AudioKit
A Swift toolkit for making, processing, and analyzing sound in Apple-platform apps.
- Stars
- 11.5k
- Forks
- 1.6k
- Licence
- MIT
- Language
- Swift
- Last update
- 3 months ago
- Type
- Library
What it is
AudioKit is a platform for building audio features into apps on iOS, macOS, and tvOS. It covers sound synthesis, audio processing, and audio analysis, so an app can generate tones, apply effects, or measure what it hears. It is written in Swift and is distributed as a set of Swift packages that can be added to an Xcode project.
- Build a software synthesizer or sampler inside an iOS app
- Add reverb, delay, or other effects to audio played or recorded in an app
- Analyze live microphone input for pitch or amplitude
- Experiment with audio code in Swift Playgrounds using the project's examples
Great for
- Swift developers adding synthesizers, effects, or audio analysis to an iOS or macOS app
- Developers building music or audio tools for Apple platforms
- Developers who want to learn audio programming by working through examples in Swift Playgrounds
- Teams that only need specific AudioKit components and can add them individually
Not ideal for
- Non-programmers looking for a ready-made music app, since this is a library for developers
- Developers targeting Android, Windows, or Linux, since the README only lists Apple platforms
- Projects that need a stable API guarantee, since the latest release is 5.7.2 and the README does not describe its compatibility policy
How to get it
- 1
Install with a package manager
You'll need: Xcode · Swift
Clone the repository
git clone https://github.com/AudioKit/AudioKit - 2
Run it
- In Xcode, open File > Add Package Dependencies...
- Click + in the Collections sidebar and choose Add Package Collection...
- Enter https://swiftpackageindex.com/AudioKit/collection.json and click Load
- Add the AudioKit packages you need and start with a recipe from the Cookbook
- 3
Get the most out of it
- Use the AudioKit Cookbook for working recipes covering common tasks
- Add only the AudioKit packages you need from the Collections list to keep app size down
- Generate local documentation in Xcode via Product > Build Documentation
- Check audiokit.io for the full documentation referenced in the README
Downloads
Strengths
- Covers synthesis, processing, and analysis in one platform
- Installable through Xcode's package collections, so individual components can be added as needed
- Has an examples repository (the AudioKit Cookbook) with recipes for common uses
Trade-offs
- Limited to Apple platforms according to the README
- The README does not describe the learning curve or required audio background, so expect to need some familiarity with audio concepts
- Release binaries are not provided; it is consumed as source through Swift packages
How it compares
| Project | Stars | Type | Level | Updated | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AudioKit (this) | 11.5k | Library | intermediate | 3 months ago | Swift developers adding synthesizers, effects, or audio analysis to an iOS or macOS app |
| Tone.js | 14.9k | Library | intermediate | 5 days ago | Developers adding interactive sound or music to a web page |
| SwifterSwift | 15.3k | Library | beginner | 4 days ago | Swift developers building iOS or macOS apps who want common helper methods ready to use |
| SDWebImage | 25.6k | Library | intermediate | 7 months ago | iOS or macOS app developers who need to show remote images in lists or grids |
| Kingfisher | 24.4k | Library | beginner | 4 days ago | iOS or macOS developers who need to show remote images in lists or detail screens |
| SVProgressHUD | 12.4k | Library | beginner | 8 months ago | iOS developers who need a quick loading indicator for a blocking task |
Stats synced from GitHub. The assessment above was drafted with AI from the project's README on 2026-10-29 and may miss recent changes — check the README before relying on a command. MIT licence: free to use, modify and distribute, including commercially, as long as you keep the copyright notice.