What Is MPT and What Can You Do with It?

Updated

MPT is shorthand for Open ModPlug Tracker, and the software it refers to is now called OpenMPT. It is a free tracker for Windows that lets you create and play back module music, and it can natively edit several classic tracker formats in addition to its own. If you want to write music in a tracker interface, open and edit old module files, or add VST plugins and ASIO output to that workflow, OpenMPT is the tool being described.

MPT vs. OpenMPT: the same project

The naming can be confusing because it changed over time:

  • MPT stands for ModPlug Tracker, the original program written by Olivier Lapicque.
  • OpenMPT stands for Open ModPlug Tracker, the current open-source project based on that original code.
  • On the project's own site, "MPT" is used as shorthand for OpenMPT, so the two names point to the same software today.

So when you see "MPT" in a tracker context, read it as OpenMPT unless someone is specifically talking about the older, closed ModPlug Tracker.

What you can actually do with it

OpenMPT is a tracker, which is a type of sequencer where you enter notes into a pattern grid rather than recording them in real time. Its documented capabilities include:

  • Create and play back music on your computer using the tracker workflow.
  • Import a wide variety of module formats, so files from other trackers can be opened and worked on.
  • Natively edit several classic formats, specifically Impulse Tracker, FastTracker, Scream Tracker, and ProTracker module files (commonly seen as IT, XM, S3M, and MOD).
  • Use its own song format in addition to those formats.
  • Run VST plugins for instruments and effects.
  • Use ASIO output for lower-latency audio on Windows.
  • Work in a native GUI designed for the Windows platform.

libopenmpt: playback without the editor

The same project also produces libopenmpt, a cross-platform C++ and C library for playing module files. It is based on the player code from Open ModPlug Tracker and is aimed at high-quality module playback across different platforms.

The practical split is:

You want to… Use
Write, edit, or arrange module music OpenMPT
Add module playback to your own software libopenmpt
Just listen to module files A player built on libopenmpt, or OpenMPT itself

Who this is for

OpenMPT fits you if you are on Windows and want a free tracker that handles both modern editing features (VST, ASIO) and legacy module formats in one program. It is less relevant if you need a macOS or Linux editor, since the site describes OpenMPT itself as tracker software for Windows — the cross-platform part of the project is the libopenmpt playback library, not the editor.

If your goal is simply to understand what "MPT" means, the short answer is: it is OpenMPT, a free Windows tracker for creating and playing module music, with a companion library for playback on other platforms.