# FluidSynth/fluidsynth

Software synthesizer based on the SoundFont 2 specifications

Repository: https://github.com/FluidSynth/fluidsynth
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/fluidsynth
Homepage: https://www.fluidsynth.org
Language: C
License: LGPL-2.1
License Family: copyleft
Topics: synthesizer, soundfont2-synthesizer-library, midi-player, soundfont-synthesizers, midi, fluidsynth, soundfonts, linux, realtime, cross-platform, midi-files, wavetables
Last push: 2026-08-21T14:47:22+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 98/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-02T17:46:02.011165+00:00)
- activity 98, release rhythm 97, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 3357, "days_push": 12, "days_rel": 22, "gap_med": 29.0, "n_releases_24m": 19}
- flags: none
- formula: round(0.45*activity + 0.35*rhythm + 0.20*longevity); archived -> min(score, 10)

## Adoption (not part of the score)
Stars 2474, forks 332 (observed 2026-08-28T04:06:54.930825+00:00)

## What it is
FluidSynth is a real-time software synthesizer based on the SoundFont 2 (and 3) specifications, with support for DLS and MIDI file playback. It ships as a shared C library with a powerful API plus a command-line shell, and is embedded in many GUI frontends, mobile apps, and embedded systems.

## Use cases
- play midi files with soundfonts from the command line
- embed a soundfont synthesizer in my app
- convert midi to audio using sf2 soundfonts
- real-time midi synthesis in a music application
- render midi to wav on linux
- add soundfont playback to an android or ios app

## When to choose
- you need a mature, cross-platform SoundFont 2/3 synthesizer with a C API
- you want to play or render MIDI files with high-quality instrument soundfonts
- you need a lightweight synth for embedded or mobile systems

## When to avoid
- you need a graphical synthesizer interface out of the box (use a frontend like QSynth)
- you need hardware MIDI device emulation or non-SoundFont synthesis engines like FM synthesis

## Facets
- artifact type: library
- maturity: stable
- function: audio-processing, sdk, cli
- domain: media, cross-platform, developer-tools
- platform: windows, cross-platform, cli, embedded
- tags: soundfont, midi, software-synthesizer, wavetable-synthesis, midi-playback, c-library, audio, linux, macos, android, ios

## Member repositories
- FluidSynth/fluidsynth (main) score 98

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:06:54.930825+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 2026-08-30T02:28:23.964931+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/FluidSynth/fluidsynth (fetched 2026-08-28T04:06:54.930825+00:00, sha dff5f96903be)
  - homepage: https://www.fluidsynth.org (fetched 2026-08-29T10:10:24.327376+00:00, sha c79af7f4411a)
  - site_page: https://www.fluidsynth.org/documentation (fetched 2026-08-29T10:10:24.336234+00:00, sha 424cc16d67dc)
  - site_page: https://www.fluidsynth.org/wiki/FluidFeatures (fetched 2026-08-29T10:10:24.337963+00:00, sha d01175d85d20)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.