Hydrogen

hydrogen-music.org ↗

An open-source drum machine for desktop music making

Visit site ↗ Save

SI Score: 80/100
Pricing: Open Source AI reading, not confirmed
Free plan: Not confirmed
Sign-up required: Not confirmed

drum-machine

Ask SI about Hydrogen

Answers use saved listing facts and recorded sources.

What it does

Hydrogen is an open-source drum sequencer and synthesizer for Linux, Mac and Windows.

Program patterns with a chosen drumkit, adjust instrument, sample and note properties, then arrange the patterns into a song. MIDI input and time-stretch/pitch controls can shape the performance. Export the result as MIDI, a stereo audio mix, separate instrument tracks or both audio forms.

Check the sample licences of the kit you use before releasing audio or redistributing kits. Hydrogen’s own GPL licence does not establish permission for every sound library.

Strengths

Stereo mix and separate instrument exports

Watch out for

Drumkit sample licences need separate checks

Best for

Musicians building rhythm parts

Sources

GitHub - hydrogen-music/hydrogen: The advanced drum machine for Linux, macOS, and Windows · GitHub (Oct 26, 2026)
Hydrogen 1.2.7 manual (Oct 26, 2026)

SI Score

80/100

#1 in Music

Based on published information. No hands-on task test.

Method 2.0 · Published source review Assessed Oct 26, 2026Score ceiling for this evidence: 84/100.

Product usefulness 80

Evidence

Pattern and instrument controls, song assembly and audio/MIDI export are documented with platform downloads and an explicit sample-licensing boundary.

Limits: AI review of saved source passages. No hands-on test, human approval or automatic-provider checker receipt.

Source links and check dates are in Sources and checks below.

Separate website checks

These checks do not add points to the SI Score. They inspect the website's HTML, not the product in use.

Basic website checksunknown

No check recorded.

HTML accessibility checksunknown

No check recorded.

Homepage HTML responseunknown

No check recorded.

Trackers in homepage HTMLunknown

No check recorded.

Page date hintsunknown

No check recorded.

Policy links do not verify a company's conduct. An HTML response time is not application speed. Tracker and accessibility checks miss behavior after page load. Copyright dates do not prove product upkeep.

How the SI Score works →

Unconfirmed details may be unassessed, absent from the pages checked or temporarily unreadable. A missing price does not mean the service is free.

Sources and checks

Supporting pages for product usefulness, site facts, prices and separate website checks. Each record keeps its own date. Reading a page does not establish how well the product performs in use.

github.com/hydrogen-music/hydrogen
- PricingAI reading, not confirmedChecked Oct 26, 2026
  The official page describes the project as open source.
- PlatformsAI reading, not confirmedChecked Oct 26, 2026
  The official repository provides Windows, macOS and Linux download/build routes.
- Open sourceAI reading, not confirmedChecked Oct 26, 2026
  Hydrogen is distributed under GPLv2+.
- Product usefulness evidenceChecked Oct 26, 2026
hydrogen-music.org/documentation/manual/manual_en.html
- Product usefulness evidenceChecked Oct 26, 2026

Browse this categoryMore Music tools

Something wrong or out of date? Send a correction and an editor will check it against the site. Owners can verify their site first so their corrections are marked as coming from the owner. Owners cannot change the score.

Suggest a correction Claim this listing