diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 622f6b3..fad8a8c 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -141,6 +141,19 @@ make cython-build
 However, in a production environment, a proper installation of the module with
 `make cython-install` is recommended for system-wide availability of the module.
 
+#### Installation with pip
+
+The package is also available in the [Python Package Index](https://pypi.org)
+at [IMCtermite](https://pypi.org/project/IMCtermite/).
+To install the latest version simply do
+
+```Shell
+python3 -m pip install IMCtermite
+```
+
+Note, that _python3_setuptools_ and _gcc version >= 10.2.0_ are required to
+successfully install and use it.
+
 ## Usage
 
 ### CLI
diff --git a/cython/setup.py b/cython/setup.py
index 7a8598c..d5710f5 100644
--- a/cython/setup.py
+++ b/cython/setup.py
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ extensions = Extension(
 )
 
 setup(
-    version='0.1',
+    version='1.2.2',
     description='IMCtermite cython extension',
     author='Record Evolution GmbH',
     author_email='mario.fink@record-evolution.de',
diff --git a/makefile b/makefile
index 06281b3..2d5023b 100644
--- a/makefile
+++ b/makefile
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------#
 
+SHELL := /bin/bash
+
 # name of executable and CLI tool
 EXE = imctermite
 
@@ -17,9 +19,11 @@ CC = g++ -std=c++17
 #OPT = -O3 -Wall -mavx -mno-tbm -mf16c -mno-f16c
 OPT = -O3 -Wall -Werror -Wunused-variable -Wsign-compare
 
-# determine git version/commit tag
+# determine git version/commit and release tag
 GTAG := $(shell git tag | tail -n1)
 GHSH := $(shell git rev-parse HEAD | head -c8)
+RTAG := v$(shell cat pip/setup.py | grep version | grep -oP "([0-9]\.){2}[0-9]")
+CTAG := v$(shell cat cython/setup.py | grep version | grep -oP "([0-9]\.){2}[0-9]")
 
 # define install location
 INST := /usr/local/bin
@@ -28,8 +32,8 @@ INST := /usr/local/bin
 # C++ and CLI tool
 
 # build exectuable
-$(EXE) : main.o
-	$(CC) $(OPT) $^ -o $@
+$(EXE) : check-vtag $(RTAG) main.o
+	$(CC) $(OPT) main.o -o $@
 
 # build main.cpp and include git version/commit tag
 main.o : src/main.cpp $(HPP)
@@ -45,10 +49,22 @@ install : $(EXE)
 uninstall : $(INST)/$(EXE)
 	rm $<
 
-clean :
+cpp-clean :
 	rm -vf $(EXE)
 	rm -vf *.o
 
+#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------#
+# check version consistency of git tags and version string in package.json
+
+$(GTAG) :
+	@echo "consistent versions check successful: building $(GTAG)"
+
+check-vtag:
+	@echo "git tag version:  "$(GTAG)
+	@echo "git commit hash:  "$(GHSH)
+	@echo "release version:  "$(RTAG)
+	@echo "module version:   "$(CTAG)
+
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------#
 # Docker
 
@@ -61,48 +77,27 @@ docker-run:
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------#
 # python
 
-cython-build : $(CYT)setup.py $(CYT)imc_termite.pxd $(CYT)py_imc_termite.pyx $(HPP)
-	python3 $< build_ext --inplace
+cython-build : check-vtag $(CTAG) $(CYT)setup.py $(CYT)imc_termite.pxd $(CYT)py_imc_termite.pyx $(HPP)
+	python3 $(CYT)setup.py build_ext --inplace
 	cp -v imc_termite.cpython-*.so $(PYT)
 
-cython-install : $(CYT)setup.py $(CYT)imc_termite.pxd $(CYT)py_imc_termite.pyx $(HPP)
-	python3 $< install --record files_imctermite.txt
+cython-install : check-vtag $(CTAG) $(CYT)setup.py $(CYT)imc_termite.pxd $(CYT)py_imc_termite.pyx $(HPP)
+	python3 $(CYT)setup.py install --record files_imctermite.txt
 
 cython-clean :
 	rm -vf imc_termite.cpython-*.so
 	rm -vf $(PYT)imc_termite.cpython-*.so
 
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------#
-# Python (to be removed)
+# pip
 
