# Install ladspa-sdk with Homebrew, apt, Nix

Linux Audio Developer's Simple Plugin. Version 1.17 via Homebrew; verified from local package data.

## Install

```sh
sudo av install brew:ladspa-sdk
```

Additional install commands:

### macOS

- Homebrew (100%):

```sh
brew install ladspa-sdk
```

  Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata

### Linux

- Debian apt (92%):

```sh
sudo apt install ladspa-sdk
```

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

- Nix (92%):

```sh
nix profile install nixpkgs#ladspa-sdk
```

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

## Package facts

- **Package key:** brew:ladspa-sdk
- **Package manager:** Homebrew
- **Package manager page:** <https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/ladspa-sdk>
- **Version:** 1.17
- **Source summary:** Linux Audio Developer's Simple Plugin
- **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>
- **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00

## Executables

- analyseplugin (cli)
- applyplugin (cli)
- listplugins (cli)
- analyseplugin (alias)
- applyplugin (alias)
- listplugins (alias)

## Dependencies

- libsndfile

## Install behavior

- Post-install hook: not defined
- Bottle: available on arm64_linux, x86_64_linux

## Freshness

- Page generated: 2026-07-08
- Package-manager version: 1.17
- Local data: ok
- Upstream repository: https://www.ladspa.org
- info: No package-manager update timestamp was available.
- info: Release/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.
## 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

- <https://ladspa.org/original_api.txt>
- <https://www.ladspa.org/>
- <https://www.ladspa.org/ladspa_sdk/changes.html>
- <https://www.ladspa.org/ladspa_sdk/overview.html>


## Security Notes

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

- **Geiger risk:** blue / medium
- broad file, network, media, or database tool signal

## 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

## Other Package-Manager Records

- Debian apt - ladspa-sdk - 1.17-1+b1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: ladspa-sdk from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | sample tools for linux-audio-dev plugin architecture | https://www.ladspa.org/
- Nix - ladspa-sdk: normalized package name match | 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 apt - ladspa-sdk - 1.17-1build1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: ladspa-sdk from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | sample tools for linux-audio-dev plugin architecture | https://www.ladspa.org/


## Related links

- [Secret-risk packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/secret-risk-packages/) - Has protected-tool coverage, approval-gate, or non-low Geiger security signals.
- [Terminal utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/terminal-utilities/) - Matched terminal and command-line workflow metadata.
- [Developer build packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/developer-build-tools/) - Matched build, compiler, generator, or developer workflow metadata.
- [Networking and protocol packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/networking-protocol-tools/) - Matched network, protocol, or remote-service metadata.
- [libsndfile](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/libsndfile/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew.
- [libvisual](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/libvisual/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: audio, cli, media, plugins.
- [lilv](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/lilv/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: audio, cli, media, plugins.
- [abcde](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/abcde/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: audio, cli, media.
- [adplay](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/adplay/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: audio, cli, media.
- [adplug](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/adplug/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: audio, cli, media.
- [aften](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/aften/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: audio, cli, media.
- [alsa-lib](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/alsa-lib/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: audio, cli, media.
- [bandcamp-dl](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/bandcamp-dl/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: audio, cli, media.
- [vamp-plugin-sdk](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/vamp-plugin-sdk/) - Both packages work with overlapping file formats or content types. Shared terms: audio, cli, libsndfile, media, sdk.
- [carla](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/carla/) - Both packages work with overlapping file formats or content types. Shared terms: audio, cli, ladspa, libsndfile, media.

## Combined YAML source

View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/ladspa-sdk.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/ladspa-sdk.yml)


## Sources

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