5 Best Chord Progression Generator Plugins in 2025
Ezra Sandzer-Bell- May 10
- 5 min read
Chord progression generators are one of the best alternatives to sampled audio. Instead of starting at a blank DAW or pecking away at your MIDI keyboard, you get instant ideas to work with. In many cases, these plugins offer control over key signature and rhythm, so it's easy to grab chords that match an existing project.
In this article we’ll share a list of our favorite plugins, outlining their best features and what sets them apart. We'll start by outlining the chord progression features on AudioCipher and move on to other products like HookPad, ChordJam, Scaler, and the Captain Plugins.
This sponsored post was created in partnership with Hooktheory, who provided free copy of their software and covered time spent testing and evaluating their product. All opinions are our own.
Table of Contents
AudioCipher MIDI Vault ($59.99)
AudioCipher is a MIDI chord progression generator that turns text into music. It's available as a standalone application and a DAW plugin (VST/AU formats).
Users generate chord progressions in AudioCipher by choosing their musical parameters and experimenting with different words or phrases. As you can see in the image below, the MIDI generator support Key Signature (scale), note durations, and chord extensions.
AudioCipher Version 4 now includes five important new features:
BPM control for MIDI output
Option to include triplets for note duration
Option to join repeating notes
Option to apply chord inversions
A SAVE button to store your MIDI idea in the Vault
The plugin will build vertically on your melodies according to the type of chord you select. If you prefer to use a variety of different chord extensions, select the random option and explore unlimited variations.
AudioCipher’s playback controls let you hear what different words sound like before you commit. Once you find something you like, just drag the MIDI file into your DAW and open the piano roll to start making edits.
How to save your chord progressions
Hit the new Save button at the bottom left corner of the MIDI generator to transfer your MIDI cipher onto a card. Then, as you continue to refine the MIDI in your DAW, bounce each versions and add it to the same card. Apply virtual instruments to the MIDI files and bounce audio files with several different versions.
The MIDI vault stores MIDI and audio files together in a single card, with shared meta tags and musical metadata. So later when you want to find these MIDI files and listen to how they sound with the right virtual instruments, it's right there and ready to go.
Details about AudiCipher's MIDI chord generator
Nine musical scales: Major, Minor, Harmonic Minor, Dorian, Phrygian, Lydian, Mixolydian, Locrian, and Chromatic
Chord Types: Triads, Sus2, Sus4, Sixth, Seventh, 9th, random chord generator
Rhythm output: Whole, half, quarter, eighth, and sixteenth, all triplet subdivisions, randomize rhythm
HookPad ($199)
We’ve covered Hooktheory on our blog previously. With over 50,000 songs in their database, their free resource TheoryTab helps songwriters peer behind the curtain and discover the precise chords and melodies use in their favorite songs.
HookTheory has a songwriting tool called Hookpad that as of June 2024 now includes with a state of the art AI MIDI generation model called Aria.
Write original music, highlight regions where you need help, and their AI model will scan the surrounding measures to come up with new ideas. Select them from a list and swap them into your project for quick and easy inspiration!
Hookpad costs $199 if you buy it outright, but you can subscribe monthly for as little as $7.99.
ChordJam ($49)
AudioModern’s ChordJam plugin offers music producers a feature-rich user interface for smart chord generation, along with a baked-in sequencer so you can experiment before you take the MIDI into your piano roll. Set the BPM, note velocity, chord voicings and inversions, and octave output until you find what you like.
ChordJam’s groove generator provides rhythm based on pop music sensibilities. The beautiful and modern aesthetic makes the app enjoyable to use as well. We recommend ChordJam to EDM producers and loop-based artists of all skill levels.
Scaler 3 ($99)
Plugin Boutique released Scaler 3 in March 2025, improving on their already impressive feature set. It's a great choice for songwriters who aren’t afraid of music theory. Record an initial melody in your daw and Scaler will listen to it, in order to detect the possible key signatures that might work. From here, the app offers drag-and-drop chord blocks to help you construct a chord progression quickly within the DAW.
If concepts like scale degree and roman numeral notation are foreign to you,
Scaler could help bridge the gap by introducing you to these music composition frameworks. We consider it one of the best chord progression generators on the market for intermediate and advanced musicians.
Captain Chords ($99)
Mixed in Key offers a full suite of generative music plugins. Captain chords is an advanced music composition tool that comes with a full piano roll and music editor. The app provides chord progression and rhythm presets that you can select from a dropdown menu. Choose your key signature, chord voicings, and inversions to further customize the MIDI it generates. You’ll even be able to listen back through a collection of instruments they offer.
This plugin is on the more expensive side. It’s easy to see why, with all of the features that it offers. The one drawback here is that the app can feel a bit heavy-handed. The app’s piano roll lets you edit ideas before committing to them, but that’s something you could easily do in your DAW as well. But on a positive note, Captain Chords does let you organize your chord progressions into song sections, so you can toggle between them easily.
We recommend this plugin for serious composers and songwriters who are comfortable with music theory. If you prefer to work in an environment that speaks that harmonic language, rather than simpler piano rolls offered by DAWs like FL Studio, give Captain Chords a shot!
Free Chord Progression Generators
Music producers and composers tend to prefer DAW software when they work with chord generators. These plugins offer a better workflow than browser applications. That being said, we always try to include a couple of free resources for our readers. These two both load directly in your web browser.
AutoChords and ChordChord (Free)
AutoChords and ChordChord are good starting points for the musician who wants a quick way to generate chord progressions in their browser.
Autochords won't generate MIDI files that you can export to your DAW. But if you’re an instrumentalist looking top try out some new chord sequences, it could be a good place to start.
ChordChord offers an iOS app available on the App Store. This makes it convenient to use the app while jamming on an instrument.