-# build python module
-py : $(CYT)setup_raw_eater.py $(CYT)raw_eater.pyx $(CYT)raw_eater.pxd $(LIB)raweat.hpp \
-     $(CYT)setup_raw_meat.py $(CYT)raw_meat.pyx $(CYT)raw_meat.pxd $(LIB)rawmerge.hpp \
-		 output
-	python3 $(CYT)setup_raw_eater.py build_ext --inplace
-	python3 $(CYT)setup_raw_meat.py build_ext --inplace
-	cp raw_eater.cpython-*.so $(PYT)
-	cp raw_meat.cpython-*.so $(PYT)
-	rm *.so
-
-py-install: $(CYT)setup_raw_eater.py $(CYT)raw_eater.pyx $(CYT)raw_eater.pxd $(LIB)raweat.hpp \
-            $(CYT)setup_raw_meat.py $(CYT)raw_meat.pyx $(CYT)raw_meat.pxd $(LIB)rawmerge.hpp
-	python3 $(CYT)setup_raw_eater.py install --record files_raw_eater.txt
-	python3 $(CYT)setup_raw_meat.py install --record files_raw_meat.txt
-
-py-clean :
-	rm -f raw_eater.cpython-*.so
-	rm -f $(PYT)raw_eater.cpython-*.so
-	rm -f $(CYT)raw_eater.cpp
-	rm -f raw_meat.cpython-*.so
-	rm -f $(PYT)raw_meat.cpython-*.so
-	rm -f $(CYT)raw_meat.cpp
-	rm -rf build/
-	rm -f *.txt
-	rm -rf output/
-
-# prepare directory for test output
-output :
-	mkdir -pv output/
+pip-release: check-vtag $(RTAG) cython-build
+	cd ./pip/ && make publish
+
+#-----------------------------------------------------------------------------#
+# clean
+
+clean: cpp-clean cython-clean
+	cd ./pip/ && make clean
 
 #-----------------------------------------------------------------------------#
diff --git a/pip/MANIFEST.in b/pip/MANIFEST.in
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..ae1b835
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pip/MANIFEST.in
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+include *.hpp
+include *.cpp
+include *.pyx
+include *.pxd
diff --git a/pip/bkup.pyproject.toml b/pip/bkup.pyproject.toml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e59fa8b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pip/bkup.pyproject.toml
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+[build-system]
+requires = [
+    "setuptools"
+]
diff --git a/pip/makefile b/pip/makefile
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..dcf1963
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pip/makefile
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+# --------------------------------------------------------------------------- #
+
+SHELL := /bin/bash
+
+publish: sdist upload
+
+sdist: ../cython/py_imc_termite.pyx ../cython/imc_termite.pxd ../cython/py_imc_termite.cpp
+	cp -v $? ./
+	cp -v $(shell ls ../lib/imc_*.hpp) ./
+	tail -n $(($(cat README.md | wc -l)-10)) README.md > ./README.md
+	cp -v ../LICENSE ./
+	python3 setup.py sdist
+
+upload:
+	python3 -m twine upload dist/$(shell ls -t dist/ | head -n1)
+
+clean:
+	rm -rvf dist/
+	rm -rvf *.egg-info
+	rm -rvf build/
+	rm -rvf cython/
+	rm -vf *.pyx *.pxd
+	rm -vf *.cpp *.c *.hpp
+	rm -vf README.md LICENSE
+
+# --------------------------------------------------------------------------- #
diff --git a/pip/setup.py b/pip/setup.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9eeab99
--- /dev/null
+++ b/pip/setup.py
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+
+from setuptools import setup, Extension
+import os
+
+with open("README.md", "r", encoding="utf-8") as fh:
+    long_description = fh.read()
+
+setup(
+    name="IMCtermite",
+    version="1.2.2",
+    author="Record Evolution GmbH",
+    author_email="mario.fink@record-evolution.de",
+    maintainer="Record Evolution GmbH",
+    license="MIT",
+    description="Enables extraction of measurement data from binary files with extension 'raw' used by proprietary software imcFAMOS/imcSTUDIO and facilitates its storage in open source file formats",
+    keywords="IMC raw imcFAMOS imcSTUDIO imcCRONOS",
+    long_description=long_description,
+    long_description_content_type="text/markdown",
+    url="https://github.com/RecordEvolution/IMCtermite.git",
+    project_urls={
+        "Bug Tracker": "https://github.com/RecordEvolution/IMCtermite/issues",
+    },
+    classifiers=[
+        "Programming Language :: Python :: 3",
+        "License :: OSI Approved :: MIT License",
+        "Operating System :: OS Independent",
+    ],
+    ext_modules=[Extension("imc_termite",
+                           ["py_imc_termite.cpp"],
+                           # libraries_dirs=["cython/"],
+                           # include_dirs=["3rdparty/pugixml/","lib/"],
+                           # depends=["../lib/tdm_termite.hpp"]
+                           language='c++',
+                           extra_compile_args=['-std=c++17','-Wno-unused-variable'],
+                           extra_link_args=['-std=c++17'],
+                           )],
+)