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Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Cava is a free, open-source audio visualizer that turns incoming audio into animated spectrum bars in a terminal or SDL window. It runs on Linux, FreeBSD, macOS, and Windows, but the right setup depends on how Cava is built and how your operating system exposes the audio you want to visualize.
What Cava does
Cava displays a bar spectrum that responds to music. It is designed to look responsive and aesthetic, not to provide scientific audio measurements. It is software, not a hardware device; on Linux it can receive audio through ALSA, PulseAudio, PipeWire, JACK, or a FIFO buffer, with other platform-specific input methods available. See the official Cava project and the Debian manual for the supported options and controls.
Where Cava runs and how to install it
The official project documents builds for Linux, FreeBSD, macOS, and Windows. Available backends depend on the operating system and build configuration, so a platform being supported does not guarantee every input method is available in every package.
Linux, FreeBSD, and openSUSE
Use your distribution’s package manager where possible. The project lists package routes for Arch, Fedora, Ubuntu/Debian, openSUSE, and FreeBSD. Package versions can differ: Debian trixie documents version 0.10.4+dfsg-1, while other distributions may package a different release.
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macOS
With Homebrew, install Cava using brew install cava. Homebrew currently lists stable version 1.0.0 and bottles for Apple Silicon and Intel macOS, as well as Linux ARM64 and x86_64. Availability and version can change; check the Homebrew formula for its current details.
Windows
The project documents Windows builds using CMake with either vcpkg or MSYS2. The exact build steps and available audio input depend on the chosen toolchain and dependencies; use the project’s README rather than assuming a Linux backend configuration applies on Windows.
Rank #2
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Building from source
The README’s documented source sequence is ./autogen.sh, ./configure, and make, followed by make install. This is a Unix-style build path; Windows builds use the CMake approach instead. Consult the project README for platform-specific prerequisites and current build instructions.
Choose an audio input method
Cava visualizes audio it receives; it does not automatically capture every sound playing on a computer. Choose the method that can access the intended source on your system.
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| Input method | Useful when | System-output capture considerations |
|---|---|---|
| PipeWire | PipeWire is available and supported by the build. | It is the default when supported, but the selected source may resolve to a microphone rather than speaker output. |
| PulseAudio | You use PulseAudio and want to select an output or another source. | Choose the intended source; do not assume the default input is speaker output. |
| ALSA | You want to use ALSA directly. | Capturing speaker output may require an ALSA loopback. |
| JACK | Your audio setup uses JACK routing. | Cava can expose mono or stereo input ports; route the audio you want to visualize to them. |
| Core Audio | You are running Cava on macOS. | A tap source is available in macOS 14.2+ builds that include CoreAudio tap support. Older setups may need a loopback device such as Background Music, BlackHole, or Soundflower. |
| FIFO | Another program supplies audio data through a FIFO buffer. | The other program must provide the input stream; this is not automatic system-output capture. |
| OSS | You are using OSS on FreeBSD. | A virtual loopback device such as Virtual OSS may be needed to expose speaker output. |
These loopback options are operating-system routing dependencies, not Cava-branded hardware. Confirm your Cava build’s available methods and the source-selection syntax in the official README.
Configure Cava and use its controls
On first launch, Cava creates a configuration file at $XDG_CONFIG_HOME/cava/config, or at $HOME/.config/cava/config when XDG_CONFIG_HOME is not set. To use a different configuration file, start it with -p and the file path. Use -v to print the version.
Rank #4
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Configuration and interactive controls let you adjust appearance and behavior, including sensitivity, bar width, colors, and reload behavior. SDL modes also provide a fullscreen control. The available interactive keys are documented in the Debian manual; check the manual or README matching your installed version because package releases vary.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why Cava bars may not move
When the display is static or reacts to the wrong sound, check the input path before changing visual settings.
Best Value
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- Confirm the selected method and source. Check the configured input method and make sure Cava is connected to the intended source, not a microphone. With PipeWire, the chosen source can resolve to the microphone.
- Check whether output needs loopback routing. ALSA may require an ALSA loopback; older macOS configurations may require a virtual audio device; FreeBSD OSS may need Virtual OSS. Route the audio output into the input Cava reads.
- Check that audio is reaching the chosen input. Play audio and verify the source or ports selected for the active backend. For JACK, check the mono or stereo input-port routing.
- Separate audio problems from rendering problems. If input appears correct but bars look malformed, inspect terminal font and line-spacing settings. The project notes that these can cause visual artifacts.
Use Cava in another program
Cava offers more than its interactive display. Its raw-output mode writes bar data to standard output for other programs to consume, and the project provides the separate cavacore library for reuse. The README also mentions cava2sse, which exposes raw values through server-sent events. These options let developers integrate Cava’s output into another interface rather than treating the terminal view as the only result.
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