Installation
Silverdaw is a desktop application for Windows. It is free and open source, released under the GNU Affero General Public License v3.0.
Before you start
- Operating system: Windows 10 (version 1809 or later) or Windows 11, 64-bit.
- Disk space: room for the application, plus your projects and audio files.
- Graphics card (optional): a compatible GPU can speed up stem separation, but it is not required — Silverdaw can do the same work on the processor, just more slowly.
- Internet connection (first stem separation only): the first time you separate stems, Silverdaw downloads its high-quality separation models (about 1 GB). This is a one-time download. A smaller built-in backup model needs no download at all.
Getting Silverdaw
There are three ways to install Silverdaw. The Microsoft Store is the easiest and recommended option once it is available. The portable download lets you try Silverdaw without installing anything, and the self-signed installer gives you a full installation before the Store release.
| Option | Best for | Effort | Updates | Windows integration* |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Store (coming soon) | Everyone | One click | Automatic | Full |
| Portable download | Trying it quickly, no install | Unzip and run | Manual | None |
| Self-signed installer | A full install before the Store release | Trust a certificate and run a script | Manual | Full |
* Windows integration means a Start-menu entry, the .silverdaw file association (so double-clicking a project opens it), and an entry in Settings ▸ Apps for a clean uninstall.
From the Microsoft Store (recommended)
The easiest way to install Silverdaw is from the Microsoft Store. It installs in one click, with no security prompts and no certificates to manage, and the Store keeps the application up to date for you automatically.
The Microsoft Store link will be added here soon.
Portable download
A portable version is published on the application's releases page on GitHub:
Download the portable zip (Silverdaw-<version>.zip) from the latest release, extract it to any folder you can write to, and run Silverdaw.exe. Nothing is installed, so you can remove it later by simply deleting the folder.
WARNING
The first time you run it, Windows may show a SmartScreen prompt ("Windows protected your PC") because the file was downloaded from the internet. Choose More info, then Run anyway. To avoid this, right-click the zip before extracting it, choose Properties, tick Unblock, and click OK.
The portable version has no Start-menu entry or file association, and it does not update itself — download a newer zip when a new release is available.
Self-signed installer (advanced)
If you want a full installation before the Microsoft Store release, you can use the signed installer package. Because it is signed with a self-signed certificate, Windows needs to trust that certificate before it will install the app. A helper script does both steps for you: it trusts the certificate and then installs Silverdaw.
Download three files from the latest release into the same folder:
- the signed app package (
.appx), - the public certificate (
Silverdaw-PublicCert.cer), and - the install script (
Install-Silverdaw.ps1).
Then right-click Install-Silverdaw.ps1, choose Run with PowerShell, and approve the Windows security prompt (User Account Control) that asks to allow changes to your device.
This gives you a full installation — a Start-menu entry, the .silverdaw file association, and a clean uninstall via Settings ▸ Apps — but it requires administrator rights to trust the certificate, and it does not update automatically. If you would rather not trust a certificate, use the Microsoft Store or portable option instead.
Silverdaw is developed in the open, and its full source code lives on GitHub:
First launch
When Silverdaw opens, you are greeted by the startup screen, which invites you to "Start a new project or open an existing one." From here you can:
- New Project — begin a fresh, empty project.
- Open Project… — open a project you saved earlier.
- Recent Projects — jump back into projects you opened recently.
Once you are in, the next step is to make some sound. Head to the Quick Start to build your first remix, or take the tour of the Silverdaw window first.
If you do not hear anything when you press play, check that the right audio output is selected. See Choosing your audio output.