Maolan

An Open Source
Digital Audio Workstation

A modern Rust-based DAW for recording, MIDI editing, automation, plugin routing, and music production workflows. Built by the community, for the community.

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See Maolan in Action

Explore the interface, workflow, and core production tools built into Maolan.

Multi-Track Timeline

Organize and arrange unlimited tracks with precise timing controls.

Piano Roll Editor

Advanced MIDI editing with velocity, note properties, and automation.

Mixer & Routing

Flexible plugin hosting and track routing for complex mixing setups.

The Challenge

Closed Ecosystems

Most modern DAWs are proprietary black boxes. You can't inspect the code, understand how they work, or modify them for your needs.

High Costs

Professional DAWs require expensive licenses. For students, hobbyists, and developers, this creates barriers to entry.

Limited Flexibility

Extending functionality or integrating custom workflows is difficult or impossible without source code access.

The Solution

Maolan is a free, open-source DAW built in Rust. It prioritizes transparency, performance, and community-driven development.

Inspect every line of code. Build custom features. Contribute improvements. Own your tools.

  • ✓ 100% open source under a permissive license
  • ✓ Built with Rust for safety and performance
  • ✓ Community-driven development and improvements
  • ✓ Forever free, no licensing fees

Modern, transparent audio production

$ git clone https://github.com/maolan/maolan
$ cd maolan
$ cargo run --release
Ready to use. Ready to extend.

Key Capabilities

Multi-Track Audio & MIDI

Record and arrange unlimited audio and MIDI tracks with precise timing and flexible mixing.

Piano Roll MIDI Editing

Intuitive piano roll interface for composing, editing, and refining MIDI performances.

Automation & Envelopes

Create dynamic automations for volume, pan, plugin parameters. Create session and track templates.

Plugin Hosting & Routing

Load VST3/LV2 plugins, create complex routing chains, and design custom signal flows.

Export & Format Support

Export to WAV, FLAC, MP3, and other common formats. Save projects in open formats.

Autosave & Recovery

Automatic project backups and recovery features protect your work from unexpected interruptions.

Complete Production Workflow

1

Recording

Record audio from your microphone or instruments. Monitor latency-free with multiple input sources simultaneously.

2

Editing & Composition

Edit audio clips and MIDI notes with precision. Use the piano roll for composing melodies and harmonies.

3

Plugin & Routing

Load VST3/LV2 plugins on tracks. Create complex routing chains for parallel processing and effects.

4

Automation

Automate any parameter across time. Create dynamic mixes with volume, pan, and plugin automation curves.

5

Mixing & Mastering

Balance levels, EQ, compress, and process your mix. Prepare your final master for distribution.

6

Export

Export your final mix to WAV, FLAC, MP3, or other formats. Ready for streaming, distribution, or further processing.

Open Source & Community Driven

Why Open Source?

Maolan is open source because we believe audio production tools should be transparent, accessible, and shaped by their users.

You can inspect the code, understand how features work, and contribute improvements directly. The community drives the direction of the project.

  • → Contribute code to core features or plugins
  • → Report bugs and suggest improvements
  • → Write documentation and tutorials
  • → Build plugins and extensions

Project Stats

Repository

github.com/maolan/maolan

License

BSD-2-Clause

Language

Rust

Status

Active Development

Get Started with Maolan

Visit GitHub

View source code, releases, and contribute

Documentation

Read guides, API docs, and tutorials

Support the Project

Help the development by keeping it sustainable

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Maolan free? +

Yes! Maolan is completely free and open source. There are no licensing fees, subscriptions, or paywalls. The source code is available on GitHub under an open-source license.
Which platforms are supported? +

Maolan is built with Rust and currently supports Linux, and FreeBSD. You can build it from source on any of these platforms.
Which plugin formats are supported? +

Maolan currently supports VST3 and LV2 plugin formats. Support for additional formats may be added as the project develops. Check the GitHub repository for the latest plugin compatibility information.
How can I contribute? +

There are many ways to contribute to Maolan:

  • Code: Submit pull requests for features, bug fixes, or improvements
  • Documentation: Help improve guides, tutorials, and API docs
  • Testing: Report bugs, test features, and provide feedback
  • Design: Contribute UI/UX improvements and design ideas
  • Community: Help other users, answer questions, and promote the project

Visit the GitHub repository to get started. All contributors are welcome!

Can I reuse it in my Rust project? +

Maolan is a two-part project: engine and GUI. The engine is independent of the GUI and you can use it in your project. If you need to import the engine in your Rust project use:

$ cargo add maolan_engine