Performous
What Performous is
Performous is a free music game that combines karaoke, band play, and dancing on Windows, macOS, and Linux. Players can choose vocals, lead or rhythm and bass guitar, drums, and dancing, with multiplayer support. In scored singing, the game displays pitch to help players adjust their notes; karaoke mode shows lyrics without notes or scoring. The project says pitch detection works with laptop or webcam microphones. Controllers are autodetected, and play can use a keyboard, microphones, USB guitars and drums, or dance pads. Supported song formats include Frets on Fire, UltraStar, SingStar XML, and StepMania. Composer is an included editor for music-game notes, with pitch analysis, zoomable timing, note synthesis, and format import and export. The project offers free karaoke song packages under different license terms, but its free-song page does not yet include band-game or dancing songs. Performous is free software under GNU GPL version 2 or later, and the project links to documentation, Discord, and a GitHub feedback page.
Who it suits
Performous suits people who want to sing, play music-game modes, dance, or practice singing skills. It also fits players looking for multiplayer modes and support for several song formats.
What it does well
- Free software under GNU GPL version 2 or later
- Includes scored singing and lyric-only karaoke modes
- Multiplayer supports vocals, instruments, and dancing
- Pitch detection works with laptop or webcam microphones
- Composer edits and converts music-game notes
What to know first
- Free-song page lacks band-game and dancing songs
- No free trial is listed
Limits
Performous is free software, and the site says its free-song page has not yet gathered band-game or dancing songs. The free karaoke packages have different license terms for libre and restricted packages.
Plans
| Plan | Billed and limits | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Performous | Free software · desktop game · requires a computer capable of running 3D games · microphones/controllers optional | Free |
As performous.org lists them, read 14 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.
Getting started
- Visit the Performous website.
- Choose the download for Windows, macOS, or Linux.
- Connect a supported controller, or use a keyboard or microphone.
- Select a supported song format or a free karaoke song package.
- Use Composer to edit or convert music-game notes if needed.
Verdict
Performous combines several performance modes with song-format support and a note editor. Its free-song selection is limited for band-game and dancing play.
Questions
How much does Performous cost?
Performous is free software. Its listed plan is free.
Which operating systems are supported?
Downloads are listed for Windows XP or newer, OS X 10.6 or newer, and Linux distributions including Ubuntu, Debian, and Arch Linux.
Can it be used for karaoke without scoring?
Yes. Karaoke mode displays lyrics without notes or scoring.
What controllers can it use?
Controllers are autodetected. The game can use a keyboard, microphones, USB guitars and drums, and dance pads.
Is Performous open source?
Yes. It is free software licensed under GNU GPL version 2 or later.
Does it include song editing tools?
Yes. Composer edits and converts notes for music games, with pitch analysis, zoomable timing, note synthesis, and format import and export.
Facts from Performous's own pages
- API and SDKs
- The reviewed project pages describe a C++ codebase, build instructions and a webserver feature, but do not publish a separate public API or SDK. · github.com, 14 Oct 2026
- Composer editor
- Composer edits and converts notes for music games, with pitch analysis, zoomable timing, note synthesis, and format import and export. · performous.org, 7 Oct 2026
- Composer formats
- Composer lists SingStar XML, UltraStar TXT, and Frets on Fire MIDI among its import and export formats. · performous.org, 7 Oct 2026
- Controller detection
- Controllers are autodetected instead of requiring manual key configuration. · performous.org, 14 Oct 2026
- Controllers
- Controllers are autodetected, and the game can use a keyboard, microphones, USB guitars and drums, and dance pads. · performous.org, 7 Oct 2026
- Developer documentation
- The website links to GitHub documentation, a wiki, Discord support and GitHub feedback/issues. · performous.org, 14 Oct 2026
- Feature expansion
- Version 1.3.0 added a Windows webserver, WebM video support, multitrack drums and Opus audio support. · performous.org, 14 Oct 2026
- Free songs
- The site offers free karaoke song packages and identifies different license terms for its libre and restricted packages. · performous.org, 7 Oct 2026
- Game modes
- It supports vocals, lead, rhythm and bass guitar, drums, and dancing, with multiplayer support. · performous.org, 7 Oct 2026
- Gameplay intelligence
- Its engine tries to infer intended guitar actions and suppresses accidental hammer-ons and pull-offs. · performous.org, 14 Oct 2026
- Hardware compatibility
- The project lists SingStar microphones, Guitar Hero and Rock Band instruments, USB microphones, USB guitars, USB drums and dance pads. · performous.org, 14 Oct 2026
- Independent listing
- AlternativeTo classifies Performous as a free, open-source music game and lists eight alternatives across desktop, web and Android platforms. · alternativeto.net, 14 Oct 2026
- Instruments
- The game supports lead, rhythm and bass guitar parts, drums and dance play with multiplayer support. · performous.org, 14 Oct 2026
- Intended audience
- The site describes Performous as a game for people who want to perform songs, improve musical skills, or have fun. · performous.org, 7 Oct 2026
- Karaoke mode
- A karaoke mode shows lyrics without note targets or scoring. · performous.org, 14 Oct 2026
- Latest release
- GitHub lists Performous 1.3.1 as the latest release, with Windows, Debian and Fedora assets plus source archives. · github.com, 14 Oct 2026
- License
- Performous is open source under GNU GPL version 2 or later. · performous.org, 14 Oct 2026
- Limit: documentation support
- SourceForge says the project has not indicated a best way to get help and points users toward project admins or third-party channels. · sourceforge.net, 14 Oct 2026
- Limit: missing game features
- A Steam community commenter said Performous works with guitar, bass, drums, StepMania pads and vocals but lacks a life meter. · steamcommunity.com, 14 Oct 2026
- Limit: song availability
- The project says it has not prepared free FoFiX-format band songs or StepMania dance songs for its own song page. · performous.org, 14 Oct 2026
- Limit: source installation
- Linux Journal reported that building from source required a long dependency chase and many development packages. · linuxjournal.com, 14 Oct 2026
- Linux distribution support
- The project lists Ubuntu and Debian packages, an Ubuntu daily-build PPA and Arch Linux packages. · performous.org, 14 Oct 2026
- macOS download
- The download page offers a bundle for OS X 10.6 or newer. · performous.org, 14 Oct 2026
- Notable limitation
- The site says it has not yet gathered band-game or dancing songs for its free-song page. · performous.org, 7 Oct 2026
Where Performous stands on Freedom251
- Karaoke Software#1 of 30