Baryon Desktop and its licensing are still in development. This page describes
the planned model; exact features per plan are being finalized before launch.
The plans
Baryon Desktop — Free
Download and run the app with no account. Free covers exploring the instrument and personal, non-commercial use:- the full real-time cymatic visualizer and core visual controls
- live audio from a file, a microphone, or system audio
- a starter set of presets
Performer License — paid
Unlocks professional, live-use capability:- Performer Mode with show-safe controls
- external display / output into VJ and production tools (Syphon on macOS, Spout on Windows)
- saved performance presets and advanced routing
- commercial performance rights — use Baryon as your instrument in paid shows, festivals, and client gigs
Commercial / OEM — separate
A separate license, not the Performer License, is required to embed or redistribute Baryon — shipping it inside another product, an installation, hardware, a hosted service, or a redistributed app. Contact licensing@baryon.live. This is the same boundary that governs the open engine; see the engine licensing for how the source-available license and commercial use fit together.Free versus Performer at a glance
| Capability | Free | Performer |
|---|---|---|
| Real-time cymatic visualizer and core controls | ✓ | ✓ |
| Audio input: file, microphone, system audio | ✓ | ✓ |
| Starter presets | ✓ | ✓ |
| Personal, non-commercial use | ✓ | ✓ |
| Performer Mode and show-safe controls | — | ✓ |
| External display / stage output (Syphon, Spout) | — | ✓ |
| Saved performance presets | — | ✓ |
| Commercial performance rights | — | ✓ |
How licensing will work
The Performer License is designed to stay out of your way during a show:- Verified locally. The app checks your license on your own machine, so a network outage at a venue never blocks a performance.
- Online only when it helps. Connectivity is used for activation, moving your license between machines, revocation, and updates — never to run a set.