Plain-language composition
Describe a melody, mood, or requested change in chat. Tonefold writes musical layers into the current song rather than limiting the workflow to one generated audio file.
Tonefold
Freemium
A free, open-source desktop AI music composer for writing and editing songs note by note.
What is Tonefold?
Tonefold is a free, GPL-3.0 desktop music composer for macOS and Windows. You describe a song, melody, mood, or change in plain language, and its composer writes chords, melody, bass, drums, and other parts into an editable piano roll. The app includes a built-in General MIDI synth, so you can hear the result immediately without first choosing instruments or opening a DAW.
The editor separates a song into layers and sections. Notes can be drawn, moved, resized, and auditioned from the piano roll, with velocity and drum lanes for detailed editing. Tonefold supports eleven layer types, including chords, melody, bass, drums, pads, arpeggios, plucks, counter-melody, harmony, sub, and percussion. Layers can be muted, locked, rearranged, or exported independently.
What can Tonefold do?
Editable piano roll
Draw, move, resize, and audition individual notes. The editor includes velocity and drum lanes, allowing generated material to be revised at note level.
Layered song structure
Work with eleven editable layer types, including chords, melody, bass, drums, pads, arpeggios, plucks, counter-melody, harmony, sub, and percussion. Sections organize the song from intro through outro.
Producer approval workflow
Producer mode shows the planned key, tempo, form, and exact layer-section changes before writing. Approval is enforced by the app, and a host ledger records the run for auditing or whole-run reversion.
Local playback and export
A built-in General MIDI synth plays the arrangement on the machine. Export options include MIDI, a stereo WAV mix, and one WAV stem for each layer.
Use Cases
“Sketch a song from a description”
Start with a plain-language idea such as a melody, mood, or arrangement change, then listen to the generated layers immediately in the standalone app.
“Refine generated parts by hand”
Use the piano roll when the musical direction is close but specific notes, rhythms, velocities, or drum hits need direct adjustment.
“Build an arrangement in controlled passes”
Use sections and locked layers to keep approved material in place while requesting a new bass line, melody, or rhythm for a selected part of the song.
“Prepare material for a DAW”
Export MIDI, a stereo mix, or separate WAV layer stems, or use the optional CLAP/VST3 plugin to access the composer inside a DAW. FL Studio is the tested host.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a DAW to use Tonefold?
No. Tonefold is a standalone app with its own piano roll, General MIDI synth, playback, and export tools. The CLAP/VST3 plugin is optional for using the composer inside a DAW.
What operating systems does Tonefold support?
The published releases support macOS 11 or later and Windows 10 or 11. The macOS download is a universal build for Apple Silicon and Intel.
Does Tonefold work offline?
Generation, playback, editing, and export run on your machine. Chat composition can use Claude through Claude Code or an Ollama model, but those model options are separate from the local editing and playback functions.
What does Tonefold cost?
The app is free and open source under GPL-3.0. Claude-based chat uses your own Claude plan through Claude Code; Tonefold displays the cost of each turn. Using an Ollama model is described as free, subject to your local setup.
What files can Tonefold export?
Tonefold can export MIDI, a stereo WAV mix, and one WAV file per layer. The app also supports exporting layers as MIDI through its layer controls.
Quick Facts
- Category
- AI music composer
- Platforms
- macOS 11+ and Windows 10/11
- License
- GPL-3.0; free and open source
- Editing model
- Layered piano roll with sections, notes, velocity, and drum lanes
- Model options
- Claude through Claude Code or an Ollama model
- Outputs
- MIDI, stereo WAV mix, and per-layer WAV stems
Tonefold Traffic Analysis
Traffic data is for reference only.
- Domain Rating
- 1
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