Faustwasm Package and Progressive Web Applications

This paper surveys the latest developments in the Faust web ecosystem, with a focus on modernization of its tooling and infrastructure. At the heart is the faustwasm project, which leverages TypeScript/JavaScript and WebAssembly to make it easier to build interactive, high-performance, and portable music applications. By adopting the Progressive Web App (PWA) model, the faustwasm project avoids the gatekeeping of proprietary app stores to deliver lightweight, cross-platform solutions that are easier to distribute.

Well-known projects such as SmartFaust and GameLan already use these advances, widening their appeal for parti- cipatory concerts and educational workshops. On a practical level, these apps turn smartphones into expressive instru- ments : built-in motion sensors capture gestures and trans- late them into sound instantly. Their plug-and-play nature, no special hardware or technical know-how required, makes them perfect for arts education and for introducing au- diences to electroacoustic music.