Installation

Install Csound on macOS, Linux, Windows, iOS, Android, or WebAssembly

Installation

Csound can be installed on various platforms either through pre-built binaries or by building from source. This guide covers all major platforms and installation methods.

Requirements

Before installing Csound, ensure you have:

• A supported operating system (macOS, Linux, Windows, iOS, or Android)
• For building from source: CMake, C compiler toolchain, Flex, and Bison

For most users, we recommend installing pre-built binaries. Building from source is only necessary if you need custom configurations or want to contribute to development.

Pre-built binaries

Download releases

The easiest way to get started with Csound is to download pre-built installers:

1. Visit the releases page

   Go to github.com/csound/csound/releases to find the latest stable release.

2. Choose your platform

   Download the appropriate installer for your operating system:

   • macOS: .dmg installer
   • Windows: .exe installer
   • Linux: .deb or .rpm packages
3. Install Csound

   Run the installer and follow the on-screen instructions.

4. Verify installation

   Open a terminal and run:

   csound --version
   

   You should see the Csound version information.

Beta builds

For Csound 7.0 beta releases:

Beta releases are for testing and development. They may contain bugs and are not recommended for production use.

1. Navigate to GitHub Actions

   Visit the GitHub Actions page for the Csound repository.

2. Select a build

   Choose the latest successful build from the develop branch.

3. Download artifacts

   Scroll to the bottom of the build page to find downloadable artifacts for macOS, iOS, and Windows.

Building from source

Prerequisites

All platforms require:

Core requirements

# CMake build system
# C compiler toolchain
# Flex and bison (recent versions recommended)
# - Bison 3.8+
# - Flex 2.6+

macOS

Using Homebrew

The recommended method for macOS users:

# Install dependencies
brew install --only-dependencies csound
brew install bison flex jack googletest

# Clone and build
git clone https://github.com/csound/csound.git
cd csound
cmake -B build -DCUSTOM_CMAKE="./platform/osx/custom-osx.cmake"
cmake --build build --config Release

# Install (requires sudo)
sudo cmake --build build --target install

The CsoundLib64 framework will be installed to $HOME/Library/Frameworks.

With dependencies installed

If you already have libsndfile and other dependencies:

mkdir build
cd build
cmake ..
make -j 8
sudo make install

Vanilla (no Homebrew)

Build on macOS without any package manager:

# Build libsndfile first
git clone https://github.com/libsndfile/libsndfile
cd libsndfile
cmake -B build -DENABLE_EXTERNAL_LIBS=0 -DENABLE_MPEG=0 \
  -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=../sndfile_install
cmake --build build
cmake --build build --target install
cd ..

# Build Csound
cmake -B build \
  -DCMAKE_PREFIX_PATH="$PWD/sndfile_install" \
  -DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX="$PWD/csound_install" \
  -DCS_FRAMEWORK_DEST="$PWD/csound_install"
cmake --build build --config Release
cmake --build build --target install

This provides a fully functional Csound with CoreAudio, CoreMIDI, and libsndfile support.

Linux (Ubuntu/Debian)

1. Install dependencies

   sudo apt-get update
   sudo apt-get install cmake libsndfile1-dev libasound2-dev \
     libjack-dev portaudio19-dev libportmidi-dev libpulse-dev \
     swig liblua5.1-0-dev default-jdk libfltk1.1-dev \
     libfluidsynth-dev liblo-dev fluid ladspa-sdk libpng-dev \
     dssi-dev libstk0-dev libgmm++-dev bison flex libportsmf-dev \
     libeigen3-dev libcunit1-dev gettext libsamplerate0-dev
   
2. Clone and build

   git clone https://github.com/csound/csound.git
   cd csound
   mkdir build
   cd build
   cmake ..
   make
   
3. Install

   sudo make install
   

Windows (Visual Studio)

1. Install prerequisites

   Open PowerShell as administrator:

   # Install Chocolatey package manager first if needed
   # Then install build tools
   choco install -y cmake winflexbison3 innosetup git
   
2. Clone repository

   git clone https://github.com/csound/csound.git
   cd csound
   
3. Initialize vcpkg

   git submodule init
   git submodule update
   .\vcpkg\bootstrap-vcpkg.bat
   
4. Build Csound

   cmake -B build -S . -DUSE_VCPKG=1 \
     -DCUSTOM_CMAKE="./platform/windows/Custom-vs.cmake" \
     -DINSTALL_PYTHON_INTERFACE=OFF
   cmake --build build --config Release
   

   Remove -DINSTALL_PYTHON_INTERFACE=OFF if you have Python 3 installed and want Python bindings.

iOS

1. Install Bison

   brew install bison
   
2. Build libsndfile

   cd iOS
   chmod +x build_libsndfile.sh
   ./build_libsndfile.sh
   
3. Build Csound for iOS

   ./build.sh
   ./release.sh
   

   The release script creates a zip file with the iOS build.

Android

Android builds require the Android NDK and SDK. Refer to the Android directory in the source repository for detailed instructions.

WebAssembly

Csound can be compiled to WebAssembly for use in web browsers. See the Emscripten directory in the source repository for build instructions.

CMake configuration options

Customize your build with these common options:

CMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX · path · default: "/usr/local"

Installation directory for Csound

USE_LIBSNDFILE · boolean · default: "ON"

Enable libsndfile for soundfile I/O. Disable if libsndfile is not available.

USE_LIBSAMPLERATE · boolean · default: "ON"

Use libsamplerate for high-quality sample rate conversion. When disabled, Csound uses linear interpolation.

BUILD_PLUGINS · boolean · default: "OFF"

Build all external opcodes as plugin libraries.

DCUSTOM_CMAKE · path

Path to a custom.cmake file with additional build options.

View all options

To see the complete list of CMake options:

cd build
cmake -LAH

Verifying your installation

After installation, verify Csound is working:

Check version

csound --version

You should hear a 440 Hz sine wave tone for 2 seconds.

Troubleshooting

Command not found after installation

Make sure the Csound binary is in your system PATH. On macOS and Linux, you may need to add /usr/local/bin to your PATH.

Audio device errors

Csound needs access to audio devices. Check your system audio settings and ensure Csound has necessary permissions. Use -o dac for real-time output or -o output.wav to render to a file.

Missing opcodes or features

Some opcodes require optional dependencies. Rebuild Csound with the required libraries installed, or check that plugin libraries are in the correct location.

Build errors on macOS

Make sure you have the latest Xcode command-line tools installed: xcode-select --install. Also ensure you’re using a recent version of Bison (not the system default).

Next steps

Quick start guide

Now that Csound is installed, create your first audio program