The Audio Programmer

Learn, Connect, Create

• Learn coding with our resources and community
• Connect with top talent or career opportunities
• Create your own audio plug-in

[The Audio Programmer @audioprogrammer]

Our new book "The Complete Beginner's Guide to Audio Plug-in Development" is here!

"How do I create my own audio plug-in?"

Anyone who has ever asked that question knows that the answers are complex. Audio programming is an amazing intersection of code, math, and creativity, and one of the most challenging parts is just getting started...

...until now!

This is a new collaboration with @mhollemans that's designed specifically for people who are getting started - no coding experience necessary!

Our favorite part about this book is that it TRULY takes you from the beginning and shows you not only how to get started, but also provides a foundational understanding of how plug-ins work.

This is an ideal book for...

• Sound designers
• Music producers
• Developers from other areas in software
• Audio developers seeking a better understanding of how things work

Here are just a few of the subjects we cover:

• Downloading your first IDE (both Windows & Mac)
• Getting started with the JUCE Framework
• Starting C++ from the very beginning
• Introduction to digital signal processing
• Creating your first audio plug-in
• Creating a custom look and feel
• Debugging techniques
• How to release your plug-in

...and much more!

Find out more here: https://t.co/Kcdo7DCnxy

Get the book here:

[The Audio Programmer @audioprogrammer]

Had a fantastic time at @audiodevcon Japan.

This was more than a conference. The ADC team have opened up inroads into a region that has been challenging to connect to.

Language, time zone differences, and sheer distance have made Japan a mystery for many in the past.

I’m thankful for their tireless work to overcome those challenges and make it all possible with the strength of the @JUCElibrary and @paceantipiracy team.

Thank you to @CO_CO_ and @atsushieno for the welcome to this amazing country!

Fantastic to connect with new, inspiring people, and to reconnect with many familiar faces.

The industry is in a time of transition. It’s a roller coaster ride and I think it’s much more interesting when we experience it together.

Looking forward to coming back again for the next one.

また近いうちに会いましょう！

[Music Hackspace @MusicHackspace]

Help build a future of AI in music that's live, interactive, and deeply human.

Join Google DeepMind's Magenta team in Boston and get access to a generative model you can actually play as an instrument, and build your own AI instrument, plugin, or performance.

📍 Boston Music Technology Hackathon

[The Audio Programmer @audioprogrammer]

Hope to see you @CO_CO_ @atsushieno

[Joshua Hodge @JoshHodge_tap]

As a Japanese American, this first visit to Japan is such an honor for me.

I’m hoping that I’ll have an opportunity to connect with some of my ancestry. My grandmother hails from Kobe / Kyoto, and our Japanese family name Matsumoto traces to samurai roots.

Excited to be here for Audio Developer Conference Japan.

If you’re here as well, I’d love to connect with you!

[The Audio Programmer @audioprogrammer]

The future of audio is collaborative and building in real-time.

For the past 25+ years, we've been making music in isolation.

While game studios have figured out how to keep dozens players across the world playing in real-time in sync with thousands of calculations per second with shaders and 3d graphics, our workflows and limitations have remained largely the same.

However, there are some new breakthroughs and I think they're exciting. In this video, I sit with Silas Gyger from @audiotool. In less than an hour, we managed to go from nothing to a web app with a simple UI controlling a DAW where we could invite collaborators to help us build and create, all without having to write code.

I think it's amazing. Along with collaboration, it's interesting watching a world where music is created AND tools created alongside them in realtime coming much closer than we've ever seen before.

Producer, sound designer, and developer worlds are blurring.

I hope you enjoy the experience as much as we did!

Watch here: https://t.co/gxDEvWXJoZ

[The Audio Programmer @audioprogrammer]

I'm a former DJ and mental health tech...and I run an audio software company.

That combination doesn't make sense on paper, but that's exactly why AI won't replace me.

Everyone's worried about AI replacing developers right now, and I understand why - it's fast and it's smart.

But there are many things it can't do.

They can't replicate the unique combination of lived experiences that you posess. That combination is your moat.

When I think about a DJ tool, I'm not starting from zero. I'm starting from years of experience - knowing what latency feels right when I scratch and what features look great on paper but are useless in a packed room.

When I think about how to support our community, my mental health background quietly shapes how I show up for the people in it.

I couldn't have prompted my way to any of that.

So if you've been feeling anxious about AI lately, here is some guidance on how to keep yourself prepared for the future.

What unique combination will you bring?

Watch here: https://t.co/zTYisRx0qT

[audiodevcon @audiodevcon]

ADC Bristol UK 2026 Call for Speakers now open!

Developers, researchers, students, and creators from across the audio industry are invited to submit talks.

Only title + abstract required
Deadline June 29
https://t.co/ymSJNpmAfu

Nov 9-11 In-Person & Online

#audio #developer

[Shortwav Labs @shortwavlabs]

@audioprogrammer Check out my agent skills for audio development: https://t.co/DhqOjTp3Tv

[The Audio Programmer @audioprogrammer]

How do I build a custom UI for my plugin?

It's one of the most common questions I've had since starting The Audio Programmer.

Producers don't open your plugin to evaluate your filter implementation. They open it, look at it, and decide in about a second whether this is something built by an engineer in a basement or something they'd actually want to use.

