Open Sound Meter review
A broad free toolkit for live sound measurement across desktop and iOS.
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Open Sound Meter is audio measurement software for tuning and analyzing sound systems. It suits live sound engineers and audio professionals who need real-time system measurement alongside offline analysis. The software covers spectrum, SPL, magnitude, phase, impulse response, coherence, group delay, spectrogram, impedance, Nyquist, crest-factor, and phase-delay analysis. Desktop editions support macOS, Windows, and Linux, while the mobile edition supports iPhone and iPad.
Its main strength is the breadth of the measurement workflow. Users can generate signals through selectable output channels, store and reopen measurement projects, and apply virtual summation, difference, and averaging. Microphone calibration-file support adds a defined calibration step, while SPL and Leq measurement address level monitoring. The remote API can share measurements between instances, which fits workflows that use multiple software instances during system analysis. The combination of live and offline views gives Open Sound Meter a wider scope than a tool limited to a single spectrum or level display.
The platform also fits several common console environments through integrations with Behringer X32, Midas M32, Allen & Heath Qu, DiGiCo S21, S31, SD12, and UB-MADI, Yamaha TF, and Yamaha CL and QL through Dante AVIO. The Desktop edition is GPL-3.0 licensed and follows a pay-what-you-want pricing model, while the iPhone and iPad edition is available commercially through the App Store, with regional pricing. Choose Open Sound Meter if free desktop access, open-source licensing, extensive analysis, and console connectivity matter. A narrower tool may suit buyers who need only a basic measurement view or do not need its broader analysis set.
Open Sound Meter pros and cons
- Where it wins
- Real-time and offline analysis across many measurement views
- Free, open-source desktop edition for macOS, Windows, and Linux
- Signal generation, calibration, storage, and remote API support
- Where it doesn't
- The iPhone and iPad edition is commercial
- Console integrations cover selected mixer families and models
- Its wide analysis set may exceed the needs of basic measurement workflows
Open Sound Meter fact sheet, pricing and score →
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