LMMS review: compose on your own computer

LMMS is free open-source music production software for people who want to write beats, melodies and full songs on a computer they control. It is a digital audio workstation: one program for instruments, patterns and a mix.⁷ A song is a project file you save on that computer. You export a recording only when you want a file you can play elsewhere.⁶

Last checked October 28, 2026.

At a glance

What it is: A desktop music studio for composing, arranging and mixing.¹

Works on: Linux, Windows and macOS. The download page has no iPhone or Android app.¹²

Price: Free. The project calls LMMS 100% free and open source.¹

Licence: GNU GPL, version 2, or any later version.⁴

Best for: Making original music on your own computer, and keeping the project file yourself.

Official site: lmms.io

What LMMS does (and how it protects your privacy)

LMMS is a music workspace for a home computer. You sequence parts, write notes, mix them and automate changes such as volume over time.¹ Playback can come from a typing keyboard or a MIDI keyboard. MIDI is a note language that electronic instruments use to talk to software.¹ The Beat+Bassline Editor holds drum and bass patterns. The Piano Roll is where you edit notes, chords and melodies.¹

It ships with instruments and effects: 16 built-in synthesizers, SoundFont sample banks, LADSPA plugins, and VST effects on Linux and Windows.¹ You can import a MIDI file, or a drum project from Hydrogen.¹⁷

Privacy here is mostly about where the song lives. Save As opens a dialog so you pick the folder and the name.⁶ An .mmp file is XML you can open in a text editor. An .mmpz file is compressed, and the manual says a text editor cannot read it.⁶ Compressed is not the same as locked: anyone with LMMS can open the project. Export writes a separate WAV, OGG or MP3.⁶ A separate sharing website lists files people have uploaded, including .mmpz projects.⁸ Put a song there only when you want it on that public list.

LMMS key features

Song arrangement: Sequence, compose, mix and automate in one interface.¹
Beat+Bassline Editor: Build drum and bass patterns, then place them in the song.¹
Piano Roll: Edit single notes, chords and melodies.¹
Playing in: Use a computer keyboard or a MIDI keyboard.¹
Included sounds: Sixteen built-in synthesizers, plus SoundFont, Giga and GUS sample banks.¹
Effects: Compressor, limiter, delay, reverb, distortion, bass enhancer, equalizers and LADSPA plugins.¹
Extra plugins, on some systems: VST instruments, with a 32-bit bridge on 64-bit Windows, and VST effects on Linux and Windows.¹
Bring a part in or out: Import MIDI and Hydrogen files, or export each track to its own file.¹⁶

LMMS pros and cons

Pros

It is free, under the GNU GPL, version 2 or any later version.¹⁴
Official downloads cover Linux, Windows and macOS.¹²
You choose the folder for each project, and you can keep a readable .mmp copy.⁶
Instruments, effects, presets and samples are included with the download.¹
Songs made with the included material can be sold. Extra sounds are fine when their licence allows it.⁷
The project is still publishing. Pre-release 1.3.0-alpha.2 came out on 6 September 2026.³

Cons

The download page still labels 1.2.2 as the stable version. Its notes are dated 25 June 2020.²
Version 1.3.0-alpha.2 is not the stable 1.3.0 release. The project warns that crashes may happen and that project files may break.²³
A project saved in 1.3.0-alpha.2 cannot be reopened in older LMMS. The project calls that a one-way upgrade.²
There is no phone app. The download page offers Linux, Windows and macOS.²
On the 1.2.2 notes, VST plugins that are .dll files do not work on Apple.²
The alpha drops 32-bit builds. The stable Windows download still includes a 32-bit 1.2.2 installer.²

Is LMMS safe and private?

LMMS is a community project, and the homepage says the code is hosted on GitHub.¹ The source header allows redistribution and changes under the GNU General Public Licence, version 2, or any later version.⁴ The About window also names the GNU GPL.⁶ Use the installers on the official download page.²

A working directory holds your projects, samples and presets. A native directory holds the files that shipped with the program.⁵ On Windows, the working directory defaults to C:/Users/[USERNAME]/Documents/lmms, and the configuration file is C:/Users/[USERNAME]/.lmmsrc.xml.⁵ You can change that folder in settings.⁵ Do not save your own projects in the program’s data folder.⁵

The sharing site at lmms.io/lsp lists uploads, including project files, so treat anything you place there as public.⁸ Online Help opens the manual, which is a click you choose.⁶ Quit does not always notice unsaved edits, so save the file yourself.⁶ To trim the exported recording, use Audacity.

How to get started with LMMS

Download from the official page. Open lmms.io/download and choose Linux, Windows or macOS. The stable downloads are labeled LMMS 1.2.2. The notes for that version are dated 25 June 2020.²
On a newer Mac, pick the matching build. If you use macOS 10.14 or newer, use that build. The page says the macOS 10.13 build is buggy on 10.14 or newer.²
On Linux, start the AppImage, or use your package manager. Run chmod +x ~/Downloads/lmms-*.AppImage before the AppImage. Debian, Ubuntu and Linux Mint can also use sudo apt-get install lmms.²
Read the warning before the newer pre-release. The same page offers 1.3.0-alpha.2, published on 6 September 2026. It is not the stable 1.3.0 yet. Crashes may happen, project files may break, and a file saved in this release cannot be opened in older LMMS.²³
Keep songs out of the install folder. On Windows, the working directory is Documents/lmms. Save there, or change that folder in settings. Do not store your own work in the program’s data folder.⁵
Make one short pattern. Drag an included instrument in from the sidebar. Use the Beat+Bassline Editor for a rhythm and the Piano Roll for a melody.¹⁷
Save, then export a copy you can play. Save As asks for a location. Pick .mmp for a text file, or .mmpz for the compressed project.⁶ Export writes a WAV, OGG or MP3.⁶ Keep the project file so you can change the song later.

Who should use LMMS (and who might prefer something else)

LMMS fits someone composing original music on a computer, with drums, bass and melody in one program and the project stored in a folder they choose. A Hydrogen drum file can be imported and built on.⁷ The labeled stable download is 1.2.2. The September 2026 pre-release suits people who want the newer tools and can accept a one-way project file.²³

If you only want drum patterns, Hydrogen is a drum machine rather than a full studio. For a printed score, use MuseScore Studio. To mix records you already have, look at Mixxx.

Frequently asked questions

Is LMMS free?

Yes. The manual says LMMS is free and open source, and the homepage calls it 100% free.⁷¹ The source licence is the GNU GPL, version 2 or any later version.⁴

Does LMMS work on iPhone?

The homepage and the download page name Linux, Windows and macOS.¹² The download page’s install sections are those three systems, with no iPhone or Android app.²

Does LMMS upload my songs?

Save As stores the project in a location you choose, as an .mmp or .mmpz file.⁶ On Windows, the usual working folder is Documents/lmms.⁵ A separate sharing website lists project files people have uploaded.⁸ That list is not the same thing as saving the file on your computer.

Can I sell music I make with LMMS?

The manual says yes, if you used only samples, instruments and effects from LMMS, or if any extra material has a licence that allows it.⁷