Bring MainStage-style live rig software to Windows

What to build

A paid-tier, cross-platform (Windows/Linux) live-performance rig app for keyboard players — VST3 host with instant setlist/song switching, mixer splits/layers, MIDI learn, chord-chart display, and a touchscreen perform mode — built as a premium layer on top of an open-source core.

MainStage has no credible non-Mac equivalent, and a keyboardist already proved the demand by open-sourcing a Windows alternative; a polished paid tier on top could capture gigging and worship musicians stuck without Mac hardware.

Demand

Gigging keyboardists and worship/cover-band musicians running Windows or Linux rigs currently have no first-party MainStage equivalent and are forced onto Mac hardware just for this workflow, creating pent-up demand for a native alternative.

• r/SideProject (Reddit)Announcement

  Keys player posts about building and open-sourcing a free MainStage alternative for Windows after finding no good non-Mac option.

• Signal title (creator statement)Announcement

  Developer states they personally needed MainStage on Windows and built one themselves, implying unmet demand among keyboard players.

• Opportunity description (internal analysis)Analysis

  Analysis frames MainStage's Mac-only feature set (VST3 hosting, setlist switching, mixer splits/layers, MIDI learn, chord charts, touchscreen perform mode) as portable and monetizable on Windows/Linux.

Stack

• JUCE (VST3 hosting/audio engine)
• C++
• ASIO/WASAPI audio drivers
• RtMidi or JUCE MIDI I/O
• Supabase (cloud sync of setlists/charts)
• Qt or JUCE GUI for touchscreen UI

Solo + AI difficulty

Hard: a crash-free, low-latency VST3 audio engine with MIDI learn and touchscreen UI is a serious systems-audio challenge, not a typical CRUD app, likely 3-6 months to a usable MVP even with AI help. Easy parts: chord-chart display, setlist data model, and cloud sync are standard app-dev work.

Entry threshold

Low capital barrier since the core engine already exists as open source to fork or extend, but requires solid audio/MIDI/VST3 engineering skill and real-world gig testing to earn trust from performers who cannot risk a crash on stage.

Window

6-12 months

Where to find first users

• r/SideProject and r/WeAreTheMusicMakers
• worship tech communities (Church Front, Worship Online)
• keyboard/gigging-musician Facebook groups
• Product Hunt launch

Competitors

• MainStage
• Cantabile
• Gig Performer

Counter-signals & risks

• Cross-platform live-performance hosts like Cantabile and Gig Performer already exist on Windows, so the premise that 'no good non-Mac option' exists may be overstated.

• The gigging keyboardist/worship musician niche may be too small to sustain a paid product, especially competing against a free open-source version of the same tool.

• An open-source core invites community forks that replicate paid features, and live performance software demands near-zero crash tolerance, raising support and liability costs for a solo maintainer.