diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9da240e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -0,0 +1,71 @@
+# Mindball - CMake convenience wrapper
+#
+#   make               configure and build all plugin formats (AU VST3 Standalone)
+#   make install       build, then copy the plugins to the standard locations
+#   make clean         remove the build directory
+#
+# Overrides (as make variables):
+#   make BUILD_TYPE=Debug
+#   make FORMATS="VST3 LV2"
+#   make CMAKE_ARGS="-DJUCE_ROOT=/path/to/juce"
+#
+# Requires: CMake >= 3.22 and a C++20 compiler. JUCE 8.0.9 is fetched on the
+# first configure (or use CMAKE_ARGS="-DJUCE_ROOT=/path/to/juce").
+
+BUILD_DIR  ?= build
+BUILD_TYPE ?= Release
+FORMATS    ?= AU VST3 Standalone
+CMAKE      ?= cmake
+CMAKE_ARGS ?= 
+JOBS       ?= $(shell sysctl -n hw.ncpu 2>/dev/null || nproc 2>/dev/null || echo 4)
+
+UNAME_S := $(shell uname -s)
+
+ifeq ($(UNAME_S),Darwin)
+  VST3_DIR ?= $(HOME)/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/VST3
+  AU_DIR   ?= $(HOME)/Library/Audio/Plug-Ins/Components
+  APP_DIR  ?= $(HOME)/Applications
+else
+  VST3_DIR ?= $(HOME)/.vst3
+  AU_DIR   ?=
+  APP_DIR  ?= $(HOME)/Applications
+endif
+
+TARGETS  := $(foreach f,$(FORMATS),Mindball_$(f))
+ARTEFACT  = $(BUILD_DIR)/Mindball_artefacts/$(BUILD_TYPE)
+
+.PHONY: all configure build install clean
+
+all: build
+
+configure:
+	$(CMAKE) -B $(BUILD_DIR) -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=$(BUILD_TYPE) -DMINDBALL_FORMATS="$(FORMATS)" $(CMAKE_ARGS)
+
+build: configure
+	$(CMAKE) --build $(BUILD_DIR) -j$(JOBS) --target $(TARGETS)
+
+install: build
+	@for f in $(FORMATS); do \
+		case "$$f" in \
+		VST3) \
+			mkdir -p "$(VST3_DIR)" && \
+			rm -rf "$(VST3_DIR)/Mindball.vst3" && \
+			cp -R "$(ARTEFACT)/VST3/Mindball.vst3" "$(VST3_DIR)/" && \
+			echo "Installed: $(VST3_DIR)/Mindball.vst3" ;; \
+		AU) \
+			if [ -n "$(AU_DIR)" ]; then \
+				mkdir -p "$(AU_DIR)" && \
+				rm -rf "$(AU_DIR)/Mindball.component" && \
+				cp -R "$(ARTEFACT)/AU/Mindball.component" "$(AU_DIR)/" && \
+				echo "Installed: $(AU_DIR)/Mindball.component"; \
+			fi ;; \
+		Standalone) \
+			mkdir -p "$(APP_DIR)" && \
+			rm -rf "$(APP_DIR)/Mindball.app" && \
+			cp -R "$(ARTEFACT)/Standalone/Mindball.app" "$(APP_DIR)/" && \
+			echo "Installed: $(APP_DIR)/Mindball.app" ;; \
+		esac; \
+	done
+
+clean:
+	rm -rf $(BUILD_DIR)
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index b9badea..2043ad1 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -87,6 +87,27 @@ tweak a knob the preset name updates to the closest match.
   connection (or `git`) on the first configure. To build against a local checkout
   instead, pass `-DJUCE_ROOT=/path/to/juce`.
 
+### Quick start (any platform)
+
+A `Makefile` is included as a convenience wrapper around the CMake commands
+below - it doesn't add any extra build logic, it just calls `cmake` for you:
+
+```sh
+make          # configure and build all formats (AU VST3 Standalone)
+make install  # build, then copy the plugins to the standard locations
+make clean    # remove the build directory
+```
+
+Pass CMake options straight through with `CMAKE_ARGS` (e.g.
+`make CMAKE_ARGS=-DJUCE_ROOT=/path/to/juce`), or override the defaults with
+`make BUILD_TYPE=Debug` or `make FORMATS="VST3 LV2"`. If you prefer to drive
+CMake directly, the underlying commands are:
+
+```sh
+cmake -B build -DCMAKE_BUILD_TYPE=Release -DMINDBALL_FORMATS="AU VST3 Standalone"
+cmake --build build -j --target Mindball_VST3 Mindball_AU Mindball_Standalone
+```
+
 ### macOS
 
 ```sh