Today, we're starting with the basics:

✅ What designers normally deliver
✅ Getting custom images and fonts into your project
✅ Setting up a style sheet
✅ Displaying images in your plugin

Thank you to Alex Fundorin for the plugin design!

Watch here: https://t.co/42WZndDk2S

[Nick C. | Moby Pixel @MobyPixel]

🚀 MIGHTY SYNTH SAMPLER drops this Thursday, May 7th!

A FREE rompler / synth sampler for iPhone, iPad, and Mac that plays sound packs, SF2s, SFZs, and custom instruments in standalone and AUv3. Powered by AudioKit!

Make any sound an instrument. 🎛️

[The Audio Programmer @audioprogrammer]

Cursor vs Claude Code - which is better for building audio plugins?

Some folks in our community have been telling me Cursor outperforms Claude Code for plugin work, so I gave it a spin to see what the hype is about.

I built the same ping-pong delay from last episode - same product spec, same Claude model running underneath, just a different IDE.

Honest takeaway: for a plugin this simple, the two tools felt more or less interchangeable. Cursor's in-window file editing was more convenient. Claude Code wrote slightly more efficient code under the hood.

From what I've seen so far, the question is more akin to what we see in the world of DAWs, where workflow largely defines the choice.

So "which AI tool is best?" might be the wrong question for our world. It's more about which wrapper fits how you build.

Full code review and breakdown in the new episode, including where I think the gap will widen as workflows get more complex.

https://t.co/NlwieWEs5v

[bleepeater @bleepeater]

My first web audio instrument, Spinjitsu.
A small browser-based sound object — built to be played, not explained
DM me for the link.

[audiodevcon @audiodevcon]

Big thanks to @RolandGlobal and @NeutoneAI for bringing something truly special to ADC Japan.

Project LYDIA is pushing the boundaries of what’s possible with AI in audio, blending hardware, creativity, and machine learning into a one-of-a-kind experience.

#audio #developer

[exacoustics @exacoustics]

Livestream where I walk through the Scream codebase talking about:
- How to get the iconic sound?
- Creative ways it can be used
- How to build a plugin
- Code hotreloading
- How to write blazing fast 2D GUIs rendered on the GPU
https://t.co/YjwumMTEkx

[The Audio Programmer @audioprogrammer]

So many are vibe coding audio plugins right now...but the real power happens when you learn how the code works behind the scenes.

In this tutorial, we talk about parameters, diving deeper into how to make them feel more intuitive and professional.

This isn't just "copy and hope it works." This is where you supercharge your ideas and take your products to the next level.

Let's dive in!

https://t.co/3oMHQ2ZTEz

[The Audio Programmer @audioprogrammer]

@_allthemachines All will be revealed tomorrow. Hope to see you there!

[The Audio Programmer @audioprogrammer]

Eclipsa Audio is Google and Samsung's open-source solution for the next generation of spatial audio.

Tomorrow, we have the privilege of sitting down with three key figures helping to shape how we will be interacting with sound in the future.

Jani Huoponen - product lead for Eclipsa Audio at Google, driving the open standard forward from inside Chrome Open Media

Scott Kramer - 15 years mixing for film and TV, eight years co-leading sound initiatives at Netflix, now consulting on emerging sound technologies at Green Field Sound

Claus Trelby - immersive music specialist exploring what spatial audio means for artists, producers, and the way we reference music in 2026

We'll be covering:

✅ Why an open-source immersive audio format changes the game for creators
✅ How Eclipsa fits into film, TV, and music production workflows
✅ The state of device support — from Samsung TVs to Chrome to your phone
✅ What immersive music actually looks like in the YouTube age

It's going to be a great conversation!

Tune in live: https://t.co/WZigO6y4Vu

[The Audio Programmer @audioprogrammer]

Fantastic ❤️

[exacoustics @exacoustics]

Preview of some new filters coming to Ghost in the next update. Should be ready this week :)

Wavetables are by @GLORKGLUNK . Go get them from Gumroad

[The Audio Programmer @audioprogrammer]

Audio developers spend months (or years) learning how to build a great plugin.

But almost no one talks about what happens afterwards...

How do you actually sell your products?

Licensing, storefronts, delivery, payments. There is a multitude of important factors that have nothing to do with DSP, but everything to do with whether your plugin actually reaches anyone.

Today, I'm speaking with Tobias from Moonbase. He built the stores and licensing systems for Yum Audio and Black Salt Audio, hit every scaling pain along the way, and eventually turned all of that experience into a platform that now powers over 200 audio software businesses.

If you've ever built something and wondered how to get it in front of customers, this one's for you!

Join us live here: https://t.co/vVFxhrHOWn

[The Audio Programmer @audioprogrammer]

Last month, I vibe coded an audio plugin. The result was...ok.

It compiled and loaded into a DAW. But I left too many decisions to the AI and had very little control over what came out.

So I went back and did my homework.

The biggest thing I learned? Claude actually recommends you plan before you code. Something like a blueprint. Features, constraints, even the things you don't want.

I ended up building a project planner that walks you through this whole process. I've packaged this as a free Claude Skill you can download and use yourself. In the new video, I use it live and build a delay plugin from scratch.

If you're experimenting with AI for audio development, this will probably save you a lot of frustration.

Learn more here: https://t.co/xaQwyRhY3E