diff --git a/api/python/ryml/tests/test_parse.py b/api/python/ryml/tests/test_parse.py
index a3d2b36f..85c12189 100644
--- a/api/python/ryml/tests/test_parse.py
+++ b/api/python/ryml/tests/test_parse.py
@@ -158,7 +158,7 @@ class SimpleHardcoded:
 
     yaml = "{'HELLO': a, foo: \"b\", bar: c, baz: d, seq: [0, 1, 2, 3]}"
 
-    def check(self, ut, t):
+    def check(self, ut, t, is_json=False):
         # some convenient shorthands
         eq = ut.assertEqual
         ne = ut.assertNotEqual
@@ -209,29 +209,58 @@ class SimpleHardcoded:
         eq(t.val(7), b"1")
         eq(t.val(8), b"2")
         eq(t.val(9), b"3")
-        tr(t.is_key_quoted(1))
-        fs(t.is_key_quoted(2))
-        fs(t.is_key_quoted(3))
-        fs(t.is_key_quoted(4))
-        fs(t.is_key_quoted(5))
-        fs(t.is_val_quoted(1))
-        tr(t.is_val_quoted(2))
-        fs(t.is_val_quoted(3))
-        fs(t.is_val_quoted(4))
-        fs(t.is_val_quoted(5))
-        fs(t.is_val_quoted(6))
-        fs(t.is_val_quoted(7))
-        fs(t.is_val_quoted(8))
-        fs(t.is_val_quoted(9))
-        tr(t.is_quoted(1))
-        tr(t.is_quoted(2))
-        fs(t.is_quoted(3))
-        fs(t.is_quoted(4))
-        fs(t.is_quoted(5))
-        fs(t.is_quoted(6))
-        fs(t.is_quoted(7))
-        fs(t.is_quoted(8))
-        fs(t.is_quoted(9))
+        if not is_json:
+            tr(t.is_key_quoted(1))
+            fs(t.is_key_quoted(2))
+            fs(t.is_key_quoted(3))
+            fs(t.is_key_quoted(4))
+            fs(t.is_key_quoted(5))
+        else:
+            tr(t.is_key_quoted(1))
+            tr(t.is_key_quoted(2))
+            tr(t.is_key_quoted(3))
+            tr(t.is_key_quoted(4))
+            tr(t.is_key_quoted(5))
+        if not is_json:
+            fs(t.is_val_quoted(1))
+            tr(t.is_val_quoted(2))
+            fs(t.is_val_quoted(3))
+            fs(t.is_val_quoted(4))
+            fs(t.is_val_quoted(5))
+            fs(t.is_val_quoted(6))
+            fs(t.is_val_quoted(7))
+            fs(t.is_val_quoted(8))
+            fs(t.is_val_quoted(9))
+        else:
+            tr(t.is_val_quoted(1))
+            tr(t.is_val_quoted(2))
+            tr(t.is_val_quoted(3))
+            tr(t.is_val_quoted(4))
+            fs(t.is_val_quoted(5))
+            fs(t.is_val_quoted(6))
+            fs(t.is_val_quoted(7))
+            fs(t.is_val_quoted(8))
+            fs(t.is_val_quoted(9))
+        if not is_json:
+            tr(t.is_quoted(1))
+            tr(t.is_quoted(2))
+            fs(t.is_quoted(3))
+            fs(t.is_quoted(4))
+            fs(t.is_quoted(5))
+            fs(t.is_quoted(6))
+            fs(t.is_quoted(7))
+            fs(t.is_quoted(8))
+            fs(t.is_quoted(9))
+        else:
+            tr(t.is_quoted(1))
+            tr(t.is_quoted(2))
+            tr(t.is_quoted(3))
+            tr(t.is_quoted(4))
+            tr(t.is_quoted(5))
+            fs(t.is_quoted(6))
+            fs(t.is_quoted(7))
+            fs(t.is_quoted(8))
+            fs(t.is_quoted(9))
         tr(t.has_sibling(1, b"bar"))
         tr(t.has_sibling(1, b"baz"))
         tr(t.has_sibling(2, b"foo"))
@@ -385,35 +414,65 @@ class _TestBase(unittest.TestCase):
         self.case.check(self, t)
 
     # ----------------------------------------------------------
-    def _test41_emit(self):
+    def _test41_emit_yaml(self):
         tree = ryml.parse_in_arena(self.src_as_bytearray)
-        yaml = ryml.emit(tree)
+        yaml = ryml.emit_yaml(tree)
         output_tree = ryml.parse_in_arena(yaml)
         self.case.check(self, output_tree)
 
