Live Coding Music
Write code that drops beats — in real time, on stage
Perform music by writing code live. Type commands and watch (and hear) as beats, melodies, and soundscapes emerge from your terminal. Tools like Sonic Pi and TidalCycles turn your keyboard into an instrument. It's the ultimate intersection of programming and music, and the performances are mesmerizing to watch.
How to start
- 1Download Sonic Pi (free) — it's the most beginner-friendly live coding music tool
- 2Follow the built-in tutorial: you'll be making beats within 10 minutes
- 3Learn the basics: play notes, create loops, add effects and samples
- 4Try coding along with Sonic Pi tutorial videos on YouTube
- 5Perform your first 'algorave' for friends — even a laptop screen share counts
What you'll need
- ComputerEssentialFree
- Sonic Pi (free software)EssentialFree
- Headphones or speakersEssential~$20
- External monitor for performancesNice to haveFree
Where to learn more
Plot twists
Ways to spice this up when the basics get boring.
- Code a track that evolves over 10 minutes without stopping
- Live code music for a friend's art or video project
- Create ambient soundscapes for studying or sleeping
- Combine live coding with visuals using Hydra (a live coding visual tool)
- Perform at a local algorave or open mic night
Change one line of code and instantly hear the music change — the feedback loop is immediate and addictive. Sonic Pi's built-in tutorial is interactive and keeps you moving forward.
Algoraves — live music events where performers write code on stage — happen regularly in cities worldwide, with the audience dancing to music generated by algorithms in real time.
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