---
name: "cava"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "cava"
version: "0.10.4+dfsg-1"
release: "Debian 13 (Trixie)"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/cava"
---

# cava(1)

Cross-platform Audio Visualizer

## NAME

**cava** – Cross-platform Audio Visualizer

## SYNOPSIS

**cava** \[**-p** *path* *to* *config* *file*\] \[**-v** *version*\]

## DESCRIPTION

The **cava** Console-based Audio Visualizer for Alsa. Cava is a bar spectrum audio visualizer for the Linux terminal using ALSA, pulseaudio, pipewire or fifo buffer for input. This program is not intended for scientific use. It's written to look responsive and aesthetic when used to visualize music.

### Options

- **-p**

  Path to config file.

- **-h**

  Display helpful information.

- **-v**

  Show the current version of **cava**.

### Keys

- **Up**

  Increase sensitivity.

- **Down**

  Decrease sensitivity.

- **Left**

  Decrease number of bars.

- **Right**

  Increase number of bars.

- **r**

  Reload config.

- **c**

  Reload colors only.

- **f**

  Cycle foreground color.

- **b**

  Cycle background color.

- **q**

  Quit.

## FILES

- *~/.config/cava/config*

  Per user configuration file.

## AUTHORS

**cava** was written by Karl Stavestrand.