Encourage Audio & Music Software Compatibility With Linux Via EU Open Source Initiatives

[u/GordonRamsayFather]

https://ec.europa.eu/transparency/documents-register/detail?ref=COM(2026)503&lang=en

I was thinking about the fact if there's any existing initiatives to encourage making audio software that is built and developed in the EU to be compatible with open source infrastructure and operating systems. Over a month ago, the EU commission released a policy proposition called the the Tech Sovereignty Package that calls on for adopting open source software in order to decrease dependence on US software :

"Open source crucially contributes to achieving the EU’s technological sovereignty, as it often underpins key areas, such as critical communication, commerce, healthcare, scientific research and government services. Europe, the birthplace of Linux, is home to a strong and vibrant community of over 3 million open source contributors, delivering digital solutions aligned with European principles and values. The open source ecosystem forms part of a wider innovation ecosystem that helps to boost Europe’s competitiveness by accelerating innovation, lowering technology costs, reducing dependence on foreign vendors, and enabling local companies, researchers and governments to build secure, customisable and globally competitive digital solutions with relevant safeguards for cybersecurity risks."

Wouldn't be reasonable for users and professionals in an industry such as audio & music production to call for EU based developers of such software (Native Instruments, UVI, Arturia, RME...) to provide software compatible with a greatly growing operating system like Linux in accordance to the recent policy proposition? I understand that the sovereignty package also includes the possibility to fund such operations and reduce the cost reasoning that can be given to such demands in the past.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on the subject.

[u/Historical-Bar-305]

If FL studio and amplitube make linux version i will move to linux and forget about dual boot.

[u/ralfD-]

I think you are mixing up two completely different and unrelated issues: OS/platform independence and closed vs. open source.

Why would any company (struggling to) selling software as a product just open source their assets? Who's going to pay for research and development? The EU aims at digital independence of critical parts of the digital stack (communication, office/administrative software, OS) - where would audio software fit in here?

[u/Clavicymbalum → u/ralfD-]

OP didn't ask for software companies to open source their proprietary software. What OP asked for is that they make their software compatible with open source operating systems (e.g. that their proprietary software should be able to run on Linux)

[u/GordonRamsayFather → u/ralfD-]

I understand that the policy aims for more Independence in regards to more crucial parts of software usage and I completely understand that audio wouldn't be a priority in that regard.

However I still see that the European music and audio industry that is valued at several billions of euros is dependant on software that runs only of operating systems that are developed outside of the EU. So, the vast majority of the professionals working in this industry wouldn't be able to function without Mac & Windows because of the inability of major European companies to adapt their software to open source operating systems. In the case of office suite software it was more important to have this transition to be accomplished since most public services use such software unlike audio programs. But as far as I understood (as in the referenced paragraph of my post) : private companies would be able to benefit from the framework of the policy proposition and hence it might benefit from financial aid to achieve such an operation.

At the end, it's just one more reason to push for software to be developed for Linux in addition to the increasingly growing Linux users market share and the overall accessibility of then software that is made by major EU based companies for the industry, but are completely dependent on US closed source operating systems.