-    def _test42_compute_emit_length(self):
+    def _test41_emit_json(self):
         tree = ryml.parse_in_arena(self.src_as_bytearray)
-        yaml = ryml.emit(tree)
-        length = ryml.compute_emit_length(tree)
+        json = ryml.emit_json(tree)
+        output_tree = ryml.parse_in_arena(json)
+        self.case.check(self, output_tree, is_json=True)
+
+    def _test42_compute_emit_yaml_length(self):
+        tree = ryml.parse_in_arena(self.src_as_bytearray)
+        yaml = ryml.emit_yaml(tree)
+        length = ryml.compute_emit_yaml_length(tree)
         self.assertEqual(len(yaml), length)
 
-    def _test43_emit_in_place(self):
+    def _test42_compute_emit_json_length(self):
         tree = ryml.parse_in_arena(self.src_as_bytearray)
-        yaml = ryml.emit(tree)
-        length = ryml.compute_emit_length(tree)
+        json = ryml.emit_json(tree)
+        length = ryml.compute_emit_json_length(tree)
+        self.assertEqual(len(json), length)
+
+    def _test43_emit_yaml_in_place(self):
+        tree = ryml.parse_in_arena(self.src_as_bytearray)
+        yaml = ryml.emit_yaml(tree)
+        length = ryml.compute_emit_yaml_length(tree)
         self.assertEqual(len(yaml), length)
         buf = bytearray(length)
-        s = ryml.emit_in_place(tree, buf)
+        s = ryml.emit_yaml_in_place(tree, buf)
         self.assertEqual(len(s), length)
         self.assertTrue(s.tobytes().decode('utf-8') == yaml)
         self.assertTrue(buf.decode('utf-8') == yaml)
 
-    def _test44_short_buf(self):
+    def _test43_emit_json_in_place(self):
         tree = ryml.parse_in_arena(self.src_as_bytearray)
-        length = ryml.compute_emit_length(tree)
+        json = ryml.emit_json(tree)
+        length = ryml.compute_emit_json_length(tree)
+        self.assertEqual(len(json), length)
+        buf = bytearray(length)
+        s = ryml.emit_json_in_place(tree, buf)
+        self.assertEqual(len(s), length)
+        self.assertTrue(s.tobytes().decode('utf-8') == json)
+        self.assertTrue(buf.decode('utf-8') == json)
+
+    def _test44_emit_yaml_short_buf(self):
+        tree = ryml.parse_in_arena(self.src_as_bytearray)
+        length = ryml.compute_emit_yaml_length(tree)
         buf = bytearray(length-1)
         with self.assertRaises(IndexError):
-            ryml.emit_in_place(tree, buf)
+            ryml.emit_yaml_in_place(tree, buf)
+
+    def _test44_emit_json_short_buf(self):
+        tree = ryml.parse_in_arena(self.src_as_bytearray)
+        length = ryml.compute_emit_json_length(tree)
+        buf = bytearray(length-1)
+        with self.assertRaises(IndexError):
+            ryml.emit_json_in_place(tree, buf)
 
 
 # -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
@@ -457,17 +516,30 @@ class TestSimpleHardCoded(_TestBase):
     def test34_bytearray__rw__reuse_tree(self):
         self._test34_bytearray__rw__reuse_tree()
 
-    def test41_emit(self):
-        self._test41_emit()
+    # ----------------------------------------------------------
+    def test41_emit_yaml(self):
+        self._test41_emit_yaml()
 
-    def test42_compute_emit_length(self):
-        self._test42_compute_emit_length()
+    def test41_emit_json(self):
+        self._test41_emit_json()
 
-    def test43_emit_in_place(self):
-        self._test43_emit_in_place()
+    def test42_compute_emit_yaml_length(self):
+        self._test42_compute_emit_yaml_length()
 
-    def test44_short_buf(self):
-        self._test44_short_buf()
+    def test42_compute_emit_json_length(self):
+        self._test42_compute_emit_json_length()
+
+    def test43_emit_yaml_in_place(self):
+        self._test43_emit_yaml_in_place()
+
+    def test43_emit_json_in_place(self):
+        self._test43_emit_json_in_place()
+
+    def test44_emit_yaml_short_buf(self):
+        self._test44_emit_yaml_short_buf()
+
+    def test44_emit_json_short_buf(self):
+        self._test44_emit_json_short_buf()
 
 
 # -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/api/ryml.i b/api/ryml.i
index 1069fd07..78b2de2d 100644
--- a/api/ryml.i
+++ b/api/ryml.i
@@ -123,31 +123,60 @@ void parse_substr(c4::substr s, c4::yml::Tree *t)
     c4::yml::parse_in_place(s, t);
 }
 
