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cava

github.com/karlstav/cava Linux & Mac Apps Open-source projectOpen source

cava visualizes audio across multiple platforms, according to its repository description.

Visit cava 24 alternatives
github.com/karlstav/cava
cava homepage screenshot

About cava

cava is an open source bar spectrum audio visualizer that displays audio as a set of bars. It runs in a terminal or in a desktop window using SDL. The project supports Linux, FreeBSD, macOS, and Windows. The author states that it is written to look responsive and aesthetic when visualizing music, and that it is not intended for scientific use.

Audio can be captured directly from the system through several backends, including PipeWire, PulseAudio, ALSA, MPD, sndio, OSS, JACK, and squeezelite. Capture support depends on installing the matching audio development files at build time. On macOS, the built-in Core Audio framework is supported without extra capture libraries. Without audio capture libraries, cava can still read audio from FIFO files. Ncurses is available as an alternative output method, and the project notes that it can run over SSH and on dumb terminals. Installation is from source, with build requirements and example package commands listed for several Linux distributions, FreeBSD, macOS, and Windows.

Key features

  • Bar spectrum visualization in a terminal or an SDL desktop window
  • Direct audio capture through PipeWire, PulseAudio, ALSA, JACK, and other backends
  • Core Audio input on macOS without extra capture libraries
  • Reads audio from FIFO files when built without capture libraries
  • Ncurses output as an alternative to the default output method
  • Documented cavacore library and raw output mode
Best for: Linux and macOS users who want a music audio visualizer in a terminal or desktop window and are comfortable building software from source.
Good for
  • Open source, with the source code available in a public GitHub repository
  • Supports Linux, FreeBSD, macOS, and Windows
  • Includes build requirements and example install commands for several Linux distributions and macOS
Watch out for
  • The author states that it is not intended for scientific use
  • Capturing system audio requires development libraries for the chosen audio backend
  • Installation instructions center on building from source

cava at a glance

Type
Open-source project
Pricing
Not confirmed. Check the site
Open source
Yes · Source code
Language
English
Last checked
Oct 6, 2026 · Online when checked
Listed
Oct 5, 2026
open sourcelinuxmacoslinux macos

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cava FAQ

Can cava be used for scientific audio analysis?
No. The project states that it is not intended for scientific use. It is written to look responsive and aesthetic when visualizing music.
Does cava need extra libraries to capture audio?
It depends on the input backend. FFTW, iniparser, and the build tools are required to compile. Capturing audio directly from the system requires additional audio development files for the chosen backend, such as PipeWire, PulseAudio, ALSA, sndio, JACK, or PortAudio. On macOS, Core Audio is supported without extra capture libraries.
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Listing maintained by Chris McClure and the WebIndexly editors · Updated Oct 13, 2026 · How we rank