How to Install and Get Started with LedFx

Updated

LedFx turns audio input into a real-time light show across one or more LED strips or matrices. To get started, install it on a PC that can reach your LED controller nodes over the network, then open the browser interface at http://localhost:8888. Windows and Mac users can grab the latest release from the releases page; Linux users install via pip. The browser front end is where you configure devices, effects, and scenes.

What LedFx Does

LedFx takes an audio source, processes it in real time, and drives LED devices with the resulting visualization. It is network-based: it controls devices such as ESP8266, ESP32, or Raspberry Pi 4 nodes, and it can drive multiple devices at once. That makes synchronized effects across several strips or matrices practical using inexpensive controller nodes.

The default front end runs on port 8888, reachable at:

  • http://localhost:8888
  • http://127.0.0.1:8888

Before You Install

You need:

  • A computer to run LedFx (the docs describe running it on a PC).
  • One or more supported LED devices reachable on your network (ESP8266/ESP32/Raspberry Pi 4 class nodes).
  • An audio input for LedFx to listen to.

If you want the newest experimental code rather than a release build, the documentation points to detailed installation instructions for a bleeding-edge setup, which assumes you are comfortable using the terminal.

Install LedFx

Windows and Mac

  1. Go to the releases page.
  2. Download the latest release for your platform.
  3. Install and launch it.

Expected result: LedFx runs and serves its browser front end on port 8888.

Linux

Use pip to install LedFx. The documentation directs Linux users to pip rather than a packaged release.

Bleeding edge (experimental)

If you want the absolute latest code and are willing to work in the terminal, follow the detailed installation instructions in the installation documentation instead of a release build.

Open the Front End

Once LedFx is running, open a browser and go to http://localhost:8888 (or http://127.0.0.1:8888). This is the browser-based interface for configuration, control, and live visualization.

Where to Go Next

The documentation set covers the parts you will need as you build out a setup:

Area What it covers
Configuration Configuration, assets, workflow, scenes, playlists
Audio Audio settings and directing audio
Devices Device setup and management
Effects Available effects and how to use them
How To / Tips and Tricks Dummy matrix, dummy VuMeter, loading example config, keybeat gif, virtuals, complex segments, reordering devices and virtuals, enabling alpha mode
API REST, WebSocket, assets, images and cache, log, scenes, sendspin servers, now playing, playlists, global configuration
Troubleshooting Network and performance troubleshooting, reporting an issue

For a first working setup, start with the Quick start guide, then configure your audio input and add your LED device. The "How To" pages are useful once the basics are running — for example, creating a dummy matrix or dummy VuMeter lets you test effects without physical hardware.

Getting Help and Examples

The LedFx community shares projects on Discord, particularly in the #projects and #show-and-tell channels. That is a practical place to see working setups and ask questions when a device or effect does not behave as expected.