-char * emit_malloc(const c4::yml::Tree &t, size_t id)
+char * emit_yaml_malloc(c4::yml::Tree const& t, size_t id)
 {
     c4::substr buf;
-    c4::substr ret = c4::yml::emit(t, id, buf, /*error_on_excess*/false);
+    c4::substr ret = c4::yml::emit_yaml(t, id, buf, /*error_on_excess*/false);
     if(ret.str == nullptr && ret.len > 0)
     {
         // Use new[] to parse with delete[] in SWIG.
-        char * alloc = new char[ret.len+1];
+        char * alloc = new char[ret.len + 1]; // we'll return a c-string and not a csubstr
         c4::substr alloced_buf(alloc, ret.len);
-        ret = c4::yml::emit(t, id, alloced_buf, /*error_on_excess*/true);
+        ret = c4::yml::emit_yaml(t, id, alloced_buf, /*error_on_excess*/true);
         ret.str[ret.len] = 0;
     }
     return ret.str;
 }
 
-size_t emit_length(const c4::yml::Tree &t, size_t id)
+char * emit_json_malloc(c4::yml::Tree const& t, size_t id)
 {
     c4::substr buf;
-    c4::substr ret = c4::yml::emit(t, id, buf, /*error_on_excess*/false);
+    c4::substr ret = c4::yml::emit_json(t, id, buf, /*error_on_excess*/false);
+    if(ret.str == nullptr && ret.len > 0)
+    {
+        // Use new[] to parse with delete[] in SWIG.
+        char * alloc = new char[ret.len + 1]; // we'll return a c-string and not a csubstr
+        c4::substr alloced_buf(alloc, ret.len);
+        ret = c4::yml::emit_json(t, id, alloced_buf, /*error_on_excess*/true);
+        ret.str[ret.len] = 0;
+    }
+    return ret.str;
+}
+
+size_t emit_yaml_length(const c4::yml::Tree &t, size_t id)
+{
+    c4::substr buf;
+    c4::substr ret = c4::yml::emit_yaml(t, id, buf, /*error_on_excess*/false);
     return ret.len;
 }
 
-bool emit_to_substr(const c4::yml::Tree &t, size_t id, c4::substr s, size_t *OUTPUT)
+size_t emit_json_length(const c4::yml::Tree &t, size_t id)
 {
-    c4::substr result = c4::yml::emit(t, id, s, /*error_on_excess*/false);
+    c4::substr buf;
+    c4::substr ret = c4::yml::emit_json(t, id, buf, /*error_on_excess*/false);
+    return ret.len;
+}
+
+bool emit_yaml_to_substr(const c4::yml::Tree &t, size_t id, c4::substr s, size_t *OUTPUT)
+{
+    c4::substr result = c4::yml::emit_yaml(t, id, s, /*error_on_excess*/false);
+    *OUTPUT = result.len;
+    return result.str == nullptr;
+}
+
+bool emit_json_to_substr(const c4::yml::Tree &t, size_t id, c4::substr s, size_t *OUTPUT)
+{
+    c4::substr result = c4::yml::emit_json(t, id, s, /*error_on_excess*/false);
     *OUTPUT = result.len;
     return result.str == nullptr;
 }
@@ -186,6 +215,8 @@ bool _same_mem(c4::csubstr l, c4::csubstr r)
 
 %pythoncode %{
 
+from deprecation import deprecated
+
 
 def as_csubstr(s):
     return _get_as_csubstr(s)
@@ -199,20 +230,22 @@ def u(memview):
 
 def children(tree, node=None):
     assert tree is not None
-    if node is None: node = tree.root_id()
+    if node is None:
+        node = tree.root_id()
     ch = tree.first_child(node)
     while ch != NONE:
-       yield ch
-       ch = tree.next_sibling(ch)
+        yield ch
+        ch = tree.next_sibling(ch)
 
 
 def siblings(tree, node):
     assert tree is not None
-    if node is None: return
+    if node is None:
+        return
     ch = tree.first_sibling(node)
     while ch != NONE:
-       yield ch
-       ch = tree.next_sibling(ch)
+        yield ch
+        ch = tree.next_sibling(ch)
 
 
 def walk(tree, node=None, indentation_level=0):
@@ -235,28 +268,6 @@ def parse_in_arena(buf, **kwargs):
     return _call_parse(parse_csubstr, buf, **kwargs)
 
