What Are the Criteria for Projects Listed on OpenAudio?

Updated

OpenAudio lists open-source audio software projects that are either fully featured or serve as useful examples with non-trivial features. The site catalogs apps, plugins (such as VSTs), libraries, and other resources, and it accepts contributions through a GitHub issue template reviewed by an editor. If you are looking for a project to use, study, or contribute to, these criteria tell you what to expect: working, meaningful open-source audio code rather than toy demos or abandoned experiments.

The two core criteria

OpenAudio's stated intent is to catalog open-source audio apps, plugins, and other resources that meet at least one of two conditions:

  • Fully featured — the project is complete enough to be used as a real tool, not just a proof of concept.
  • Useful as an example with non-trivial features — even if it is not a finished product, it demonstrates something technically meaningful that other developers can learn from.

Both conditions assume the project is open source. That is the baseline requirement, not an optional attribute.

What counts as "non-trivial"

The phrase "non-trivial features" is the part most contributors get wrong. A simple gain slider or a bare oscillator is unlikely to qualify on its own. The catalog's own entries suggest the bar: multi-operator FM synthesis, 16-channel feedback delay network reverbs, transient/tonal separation with independent effect chains, tape-delay and spring-reverb modeling, and additive-synthesis pipe organ emulation. In other words, the project should do something that required real engineering effort, whether that is a DSP algorithm, a synthesis architecture, or a complete instrument.

What kinds of projects are eligible

The site organizes listings into several categories, which also define the scope of what can be submitted:

Category What it covers
Audio Plugins VSTs and similar plugin formats, split into instruments, effects, and misc
Collections Grouped or bundled project sets
Audio Apps Stand-alone audio applications
Software Development Libraries & APIs Reusable code for building audio software
Code Samples Example implementations
Open Data Resources Openly available audio-related data

Plugins are further labeled by type (Instrument, Effect, Misc) and by framework (for example JUCE or Rust VST), so a submission that fits cleanly into one of these buckets is easier to place.

How a project gets listed

  1. Go to the OpenAudio GitHub issues page at https://github.com/webprofusion/OpenAudio/issues.
  2. Fill out the issue template for contributing new links.
  3. The change is prepared automatically from your submission.
  4. An editor reviews it before it appears in the catalog.

The review step is the practical filter: meeting the open-source and non-trivial criteria is necessary, but an editor still decides whether the entry belongs.

Common reasons a submission may not fit

  • Closed source or no accessible source — fails the baseline requirement.
  • Trivial functionality — a basic utility without meaningful features does not match the "non-trivial" bar.
  • Not audio-related — the catalog is scoped to audio software and resources.
  • Incomplete submission — skipping the issue template slows or blocks the automatic preparation step.

If your project is open source and does something technically substantial in audio, it is a reasonable candidate. If it is a small experiment, consider whether it demonstrates a feature others would find instructive before submitting.