JUCE
JUCE is an open-source C++ framework, developed by Raw Material Software Limited in London, that enables developers to build cross-platform audio applications and plug-ins (VST, AU, AAX, LV2) from a single codebase for Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android, serving audio software developers and major audio and technology companies.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2004
- HeadquartersLondon, United Kingdom
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What JUCE does
JUCE, developed by Raw Material Software Limited and headquartered in London, is an open-source C++ application development framework purpose-built for cross-platform audio software and plug-in development. The framework enables developers to build standalone applications and plug-ins that run natively on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android from a single codebase, and to target every major plug-in format (VST, VST3, AU, AUv3, AAX, LV2, with CLAP planned for JUCE 9). Core capabilities include a digital audio processing and DSP library, MIDI and MPE support, Audio Random Access (ARA) integration, a graphics and widget library with native LookAndFeel theming, and — since JUCE 8 — WebView UI tooling for building interfaces with React, Vue, or HTML/CSS/JavaScript. JUCE is distributed under a dual-license model (proprietary JUCE license and AGPLv3), and is acquired by and operates within PACE Anti-Piracy, a software protection and licensing vendor, since 2017.
The commercial offering is a tiered subscription: Starter (free, capped at $20K annual revenue), Indie ($40/month, capped at $300K revenue) and Pro ($175/month, unlimited revenue), with perpetual license equivalents ($800 Indie, $3,500 Pro) and free educational access for qualifying institutions. Distribution is product-led via direct website downloads, GitHub, and an emerging JUCE Marketplace, with community engagement through a developer forum, blog, YouTube channel, newsletter, and the annual Audio Developer Conference (ADC). The customer base spans independent audio plugin developers, leading audio equipment manufacturers (Yamaha, Moog Music, Eventide, Spitfire Audio, Output, Native Instruments, Arturia, Valhalla DSP, Waves, Universal Audio), and technology companies using JUCE for audio-adjacent R&D projects (Spotify's Pedalboard ML audio framework, Google, Meta). The framework is also embedded in university curricula at Stanford CCRMA, Goldsmiths, IRCAM, Queen Mary, Edinburgh, Illinois, and Rochester, forming a structured talent pipeline.
Recent strategic emphasis has been on broadening the addressable market beyond the traditional DAW/plugin desktop workflow: JUCE 9 (2026) adds embedded Linux support with OpenGL ES rendering and headless build capability, introduces variable fonts, improves SVG rendering via the lunasvg library, and reduces macOS CoreAudio latency by 11-25ms. A JUCE Marketplace beta launched in Q3 2025 to enable discovery of community modules, alongside a free multi-lesson audio plug-in development course delivered in partnership with Wolf Sound Academy. Revenue is not publicly disclosed and the company operates without external funding since the 2017 PACE acquisition, implying growth is self-funded and constrained by the headcount band of 101-250 employees.
JUCE firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- JUCE
- Legal name
- Raw Material Software Limited
- Website
- https://juce.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2004
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- JUCE is an open-source C++ framework, developed by Raw Material Software Limited in London, that enables developers to build cross-platform audio applications and plug-ins (VST, AU, AAX, LV2) from a single codebase for Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android, serving audio software developers and major audio and technology companies.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
JUCE industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Audio Software Development Framework
- NAICS
- Software Publishers (5132)
- SIC
- Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Low-Code/No-Code Application Platforms (HDAEAKAA)
Keywords
Where JUCE is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- London
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
JUCE business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Others
Revenue model
- Software Licensing (Commercial): Tiered subscription and perpetual license model for commercial use of JUCE framework. Starter tier is free with revenue cap of $20,000. Indie tier at $40/month with $300,000 revenue limit. Pro tier at $175/month with unlimited revenue. Perpetual licenses available as one-time purchases ($800 for Indie, $3,500 for Pro). Educational institutions receive free access.
- Open Source (AGPLv3): JUCE is dual licensed under both the JUCE license and AGPLv3. Developers can use JUCE under AGPLv3 terms if not propagating or conveying closed-source software outside their organization.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Monthly | Free tier for individuals/small teams with revenue up to $20,000 |
| Subscription | Monthly | $40/month Indie tier for growing businesses with revenue up to $300,000 |
| Subscription | Monthly | $175/month Pro tier for established businesses with unlimited revenue |
| Freemium | Monthly | Free access for educational institutions |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels8 records
JUCE product offering
Product offeringCore offering
JUCE is an open-source, cross-platform C++ application development framework that enables developers to build high-performance standalone audio applications and audio plug-ins (VST, VST3, AU, AUv3, AAX, LV2) from a single codebase targeting Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android. The framework ships with a DSP library, MIDI/MPE support, graphics and widget libraries, build-system tooling (Projucer and CMake), and JUCE 8/9 add WebView UI tooling, an animation module, and a Direct2D renderer. It is dual-licensed under a commercial license and AGPLv3, with tiered commercial subscriptions (Starter free, Indie $40/month, Pro $175/month) and perpetual license options.
Product overview
JUCE is an open-source, cross-platform C++ application development framework provided as C++ source code. The core product is the JUCE Framework, which enables developers to build standalone applications and audio plug-ins (VST, VST3, AU, AUv3, AAX, LV2) that run on Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android from a single codebase. The ecosystem includes the Projucer project management tool for generating native IDE projects, the JUCE Marketplace for community modules (beta), and a free educational course in partnership with Wolf Sound Academy. Documentation, tutorials, and a developer forum support the community. JUCE is dual-licensed under a commercial license and AGPLv3.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- JUCE Framework Open-source, cross-platform C++ application development framework for building high-performance standalone audio applications and audio plug-ins. Supports Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android from a single codebase with native plug-in format support for VST, VST3, AU, AUv3, AAX, and LV2. Targets audio software developers, audio equipment manufacturers, music software companies, and educational institutions; sold via Starter (free), Indie ($40/month), and Pro ($175/month) commercial subscriptions plus perpetual licenses, and free under AGPLv3 for open source.
