Bela is an open-source embedded computing platform for ultra-low-latency interactive audio and sensor processing. It originated at the Augmented Instruments Lab within the Centre for Digital Music at Queen Mary University of London, directed by Andrew McPherson, and was spun out as Augmented Instruments Ltd following a successful Kickstarter campaign in 2016. Co-founders Andrew McPherson, Victor Zappi, and Robert Jack developed the platform to solve the latency and jitter problems that make traditional computers poorly suited for live instrument building.

The core Bela board pairs a BeagleBone-class processor with a custom real-time audio environment capable of round-trip latency as low as 1 millisecond, with buffer sizes down to 2 samples. Products include the original Bela cape, Bela Mini, the Bela Gem line for PocketBeagle 2, the Pepper Eurorack module, the Gliss and Trails instruments, and the Trill family of capacitive touch sensors. Development is done through a browser-based IDE supporting C/C++, Pure Data, SuperCollider, and Faust.

Bela is widely used in academic research on new musical instruments, in Eurorack and experimental synthesizer design, in interactive art installations, and by DIY builders making bespoke digital instruments. Its combination of open hardware, real-time performance, and high-resolution analogue I/O has made it a common choice for prototypes and finished products where sub-millisecond responsiveness matters.

Bela has 1 product cataloged on Equipboard, including Modular Synthesizers. Their gear is featured by 1 artist, with the strongest followings in Electronic. Notable users include Hrdvsion.