Like many members of the soundfont community, we are tired of the limitations of the ancient SoundFont format. So, in 2020, we launched the SFe (SF-enhanced) project, to research backwards-compatible improvements and updates to the format.
To do this, we looked at many features that soundfont creators have requested, and are working on incorporating them into the SFe format.
In 2025, the first version of SFe, version 4.0, launches. We hope that you enjoy it.
The goals of the SFe project are to:
- Unite proprietary extensions to the SoundFont format
- Add the most requested features by soundfont developers
- Enable sample libraries that we could never have imagined
- Create a viable competitor to commercial sample library formats (Kontakt, etc.)
- Allow intercompatibility between other open source sample library formats (such as SFZ)
To make it more concise, we only highlight the differences between the SFe specification and the legacy SoundFont specification (SFSPEC24.PDF). If you want to develop for SFe, we recommend that you also read the legacy SF2.04 specification (SFSPEC24.PDF).
Please read contributing.md.
Copyright © 2025 SFe Team and contributors.
The SFe Team is in no way sponsored by or otherwise affiliated with Creative Technology Ltd. or E-mu Systems, Inc. SoundFont® is a registered trademark of Creative Technology Ltd.