Technical specifications

Composer Assistant 1.0.11, released 28 September 2026. What changed in every version: Changelog.

At a glance

• Product: Composer Assistant
• Publisher: Cinematic Composing
• What it does: produces cinematic orchestral parts, as audio and MIDI, from your idea: a chord progression, a MIDI or audio file, something you hum or play, or the notes on your DAW track
• Formats: VST3 and AU instrument plugin, plus a Standalone app
• Platforms: macOS (Apple Silicon and Intel) and Windows (64-bit)
• Needs: an internet connection, a Composer Assistant account and an active plan
• Pro Tools: not supported (no AAX)

How it works

The plugin sits in your DAW. The music is produced by AI on our servers: you set up your idea in the plugin, press PRODUCE, and the finished takes come back into the plugin, ready to drag onto your tracks. Your computer does no AI work, and there is no sample library to download.

System requirements

macOS

• Mac: Apple Silicon (M1 or later) or Intel. One universal installer for both.
• macOS: 11 Big Sur or later on Apple Silicon. 10.14 Mojave or later on Intel.
• Tested on: macOS 26 Tahoe. Older versions are supported by the build but not tested by hand.
• Processor and memory: no special needs. The heavy work happens on our servers.
• Disk: about 50 MB for the app and both plugins, plus room for your takes (a 35-second audio take is about 6 MB).
• Screen: the window opens at 1240 × 500 and resizes from 992 × 400 up to 1860 × 750.

Windows

• PC: 64-bit (x64) Intel or AMD processor.
• Windows: Windows 10 (version 1607 or later) or Windows 11, 64-bit. This is the minimum of the toolkit Composer Assistant is built with.
• Processor and memory: no special needs. The heavy work happens on our servers.
• Disk: a small install (the installer is 7.3 MB), plus room for your takes.
• Screen: the window opens at 1240 × 500 and resizes from 992 × 400 up to 1860 × 750.

On both

• Internet: required, to sign in and for every take.
• Microphone or audio input: optional. Only REC uses it (hum, play or tap an idea). macOS asks for your permission the first time.
• Language: English.

Plugin formats

• VST3: macOS and Windows
• Audio Units (AU): macOS
• Standalone app: macOS and Windows (no DAW needed)
• Not available: AAX (Pro Tools), CLAP, Linux

Composer Assistant loads as an instrument plugin: put it on an instrument (MIDI) track. Its takes are audio and MIDI files you drag onto your own tracks.

Supported hosts (DAWs)

• Tested by us: Cubase 15 (macOS), our main test host. Ableton Live 12 (macOS), including FROM YOUR TRACK.
• Automated tests: every release passes our full test suite on macOS and on Windows before it ships.
• Should work: any DAW that loads VST3 or AU instrument plugins, such as Logic Pro, GarageBand, Studio One, REAPER, FL Studio, Bitwig Studio or Nuendo.
• Not supported: Pro Tools (AAX is not available).

Features by platform

• FROM YOUR TRACK (Composer Assistant records the notes your DAW plays into it): VST3 and AU, on macOS and Windows. Not in the Standalone app, because there is no DAW to play into it.
• The drag hint (dragging a Logic, GarageBand or Ableton clip onto WHAT tells you to use FROM YOUR TRACK instead): macOS only.
• Reduce Motion (the "how it works" film shows only its last frame): macOS only.

What each take gives you

• Audio: a WAV file, stereo, 44.1 kHz, 16-bit.
• MIDI (BETA): standard MIDI files, one per part (for example Violins, Violas, Cellos), to play with your own libraries.
• Takes per press: 1 to 4.
• Snap: takes are made in your session's tempo and meter, with beat one exactly one bar in. Drop a take on the bar before and it lands on the click.

Instruments

Four families of cinematic orchestral parts, each with its own options: Chord Progression, Motor, Ostinato and Percussion. The list comes from our servers, so it can grow without a plugin update.

Install locations

macOS (one installer, .pkg)

• App: /Applications/Composer Assistant.app
• VST3: /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST3/Composer Assistant.vst3
• AU: /Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components/Composer Assistant.component

The macOS installer is signed and notarized by Apple.

Windows (one installer, .exe)

• VST3: C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3\Composer Assistant.vst3
• App: C:\Program Files\Cinematic Composing\Composer Assistant\Composer Assistant.exe

The Windows installer is not code-signed yet, so Windows may show a SmartScreen warning ("Windows protected your PC"). Click More info, then Run anyway.

Restart your DAW after installing so it finds the plugin.

Where your files are saved

• Takes: your Music folder, in Composer Assistant (macOS: ~/Music/Composer Assistant).
• Your recordings (REC and FROM YOUR TRACK): Composer Assistant/Recordings in the same place.

Account, plans and updates

• Sign-in: once on each computer. The plugin opens composerassistant.com in your browser; you sign in with an email link or your Cinematic Composing account, and the plugin is ready.
• Plans: producing takes needs an active plan. See the plans.
• Updates: when a new version is out, the plugin shows "Version X is available" with an Update button that opens your download page. Updates are never automatic. Installing the new version replaces the old one; your takes stay where they are.
• What's new: Changelog.