Sonic Visualiser is an application for inspecting and analysing the contents of music audio files.
Sonic Visualiser combines powerful waveform and spectral visualisation tools with automated feature extraction plugins and annotation capabilities. It also has powerful annotation capabilities to help you to describe what you find, and the ability to run automated annotation and analysis plugins in the Vamp analysis plugin format – as well as applying standard audio effects.
The aim of Sonic Visualiser is to be the first program you reach for when want to study a musical recording rather than simply listen to it.
Features include:
- Load audio files in various formats (WAV/AIFF, plus Ogg and mp3 if compiled in) and view their waveforms.
- Look at audio visualisations such as spectrogram views, with interactive adjustment of display parameters.
- Annotate audio data by adding labelled time points and defining segments, point values and curves.
- Overlay annotations on top of one another with aligned scales, and overlay annotations on top of waveform or spectrogram views.
- View the same data at multiple time resolutions simultaneously (for close-up and overview).
- Run feature-extraction plugins to calculate annotations automatically, using algorithms such as beat trackers, pitch detectors and so on.
- Import annotation layers from various text file formats.
- Import note data from MIDI files, view it alongside other frequency scales, and play it with the original audio.
- Play back the audio plus synthesised annotations, taking care to synchronise playback with display.
- Select areas of interest, optionally snapping to nearby feature locations, and audition individual and comparative selections in seamless loops.
- Time-stretch playback, slowing right down or speeding up to a tiny fraction or huge multiple of the original speed while retaining a synchronised display.
- Export audio regions and annotation layers to external files.
Website: www.sonicvisualiser.org
Support: Documentation
Developer: Centre for Digital Music,
Queen Mary, University of London
License: GNU General Public License v2.0
Sonic Visualiser is written in C++. Learn C++ with our recommended free books and free tutorials.
| Popular series | |
|---|---|
 | The largest compilation of the best free and open source software in the universe. Each article is supplied with a legendary ratings chart helping you to make informed decisions. |
 | Hundreds of in-depth reviews offering our unbiased and expert opinion on software. We offer helpful and impartial information. |
 | Replace proprietary software with open source alternatives: Google, Microsoft, Apple, Adobe, IBM, Autodesk, Oracle, Atlassian, Corel, Cisco, Intuit, and SAS. |
 | Awesome Free Linux Games Tools showcases a series of tools that making gaming on Linux a more pleasurable experience. This is a new series. |
 | Machine Learning explores practical applications of machine learning and deep learning from a Linux perspective. We've written reviews of more than 40 self-hosted apps. All are free and open source. |
 | New to Linux? Read our Linux for Starters series. We start right at the basics and teach you everything you need to know to get started with Linux. |
 | Alternatives to popular CLI tools showcases essential tools that are modern replacements for core Linux utilities. |
 | Essential Linux system tools focuses on small, indispensable utilities, useful for system administrators as well as regular users. |
 | Linux utilities to maximise your productivity. Small, indispensable tools, useful for anyone running a Linux machine. |
 | Surveys popular streaming services from a Linux perspective: Amazon Music Unlimited, Myuzi, Spotify, Deezer, Tidal. |
 | Saving Money with Linux looks at how you can reduce your energy bills running Linux. |
 | Home computers became commonplace in the 1980s. Emulate home computers including the Commodore 64, Amiga, Atari ST, ZX81, Amstrad CPC, and ZX Spectrum. |
 | Now and Then examines how promising open source software fared over the years. It can be a bumpy ride. |
 | Linux at Home looks at a range of home activities where Linux can play its part, making the most of our time at home, keeping active and engaged. |
 | Linux Candy reveals the lighter side of Linux. Have some fun and escape from the daily drudgery. |
 | Getting Started with Docker helps you master Docker, a set of platform as a service products that delivers software in packages called containers. |
 | Best Free Android Apps. We showcase free Android apps that are definitely worth downloading. There's a strict eligibility criteria for inclusion in this series. |
 | These best free books accelerate your learning of every programming language. Learn a new language today! |
 | These free tutorials offer the perfect tonic to our free programming books series. |
 | Linux Around The World showcases usergroups that are relevant to Linux enthusiasts. Great ways to meet up with fellow enthusiasts. |
 | Stars and Stripes is an occasional series looking at the impact of Linux in the USA. |