If you haven’t heard yet, in big 2026 we’re all ditching Microslop for systems that actually respect you, and we’re also breaking up with our ever-pricier Spotify subscriptions in exchange for actual ownership of the media we consume. So, for Fun February, I thought I’d take a look at some of the apps we can use to fill the Spotify-shaped void.
The state of Linux music players in 2026
https://crescentro.se/posts/linux-music-players-2026/
16 Comments
Skullgrid@lemmy.world · 21 pts · 199d
audacious deserves a shoutout which is missing from this list; it's basically foobar for linux with some additional features like system tray mode, winamp skin , and missing drag and drop folder generation (although it still works if you make a new playlist tab)
rozodru@piefed.social · 3 pts · 198d
I like Audacious but for the life of me either because I'm too stupid or too lazy but on NixOS I can't get winamp skins to work.
transicorn@mastodon.social · 2 pts · 199d
@Skullgrid @cm0002 2nd this... Audacious is great. Shame it was somehow not added to this list.
KindaABigDyl@programming.dev · 15 pts · 199d
All I need is VLC and MPV
flux@lemmy.world · 10 pts · 199d
I'm looking for this exact rundown. If there is anything close to musicbee I'd love to know.
Neptr@lemmy.blahaj.zone · 9 pts · 199d
The one I like to use was not mentioned. It is called Gapless (g4music) and is available on Flathub. Basically, you just specify a library location and based on metadata it sort things. The Flatpak requires minimal permissions by default, but you can disable Network permission because it only uses it to song album art (which in most cases is embedded in the song file itself).
onlinepersona@programming.dev · 8 pts · 199d
Quodlibet is pretty nice and has been my default for a good decade now. However, it still being on github makes it difficult to contribute to since I left Microslop's ecosystem.
I wish there were something out there in Rust that were extensible, but plugins seem to be difficult in rust.
horseloaf@sh.itjust.works · 3 pts · 198d
I'm happy with Quod Libet as well. There are a few quirks that annoy me but, yeah, overall 👍
ExtremeUnicorn@feddit.org · 2 pts · 198d
One more here. I use it, because it has a builtin pitch shifter, which I need for playing guitar to.
What are the quirks btw.?
in_my_honest_opinion@piefed.social · 7 pts · 199d
MPV?
ulterno@programming.dev · 4 pts · 198d
Yes
for opening a playlist.
--force-window, because some tracks might have cover art, while others don't, which causesmpvto hid and then again show later on, causing it to pop up on top of other stuff you might be doing.NaibofTabr@infosec.pub · 6 pts · 199d
Really nice overview
Ganbat@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 5 pts · 198d
Alright, so, how do we tell 'em it can be toggled in the settings?
who@feddit.org · 4 pts · 198d
No mention of Cantata, nor acknowledgement of Amarok’s recent revival. Whatever the reason might be for those omissions, this article doesn’t do a very good job of representing the state of linux music players.
Fizz@lemmy.nz · 2 pts · 198d
I use tauron and the ui is nice but god dam I find using it to be confusing
nyan@lemmy.cafe · 2 pts · 198d
Personally, I favour Aqualung. But really, it's all a matter of taste.