Keep in mind there are actually two domains in music: instruments (sound synthesis) and orchestration. Both Skoar and Alda (which was linked yesterday) are only orchestration languages.<p>I&#x27;ve been researching about this and narrowed down by these criteria: (1) Modern and maintained (2) Open source (3) Multiplatform (4) Supports live coding (5) Not MIDI-only output (6) Text-based (7) Not Java (sorry JSyn :P)<p>For me live coding is important since I prefer to compose music in an exploratory fashion. Also, live performances are <i>cool</i>. Read more about live coding and resources in <a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;toplap.org" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;toplap.org</a><p>The list in no particular order (beware of the brain dump):<p>·<p>## Overtone (<a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;overtone.github.io&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;overtone.github.io&#x2F;</a>)<p>The coolest kid on the block is actually a frontend to SuperCollider.<p>- Clojure based.<p>- VJ-ready. Integration with Processing via Quil (<a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;github.com&#x2F;quil&#x2F;quil" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;github.com&#x2F;quil&#x2F;quil</a>) and GLSL shaders via Shadertone (<a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;github.com&#x2F;overtone&#x2F;shadertone" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;github.com&#x2F;overtone&#x2F;shadertone</a>).<p>- Lots of tooling: <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;github.com&#x2F;overtone" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;github.com&#x2F;overtone</a><p>·<p>## SuperCollider (<a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;supercollider.github.io&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;supercollider.github.io&#x2F;</a>)<p>- Object-oriented functional language (similar to Smalltalk&#x2F;Ruby&#x2F;C&#x2F;JS).<p>- Basically Overtone minus Clojure minus VJ plus IDE.<p>- Client-server architecture (which is what allows Overtone to use it as a backend).<p>·<p>## Sonic Pi (<a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;sonic-pi.net&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;sonic-pi.net&#x2F;</a>)<p>- Ruby DSL + IDE.<p>- Built for Raspberry PI (but runs anywhere SuperCollider and Ruby are available).<p>- Another frontend to SuperCollider.<p>- Designed to be suitable for teaching children. Teacher resources available (<a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.sonicpiliveandcoding.com&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.sonicpiliveandcoding.com&#x2F;</a> <a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.raspberrypi.org&#x2F;learning&#x2F;sonic-pi-lessons&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.raspberrypi.org&#x2F;learning&#x2F;sonic-pi-lessons&#x2F;</a>)<p>·<p>## Extempore (<a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;github.com&#x2F;digego&#x2F;extempore" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;github.com&#x2F;digego&#x2F;extempore</a>)<p>- Scheme-like.<p>- Supports both audio and graphics.<p>- Defines itself as a &#x27;cyberphysical&#x27; programming environment (<a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;dl.acm.org&#x2F;citation.cfm?id=1869526" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;dl.acm.org&#x2F;citation.cfm?id=1869526</a>).<p>·<p>## ChucK (<a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;chuck.cs.princeton.edu&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;chuck.cs.princeton.edu&#x2F;</a>)<p>- Real-time sound synthesis and music creation (real-time meant it used to take a real amount of CPU time in non-RT kernels, not sure if it&#x27;s changed).<p>- Time-based, concurrent programming model (they call it &#x27;strongly-timed&#x27;).<p>·<p>## Fluxus (<a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.pawfal.org&#x2F;fluxus&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.pawfal.org&#x2F;fluxus&#x2F;</a>)<p>- Racket based.<p>- Full-fledged environment.<p>- Defined as &#x27;a 3D game engine for livecoding worlds into existence&#x27;, though it supports sound too.<p>- Doesn&#x27;t seem to be actively maintained (most recent release dates from April 2012).<p>·<p>## Nyquist (<a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.cs.cmu.edu&#x2F;afs&#x2F;cs.cmu.edu&#x2F;project&#x2F;music&#x2F;web&#x2F;music.software.html" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.cs.cmu.edu&#x2F;afs&#x2F;cs.cmu.edu&#x2F;project&#x2F;music&#x2F;web&#x2F;musi...</a>)<p>- (Still researching...)<p>·<p>## Csound (<a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.csounds.com&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.csounds.com&#x2F;</a>)<p>- (Still researching...)<p>- Live coding added in a recent version.<p>- Orchestration and synthesis are separate languages.<p>·<p>## Tidal (<a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;yaxu.org&#x2F;tidal&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;yaxu.org&#x2F;tidal&#x2F;</a>)<p>- Haskell based.<p>- Seems to support audio and graphics (defines itself as live coding of patterns).<p>- (Still researching... I just came to know it in a link here.)<p>·<p>## Skoar (<a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;github.com&#x2F;sofakid&#x2F;Skoarcery" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;github.com&#x2F;sofakid&#x2F;Skoarcery</a>)<p>- Another SuperCollider frontend.<p>- Only orchestration, though I guess it supports different instruments created in SuperCollider.<p>- Doesn&#x27;t seem to support live coding? (Added to the list until I research more.)<p>·<p>## MORE<p>I just found these in the TOPLAP wiki (and Googling around) but had no time to comb through them. Listed in no particular order:<p>- <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;github.com&#x2F;edne&#x2F;pineal" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;github.com&#x2F;edne&#x2F;pineal</a><p>- <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;github.com&#x2F;createuniverses&#x2F;praxis" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;github.com&#x2F;createuniverses&#x2F;praxis</a><p>- <a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;charlie-roberts.com&#x2F;gibber&#x2F;about-gibber&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;charlie-roberts.com&#x2F;gibber&#x2F;about-gibber&#x2F;</a><p>- <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;github.com&#x2F;LuaAV&#x2F;LuaAV" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;github.com&#x2F;LuaAV&#x2F;LuaAV</a><p>- <a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;hyperyarn.criticalartware.net" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;hyperyarn.criticalartware.net</a><p>- <a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.renickbell.net&#x2F;conductive&#x2F;doku.php&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.renickbell.net&#x2F;conductive&#x2F;doku.php&#x2F;</a><p>- EXTRA: Live coding light shows <a href="https:&#x2F;&#x2F;github.com&#x2F;brunchboy&#x2F;afterglow" rel="nofollow">https:&#x2F;&#x2F;github.com&#x2F;brunchboy&#x2F;afterglow</a>