 
-def emit(tree, id=None):
-    if id is None:
-        id = tree.root_id()
-    return emit_malloc(tree, id)
-
-
-def compute_emit_length(tree, id=None):
-    if id is None:
-        id = tree.root_id()
-    return emit_length(tree, id)
-
-
-def emit_in_place(tree, buf, id=None):
-    if id is None:
-        id = tree.root_id()
-    (failed, expected_size) = emit_to_substr(tree, id, buf)
-    if failed:
-        raise IndexError("Output buffer has {} bytes, but emit required {} bytes".format(
-            len(buf), expected_size))
-    return memoryview(buf)[:expected_size]
-
-
 def _call_parse(parse_fn, buf, **kwargs):
     tree = kwargs.get("tree", Tree())
     parse_fn(buf, tree)
@@ -267,6 +278,50 @@ def _check_valid_for_in_situ(obj):
     if type(obj) in (str, bytes):
         raise TypeError("cannot parse in situ: " + type(obj).__name__)
 
+
+
+@deprecated(deprecated_in="0.5.0", details="Use emit_yaml() instead")
+def emit(tree, id=None):
+    return emit_yaml(tree, id)
+def emit_yaml(tree, id=None):
+    if id is None:
+        id = tree.root_id()
+    return emit_yaml_malloc(tree, id)
+def emit_json(tree, id=None):
+    if id is None:
+        id = tree.root_id()
+    return emit_json_malloc(tree, id)
+
+
+@deprecated(deprecated_in="0.5.0", details="Use compute_emit_yaml_length() instead")
+def compute_emit_length(tree, id=None):
+    return compute_emit_yaml_length(tree, id)
+def compute_emit_yaml_length(tree, id=None):
+    if id is None:
+        id = tree.root_id()
+    return emit_yaml_length(tree, id)
+def compute_emit_json_length(tree, id=None):
+    if id is None:
+        id = tree.root_id()
+    return emit_json_length(tree, id)
+
+
+@deprecated(deprecated_in="0.5.0", details="Use emit_yaml_in_place() instead")
+def emit_in_place(tree, buf, id=None):
+    return emit_yaml_in_place(tree, buf, id)
+def emit_yaml_in_place(tree, buf, id=None):
+    return _emit_fn_in_place(tree, buf, id, emit_yaml_to_substr)
+def emit_json_in_place(tree, buf, id=None):
+    return _emit_fn_in_place(tree, buf, id, emit_json_to_substr)
+def _emit_fn_in_place(tree, buf, id, fn):
+    if id is None:
+        id = tree.root_id()
+    (failed, expected_size) = fn(tree, id, buf)
+    if failed:
+        raise IndexError("Output buffer has {} bytes, but emit requires {} bytes".format(
+            len(buf), expected_size))
+    return memoryview(buf)[:expected_size]
+
 %}
 
 //-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
diff --git a/changelog/0.5.0.md b/changelog/0.5.0.md
index 71e69558..b550db90 100644
--- a/changelog/0.5.0.md
+++ b/changelog/0.5.0.md
@@ -29,6 +29,11 @@
 - The initial version of `ConstNodeRef/NodeRef` had the problem that const methods in the CRTP base did not participate in overload resolution ([#294](https://github.com/biojppm/rapidyaml/issues/294)), preventing calls from `const NodeRef` objects. This was fixed by moving non-const methods to the CRTP base and disabling them with SFINAE ([PR#295](https://github.com/biojppm/rapidyaml/pull/295)).
 - Also added disambiguation iteration methods: `.cbegin()`, `.cend()`, `.cchildren()`, `.csiblings()` ([PR#295](https://github.com/biojppm/rapidyaml/pull/295)).
 - Deprecate `emit()` and `emitrs()` ([#120](https://github.com/biojppm/rapidyaml/issues/120), [PR#303](https://github.com/biojppm/rapidyaml/pull/303)): use `emit_yaml()` and `emitrs_yaml()` instead. This was done to improve compatibility with Qt, which leaks a macro named `emit`. For more information, see [#120](https://github.com/biojppm/rapidyaml/issues/120).
+  - In the Python API:
+    - Deprecate `emit()`, add `emit_yaml()` and `emit_json()`.
+    - Deprecate `compute_emit_length()`, add `compute_emit_yaml_length()` and `compute_emit_json_length()`.
+    - Deprecate `emit_in_place()`, add `emit_yaml_in_place()` and `emit_json_in_place()`.
+    - Calling the deprecated functions will now trigger a warning.
 
 
 ### Performance improvements
diff --git a/requirements.txt b/requirements.txt
index 13965d81..815f8c39 100644
--- a/requirements.txt
+++ b/requirements.txt
@@ -5,3 +5,4 @@ build
 twine
 setuptools_scm
 setuptools-git
+deprecation