# free-audio/clap

Audio Plugin API

Repository: https://github.com/free-audio/clap
Canonical: https://ross.abutalabs.com/products/free-audio-clap
Homepage: https://cleveraudio.org/
Language: C
License: MIT
License Family: permissive
Topics: audio, daw, plugin, clap
Last push: 2026-07-28T21:29:47+00:00

## Health v2 (maintenance only)
Score: 75/100 (v2, computed 2026-09-03T02:20:16.233290+00:00)
- activity 94, release rhythm 35, longevity 100
- inputs: {"age_days": 4313, "days_push": 36, "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 2334, forks 131 (observed 2026-08-28T04:06:37.979971+00:00)

## What it is
CLAP (CLever Audio Plugin) is an open standard C API with a stable ABI that defines how Digital Audio Workstations (hosts) and audio plugins such as synthesizers and effects interoperate. This repository contains the official specification headers, extension definitions, and a minimal plugin template for implementing CLAP-compatible plugins and hosts.

## Use cases
- build a synthesizer or audio effect plugin for DAWs
- add CLAP plugin hosting support to a digital audio workstation
- write a cross-DAW audio plugin with a stable binary ABI
- define custom host/plugin extensions for audio software
- migrate a JUCE project to also ship CLAP builds
- implement per-note modulation and automation in a plugin

## When to choose
- you are developing an audio plugin or DAW and want an open, modern plugin standard
- you need per-note expression, better multithreading, or fast plugin scanning
- you want a liberally licensed (MIT) alternative to VST/AU

## When to avoid
- you only need to target existing proprietary formats like VST3 or AU exclusively
- you are building non-audio desktop plugins
- you need a ready-made plugin rather than an API to implement one

## Facets
- artifact type: library
- maturity: stable
- function: audio-processing, plugin-system, sdk
- domain: media, developer-tools, cross-platform
- platform: cross-platform, cpp, c
- tags: audio-plugin-api, abi, daw, synthesizers, audio-effects, vst-alternative, host-plugin, audio

## Member repositories
- free-audio/clap (main) score 75

## Provenance
- Observed fields: from GitHub, fetched 2026-08-28T04:06:37.979971+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 2026-08-30T02:37:45.631353+00:00, confidence not recorded.
  - readme: https://github.com/free-audio/clap (fetched 2026-08-28T04:06:37.979971+00:00, sha df383324d343)
  - homepage: https://cleveraudio.org/ (fetched 2026-08-29T10:18:15.746037+00:00, sha db795140d3b5)
  - site_page: https://cleveraudio.org/developers-getting-started (fetched 2026-08-29T10:18:15.757391+00:00, sha 6f371a236501)
  - site_page: https://cleveraudio.org/about (fetched 2026-08-29T10:18:15.759144+00:00, sha b74929b85eeb)
  - site_page: https://cleveraudio.org/1-feature-overview (fetched 2026-08-29T10:18:15.755164+00:00, sha 62f75199e5cb)
- Data as of 2026-08-30T08:39:29.467469+00:00.