Open Audio Analyzer

Overview

Open Audio Analyzer is a free, open-source analyzer for monitoring live audio and examining recorded files. It is a strong fit for producers and audio engineers who need several kinds of metering in one configurable workspace. Its broad measurement toolkit comes with one important caveat: the remote tablet display is not secured.

The app’s on-device processing and in-memory handling are a good fit for people who want to keep audio local: the maker says it is discarded after measurement, never recorded or stored, and never transmitted by the app. It also says there are no accounts, analytics, telemetry, crash reports, or advertising. Technical support goes through a public GitHub issue tracker.

For other tools in the category, see our Audio Analysis Software guide.

Key features

Fourteen meter types can be arranged across tabs and saved as layout presets, letting users build a repeatable view around a particular monitoring task. Colour skins offer another way to tailor the workspace. This flexibility rewards users who know what they want to monitor; it is less compelling for someone seeking a single-purpose meter.

• Loudness and peak: Measurements follow EBU R 128 and ITU-R BS.1770-4, covering momentary, short-term and integrated LUFS, loudness range, and oversampled true peak. That makes the app useful for checking both loudness and peaks against familiar standards.
• Visual analysis: Alongside loudness and true-peak meters, views include VU, spectrum, spectrogram, oscilloscope, phase scope, histogram, loudness distribution, and stereo cloud. The range supports different kinds of inspection without reducing the app to a spectrum display alone.
• Delivery targets: Streaming and broadcast targets are built in, and users can create their own. That makes the app more useful for repeatable delivery checks than a meter with readouts but no target workflow.
• Files and command line: The CLI analyzes a single file or an album folder and can produce readable reports or CSV output. This is a practical advantage for batch review and workflows that need structured results, alongside real-time analysis.
• DAW plugins: VST3 and Audio Unit plugins send measurements and DAW transport position to the app. An AAX plugin is in the archive, but it is not yet signed for a released Pro Tools version, so Pro Tools users should not rely on it for a ready-to-use integration.
• Tablet display: A tablet on the same network can show the desktop app’s published measurements and canvas layout over Wi-Fi. The link has no encryption or authentication; the maker recommends using it only on a trusted network.

Pricing

Free software — free. The app and engine are licensed under GPL-3.0-or-later, while the plugin is AGPL-3.0-or-later. There is no paid plan or free trial stated. The free license makes the full described analysis workflow accessible without a subscription; the tradeoff is that users must observe the distinct licenses for the app, engine, and plugin.

Platforms

Open Audio Analyzer is available for Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, and Windows. The desktop app is the hub for the tablet display, which presents its measurements and layout over the local network.

Who it's for

This is a good choice for audio professionals and technically confident enthusiasts who want standards-based loudness checks, a configurable collection of meters, delivery targets, and both live and file analysis without paying for the software. The CLI also makes it a sensible option for people who need reports across individual files or album folders.

It is a weaker fit for anyone who needs an authenticated or encrypted remote display, or who depends on a signed AAX plugin for a released Pro Tools version. Its breadth is most useful when users have a reason to build their own monitoring layouts.

Pros and cons

• Pros: Fourteen arrangeable meter types and saved presets support focused, repeatable monitoring setups.
• Pros: Standards-based LUFS and true-peak measurements, plus built-in and custom delivery targets, help with production and delivery checks.
• Pros: CLI reports and CSV output extend analysis to folders and scripted workflows.
• Pros: Free, open-source software spans five platforms, with on-device measurement and no app-side audio transmission, according to the maker.
• Cons: The Wi-Fi tablet link has neither encryption nor authentication, making it unsuitable for untrusted networks.
• Cons: The AAX plugin is not signed for a released Pro Tools version, limiting its usefulness to that audience.

Alternatives

• MediaInfo is a free option from an open-source company focused on digital media analysis; choose it when that focus and its Android, iOS, Linux, macOS, self-hosted, web, and Windows availability suit your needs better.
• Open Sound Meter offers a free desktop version described by its maker as open source, with contributions invited on GitHub; consider it if that community-oriented desktop approach is a better fit.
• Room EQ Wizard has a free tier for single-channel capture, room and audio measurement, real-time analysis, and EQ tools; choose it when those room-measurement and EQ functions are the priority.
• MeldaProduction MAnalyzer is a free effect included in MFreeFXBundle; its bundle’s professional upgrade adds sonogram access in analyzers, plugin resizing and styling, and preset management, making it an option for readers who want an effect within that bundle.
• Youlean Loudness Meter has a free, non-expiring tier with film, TV, and gaming presets; LU, INT, TP, LRA, PLR, and DR readouts; and mono, stereo, and 5.1 channels. Pick it when those channel formats and presets matter more than a CLI tool.
• Voxengo SPAN is a free real-time FFT spectrum analyzer plugin for macOS and Windows; it is a narrower alternative when spectrum analysis is the main requirement.
• Stoplight Elements is an open-source set of API documentation building blocks for web and self-hosted use.
• ACRCloud offers a 14-day trial with full API access and no credit card required; it is an alternative for readers seeking that trial-based API offering.

Verdict

Choose Open Audio Analyzer if you want a free, open-source workspace that combines live and file analysis, configurable meters, delivery targets, and CLI reporting. Its range and local audio handling are persuasive reasons to use it; look elsewhere if your workflow requires a secure remote display or a signed AAX plugin for a released Pro Tools version.