or engraving
- you need MusicXML export or advanced synthesis (planned, not yet available)
- you cannot install Java for the sound player

## Facets
- artifact type: cli-tool
- maturity: active
- function: programming-language, cli, audio-processing, interpreter
- domain: programming-languages, media, developer-tools
- platform: windows, cli, cross-platform
- tags: music-composition, midi, live-coding, text-based-music-notation, dsl, audio, command-line, macos, linux

## Member repositories
- alda-lang/alda (main) score 76

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:09:32.532480+00:00.
- Health v2: computed from the inputs above; adoption is never an input.
- Inferred fields (summary, facets, guidance): AI-extracted, prompt v1, taxonomy v1, on 2026-08-29T17:50:47.129933+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/alda-lang/alda (fetched 2026-08-28T04:09:32.532480+00:00, sha 5900b19ca131)
  - homepage: https://alda.io (fetched 2026-08-29T08:46:25.941835+00:00, sha d825856edf5c)
  - site_page: https://alda.io/install (fetched 2026-08-29T08:46:25.944195+00:00, sha c9e303aa620c)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.