install

Additional install commands

macOS

Homebrewverified · 100%

brew install ladspa-sdk

local Homebrew formula metadata

Linux

Debian aptverified · 92%

sudo apt install ladspa-sdk

Debian stable package indexes · ladspa-sdk · source: deb.debian.org

Nixverified · 92%

nix profile install nixpkgs#ladspa-sdk

nixpkgs package indexes · pkgs/by-name/la/ladspa-sdk/package.nix · source: api.github.com

overview

Package summary

Linux Audio Developer's Simple Plugin

Project links

Commands and aliases

analyseplugin
applyplugin
listplugins

history

Project history and usage

LADSPA SDK packages the Linux Audio Developer's Simple Plugin API header, example audio plugins, and small host/inspection tools for the older but still package-relevant LADSPA audio plugin standard. Its cultural importance is less about a large application and more about a compact ABI that made Unix audio plugin packaging predictable.

Project history

The original API text was posted by Richard Furse in 2000 as a deliberately short C interface for unit generators that could be dynamically loaded by multiple audio hosts. The official SDK change log records version 1.01 on 2 April 2000 with the header, limited documentation, three plugins, and two hosts, followed in May 2000 by SDK version numbering, more example plugins, LADSPA_PATH support, HTML documentation, and the listplugins utility.

The SDK stayed intentionally small. Version 1.10 introduced the LGPL license in May 2001, version 1.12 updated the SDK for LADSPA v1.1 in August 2002, and later maintenance releases in 2019 and 2021 modernized the build, default search paths, libsndfile use in applyplugin, and small command-line behavior.

Adoption history

The LADSPA site describes the standard as a way for audio processors and effects to plug into a wide range of Linux synthesis and recording packages, with most major Linux audio applications supporting it. The same page points to plugin libraries and generators such as Steve Harris's plugins, CMT, CAPS, TAP, and Faust, which is why the SDK package tends to appear as a small dependency in audio-oriented package sets.

How it is used

Developers use the SDK primarily for ladspa.h and the example code, while users and package tests see analyseplugin, applyplugin, and listplugins. The LADSPA_PATH environment variable is part of the historical packaging story because it gives hosts a standard way to find installed plugin shared libraries.

Why package nerds care

LADSPA SDK is a classic small-library package: stable header, tiny tools, simple search path, and lots of downstream optional integrations. It matters because it represents the Unix packaging style of exposing a narrow shared interface rather than shipping a whole workstation.

Timeline

2000-04-02: LADSPA SDK 1.01 initial release included the header, limited documentation, three plugins, and two hosts.
2000-05-04: SDK 1.02 added version numbering, ten example plugins, and LADSPA_PATH support.
2001-05-08: SDK 1.10 introduced LGPL licensing.
2002-08-07: SDK 1.12 updated for LADSPA v1.1.
2019-01-03: SDK 1.14 modernized build details and introduced a default plugin search path.
2021-09-09: SDK 1.17 shipped applyplugin clip-checking and usage-message maintenance.

Related projects

The official site links LADSPA to the CMT plugin library, Steve Harris plugins, CAPS, TAP, Faust, Csound-oriented tooling, and other Linux audio projects that either provide LADSPA plugins or generate them.

Sources

security posture

Risk level: blue

broad file, network, media, or database tool signal.

Risk classifier

blue risk · medium confidence · tool

Why

broad file, network, media, or database tool signal

Signals

text:audio

Install behavior

No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 2 platform targets.
Installs with 1 runtime dependencies.

Recommended review

Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.

executables

Installed executables

Command	Kind	Exposure
`analyseplugin`	cli	global executable
`applyplugin`	cli	global executable
`listplugins`	cli	global executable

freshness

Version and freshness

These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.

page generated2026-07-08

manager version1.17

manager updated

local dataok

upstreamnot checked

latest detectednot detected

https://www.ladspa.org

infoNo package-manager update timestamp was available.low confidence
infoRelease/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.https://www.ladspa.orgnone confidence

install metadata

Package metadata

Package key	brew:ladspa-sdk
Version	1.17
Package manager	Homebrew
Package manager page	https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/ladspa-sdk
Homepage	https://www.ladspa.org
Upstream docs	https://www.ladspa.org/ladspa_sdk/download.html
License	LGPL-2.1-only
Source archive	https://www.ladspa.org/download/ladspa_sdk_1.17.tgz
Dependencies	libsndfile
Bottle	available (on arm64_linux, x86_64_linux)
Homebrew post-install	not defined
Service	none declared

registry facts

Source database details

Source Database	Homebrew formula API
Tap	homebrew/core
Full Name	ladspa-sdk
Version Scheme	0
Revision	0
Requirements	linux
Bottle Stable Root URL	https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core
Deprecated	no
Disabled	no
Keg Only	no
URL Keys	stable

source database matches

Other package-manager records

Matches are pulled from external package-manager indexes and kept separate from local Automic Vault package links.

Debian apt95%

ladspa-sdk 1.17-1+b1

sample tools for linux-audio-dev plugin architecture

https://www.ladspa.org/

sudo apt install ladspa-sdk

Section: sound
Architecture: amd64
Source Package: ladspa-sdk
3 dependencies
3 provides
normalized package name match
Matched by: Ladspa Sdk

Debian stable package indexes · deb.debian.org · Debian stable package indexes: ladspa-sdk from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz

Nix95%

ladspa-sdk

nix profile install nixpkgs#ladspa-sdk

normalized package name match
Matched by: Ladspa Sdk

nixpkgs package indexes · api.github.com · nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/la/ladspa-sdk/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1

Ubuntu apt95%

ladspa-sdk 1.17-1build1

sample tools for linux-audio-dev plugin architecture

https://www.ladspa.org/

sudo apt install ladspa-sdk

Section: universe/sound
Architecture: amd64
3 dependencies
3 provides
normalized package name match
Matched by: Ladspa Sdk

Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes · archive.ubuntu.com · Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: ladspa-sdk from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz

package graph

Links come from deterministic package relationships, av.db category and tag curation, ecosystem matches, and package hub membership.

source trail

Generated from repository data

This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.

Combined YAML source

View the package source record on GitHub.

combined/ladspa-sdk.yml

Used sources

Geiger risk classifier
Nucleus package database
av.db category and tag curation
cross-ecosystem install command graph
curated package history
external package-manager database matches
package relationship graph
package version freshness
package-page enrichment

Install ladspa-sdk with Homebrew, apt, Nix