Audacity records and edits waveforms, while OpenMPT builds songs from patterns and samples. The two tools suit different jobs. OpenMPT, short for Open ModPlug Tracker, is a free Windows music tracker from the OpenMPT project, and version 1.32.12.00 takes up 21 MB.
Who a pattern-based tracker suits
OpenMPT is aimed at people who want to write music in a tracker rather than a timeline editor. It grows out of the original ModPlug Tracker by Olivier Lapicque. It sits in the utilities category with tags for audio, modplug, music and tracker.
It also fits anyone who needs to open old module files. Newcomers should expect to read the project's features page to get started.
Module formats and playback in practice
Besides its own song format, OpenMPT edits Impulse Tracker, FastTracker, Scream Tracker and ProTracker modules natively. You can write music and play it back on the same machine. The store text also mentions VST plugins and ASIO output.
The latest changelog shows work on sample loading. It covers IMA ADPCM WAV files, FLAC samples and SF2 files, so those import paths are actively maintained.
Costs, licence and gaps
OpenMPT is free and released under the BSD-3-Clause licence, so there is nothing to pay for and no license key to enter.
The current build is version 1.32.12.00 and takes about 21 MB on disk. Its developer, OpenMPT, publishes the installer from download.openmpt.org.
What's new in 1.32.12.00
Version 1.32.12.00 appeared on October 31, 2026. It fixes a pitch error after seeking caused by volume column portamento memory, and a crash when receiving MIDI pitch bend messages. It also updates LAME to v4.0.
OpenMPT pros and cons
Pros
- Free under the BSD-3-Clause licence
- Edits Impulse Tracker, FastTracker, Scream Tracker and ProTracker modules natively
- Small download of 21 MB
- Latest build fixes several crashes in sample and tuning loading
- Supports VST plugins and ASIO output according to the store text
Cons
- Interface cannot be previewed on this page
- Tracker workflow differs from timeline editors such as Audacity
- No rating or user review data
Is OpenMPT safe?
OpenMPT is developed by the OpenMPT project (openmpt.org) and released under the BSD-3-Clause license, so anyone can read its source code. Version 1.32.12.00 is a 21 MB download. No scan results came with it, so running your own antivirus check before the first launch is a sensible habit.
How to install OpenMPT
- Press the download button to get the official file.
- Run the installer you saved and confirm the Windows security prompt if the publisher matches.
- Follow the setup steps, then start OpenMPT from the Start menu.
