ArdourProfessional digital audio workstation for recording, editing, mixing and mastering, with unlimited tracks, full plugin support and film-scoring workflows. Paul Davis has led its development as free software since 1999.AudacityThe best-known free multi-track audio editor and recorder, used for everything from podcast production to scientific audio analysis since 2000. Community pressure over telemetry after its 2021 acquisition showed how vigilantly users guard free software projects.FFmpegThe universal toolkit for recording, converting and streaming audio and video — the libavcodec/libavformat libraries at its core decode practically every multimedia format ever devised. Nearly every media application, from VLC to YouTube's pipeline, stands on its shoulders.HandBrakeOpen source video transcoder that converts nearly any video into modern, widely supported formats, with batteries-included presets for every device. For two decades it has been the standard tool for ripping and re-encoding personal media collections.JellyfinFully free media server for streaming your own films, shows, music and books to any device — a volunteer-run fork of Emby created when that project closed its source, with no accounts, tracking or paywalled features.KdenliveKDE's non-linear video editor built on the MLT framework, with multi-track editing, proxy workflows and effects that have matured into genuine production capability. One of the longest-lived free video editors, in development since 2003.KodiMedia center born as Xbox Media Center (XBMC) in 2002, turning any device into a home theatre with library management, add-ons and every codec imaginable. One of the longest-running community media projects.LMMSDigital audio workstation for pattern-based music production — synthesizers, samples, MIDI and automation in the tracker tradition, free since 2004. The first serious DAW many bedroom producers ever touched.mpvMinimalist command-line media player descended from MPlayer/mplayer2, with a scriptable core, precise video output and no interface in the way. It is the playback engine inside dozens of other applications.MuseScore StudioMusic notation program for writing, playing back and publishing sheet music, paired with one of the largest open score-sharing communities in the world. Version 4 brought professional engraving and playback quality to everyone for free.OBS StudioFree software for video recording and live streaming, with scene composition, mixing and hardware-accelerated encoding. It became the de facto standard tool of the streaming era while remaining fully open under the GPL.PitiviGNOME's video editor built directly on the GStreamer multimedia framework, aiming for an approachable, well-integrated editing experience on the free desktop.ShotcutCross-platform video editor from the author of the MLT framework, with wide format support through FFmpeg, 4K workflows and a dockable interface. A capable free editor with no watermarks, trials or upsells.VLC media playerCross-platform media player and streaming server from the VideoLAN project that plays virtually every audio and video format out of the box, with no external codec packs. Born as a student project at École Centrale Paris, it became one of the most widely deployed free software applications in the world.