- Projucer Native project management application bundled with the JUCE Framework. Generates Xcode projects, Visual Studio solutions, Android Studio projects, and Makefiles from a single JUCE project configuration, and includes a C++ code editor and live build editor. Used by JUCE developers to streamline cross-platform project setup and IDE integration.
- JUCE Marketplace Community marketplace for discovering and incorporating JUCE modules and tooling into software projects. Provides a curated catalog of community-contributed modules that extend the JUCE Framework. Beta launched in Q3 2025; targeted at audio software developers building on JUCE.
- Free JUCE Audio Plug-in Development Course Free comprehensive educational course on audio plug-in development with JUCE, developed in partnership with Wolf Sound Academy. Includes 50+ lessons covering plugin development basics, audio processing, plugin parameters, diagnostics, GUI development, and plug-in distribution; offered free with materials available for educators and adoption in university curricula.
Quantifiable outcome
- Accelerated ML audio processing by 300x (Spotify Pedalboard case)
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use JUCE
Customer profileNamed customers15 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
JUCE technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration31 records
Feature15 records
JUCE partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- PACE Anti-PiracymajorPACE Anti-Piracy acquired Raw Material Software Limited, the company behind JUCE. PACE provides intellectual property protection, software licensing, and monetization solutions. The acquisition positions JUCE within a broader ecosystem of software protection and licensing tools for audio developers.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
JUCE competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Cockos WDL: Cockos's open-source C++ framework that powers the Reaper DAW and other audio applications. Competes with JUCE for cross-platform audio software development, particularly among DAW and plug-in developers seeking a permissively licensed alternative.
- iPlug2: Open-source C++ framework for building cross-platform audio plug-ins and applications (VST, AU, AAX, WAM). Closest direct competitor to JUCE, targeting the same audio developer audience with a simpler permissive license.
Broad incumbents
- Steinberg (VST SDK): Steinberg owns and maintains the VST/VST3 plug-in standards. While not a direct JUCE competitor on the framework side, JUCE natively supports VST3 and the standards body influences audio software architecture decisions across the industry.
- Ableton (Max for Live): Ableton's Max for Live extends the Live DAW with custom audio devices. The underlying Max/MSP ecosystem overlaps with JUCE's academic and audio developer audience, though Max for Live targets Live users specifically.
- Tracktion / Waveform: Tracktion develops Waveform DAW and audio middleware used by hardware manufacturers. Their bioDSP and OEM engine frameworks compete with JUCE for audio engine integration in commercial products and music hardware.
- Cycling '74 (Max/MSP): Cycling '74's Max/MSP is a visual programming environment for audio and music applications, widely used in academic and creative coding contexts alongside JUCE for teaching and prototyping audio software.
Emerging players
- Elk Audio OS: Real-time audio operating system for embedded and low-latency audio applications. Targets the same embedded Linux and audio hardware segment JUCE 9 is expanding into, with a more specialized Linux-focused offering.
- CLAP (CLAP Plug-in Standard): Open-source, permissively licensed audio plug-in standard developed by a coalition including u-he and Bitwig. Positioned as a modern alternative to VST/AU/AAX; JUCE 9 is adding CLAP support, indicating its rising competitive relevance.
Others
- PACE Anti-Piracy: Parent company of JUCE (acquired Raw Material Software Limited in 2017). Provides software protection, licensing, and monetization solutions integrated with JUCE via PACE Protect and PACE Software Licensing.
- Bitwig Studio: Bitwig is a DAW vendor and CLAP standard co-developer with deep audio plug-in ecosystem involvement. While not a framework competitor, Bitwig shares JUCE's audio developer community and overlapping user base.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
JUCE social profiles
Digital presenceJUCE financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
JUCE leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
JUCE funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
JUCE M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about JUCE
What does JUCE do?
JUCE is an open-source, cross-platform C++ application development framework that enables developers to build high-performance standalone audio applications and audio plug-ins (VST, VST3, AU, AUv3, AAX, LV2) from a single codebase targeting Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android. The framework ships with a DSP library, MIDI/MPE support, graphics and widget libraries, build-system tooling (Projucer and CMake), and JUCE 8/9 add WebView UI tooling, an animation module, and a Direct2D renderer. It is dual-licensed under a commercial license and AGPLv3, with tiered commercial subscriptions (Starter free, Indie $40/month, Pro $175/month) and perpetual license options.
Is JUCE a public or private company?
JUCE is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was JUCE founded?
JUCE was founded in 2004. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is JUCE based?
JUCE is headquartered in London, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does JUCE make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Software Licensing (Commercial) is the primary driver. The others are open Source (AGPLv3).
Who are JUCE's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Cockos WDL and iPlug2. Broad incumbents are Steinberg (VST SDK), Ableton (Max for Live), Tracktion / Waveform and Cycling '74 (Max/MSP). Emerging players are Elk Audio OS and CLAP (CLAP Plug-in Standard). Others are PACE Anti-Piracy and Bitwig Studio.
Does JUCE have an API?
No public API is recorded for JUCE.
What industry is JUCE in?
JUCE's product category is Audio Software Development Framework. Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAEAKAA, Low-Code/No-Code Application Platforms. Its NAICS code is 5132 and its SIC code is 7371.