xLights

xLights — Holiday Light Sequencer

xLights is the industry-standard free, open-source software for sequencing synchronized Christmas light shows. It uses a visual effects engine to create light sequences synced to music.

Key Features

• 3D visualizer — Model your installation in 3D before building
• Effects engine — 100+ effects: bars, morphs, twinkles, text, spirals
• Music sync — Beat detection, timing marks, waveform editor
• Scheduler — Play shows at scheduled times
• Controller support — Falcon, Kulp, PixLite, ESPixelStick, WLED
• Falcon Player (FPP) — Dedicated show player on Raspberry Pi

Typical Workflow

1. Model your layout in the 3D view
2. Import audio and set timing marks
3. Sequence effects per song (morphs, chases, color fades)
4. Render the sequence to output data
5. Upload to FPP or controller for playback

Why xLights Dominates

• Completely free with no feature limitations
• Massive user community and tutorials
• Supports every major controller
• Professional-grade sequencing tools
• Active development with frequent releases