What is Chiptune Jukebox?
Chiptune Jukebox is a free browser-based chiptune generator that writes an endless catalog of 8-bit albums and lets you browse them like a record shelf. Each album gets its own title, artist, cover art, genre, key, tempo, and sound chip, and the music is composed live as you listen. No signup, no install.
Is it free?
Yes — completely free, with no account, no limits, no watermarks, and no feature gates. Your saved albums and settings stay on your device.
How do I use it?
Drag, flick, scroll, or press the arrow keys to move along the shelf. Tap the centered cover to play or pause. Use the settings panel to change genre, channels, chip, and mix, or turn on Auto DJ for a mix that never stops. Press the download button to save a WAV excerpt of whatever is playing.
Does it collect my data?
No. The music, the composition, and the pixel art are all generated locally in your browser with JavaScript and the Web Audio API. Nothing you make is uploaded. Saved albums live in this browser’s local storage. The only outside requests are optional abstract cover-art sources and anonymous page analytics.
Is the music actually different every time, or is it looping?
It is genuinely composed, not looped. Each album has a seed that drives its progression, phrase shapes, groove, and voicing, and the song keeps mutating through verses, refrains, and interludes as it plays. Because the seed is stored in the URL, sharing a link always reproduces the same album.
Which sound chips does it emulate?
The voicing models the character of a wide range of classic chips — NES 2A03, Commodore SID, Game Boy, Atari POKEY, Yamaha YM2151 and OPLL, Sega Genesis FM, PC Engine, SNES SPC, AY/PSG, Amiga-style tracker sampling, ZX Beeper, and more. You can lock one in the Channels tab or let each album pick its own.
What do I get when I download?
A stereo 16-bit WAV file rendered offline from the same seed you are hearing, so the export matches the album exactly. Length, sample rate, edge fades, and normalization are all adjustable in the Export tab.
Can I use the music I download?
The WAV files are free to keep and use for personal, non-commercial things — listening, a home video, a school project, a stream you are not monetizing, background music at a party. They are not cleared for commercial use, so please do not ship them in a product you sell, an ad, a monetized channel, or a client project. If you want something for commercial work, use a royalty-free chiptune library instead.
Can I use it on my phone?
Yes. The shelf is touch-first — swipe to flip covers, tap to play. The settings panel goes full-screen on small displays. Tap once anywhere first, since mobile browsers require a gesture before audio can start.
How does this compare to 8bitcomposer or an AI music generator?
Tools like 8bitcomposer and AI generators ask you to sequence a grid or write a prompt, then wait on a server. Chiptune Jukebox composes algorithmically on your device and starts instantly, with no prompt, no queue, and no upload. The trade-off is control: if you want to place individual notes, a sequencer like Tenori-Online or Beatbox is the better tool.
Why did my cover art change?
Cover art can come from a local procedural generator or an outside abstract image source, then gets pixelized on your device. A local cover always appears immediately; if a network source finishes loading, it replaces it. You can pin the behavior to organic procedural art only, or import your own images, in the Display tab.