Rainbow-Dreamer/musicpy

What is it?

Key features

• 01Write notes, chords and melodies with concise, human-readable syntax.
• 02Generate music from music theory rules and algorithms.
• 03Export compositions to MIDI and load MIDI files for analysis.
• 04Supports MusicXML reading and writing via an optional dependency.
• 05Note, chord and scale types support arithmetic operations.
• 06Playback through a built-in play function.

Use cases

• Composing short pieces or chord progressions in code.
• Analyzing the harmony and structure of existing MIDI files.
• Teaching or experimenting with music theory through programming.
• Generating algorithmic or experimental music from rule sets.

Quick start

1. 1

   Make sure Python 3.7 or newer is installed

2. 2

   Install musicpy with pip

   pip install musicpy
3. 3

   Import musicpy at the start of your file

   from musicpy import *

Things to know

• !Licensed under LGPL-2.1, so modified library code must stay open under the same terms.
• !The play function on Linux needs an older pygame version and the freepats package.
• !Some features such as musicxml and the daw module need extra dependencies.

Topics

FAQ

What is musicpy?

A Python-based music programming language that lets you write, analyze and export music using concise, music-theory-aware syntax and MIDI output. Musicpy is a music programming language embedded in Python. It lets you describe notes, chords, melodies, rhythms and volumes with short, readable expressions, and generate musical material from music theory rules and algorithms. Its core data types (note, chord, scale) support arithmetic, so music theory operations can be written in a mathematical style.

Is musicpy free to use? What license does it have?

musicpy is open source under the LGPL-2.1 license. Check the license terms before using it in commercial products.

Is musicpy still maintained?

Updated within 6 months. The last commit to musicpy was on Sep 19, 2026.

What can I use musicpy for?

Composing short pieces or chord progressions in code. Analyzing the harmony and structure of existing MIDI files. Teaching or experimenting with music theory through programming. Generating algorithmic or experimental music from rule sets.

How do I install musicpy?

Make sure Python 3.7 or newer is installed Install musicpy with pip: pip install musicpy Import musicpy at the start of your file: from musicpy import *

Where can I get musicpy?

The source code and installation instructions are on GitHub: https://github.com/Rainbow-Dreamer/musicpy