Discover the 22 best music players for Linux, offering a wide range of features, from lightweight options to advanced audio players. Perfect for audiophiles and casual listeners alike.
Linux offers a wide scope of choices to stream your favourite songs. Whether it is a feature-rich audio player plus built-in internet radio, a lightweight one for minimal resource usage, or a command line interface that simplifies things, you name it, and Linux has it. Here’s the 22 best music players on Linux with pros and cons, so you know which one to use when.
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22 Best Linux Music Players
1. Rhythmbox
Rhythmbox is the default music player for GNOME-based systems that appears to be simple and also carries out its functioning very well.
Key Features:
- This player integrates internet radio, podcasts and Last.fm in its processing.
- Supports playlists, music library management, and album artwork.
Pros:
- User interface is friendly
- It offers a smooth integration with the GNOME desktop
- It supports plugins for extensive features
Cons:
- Inflexibility for advance customization
2. Clementine
Clementine was developed as an advanced music player modelled after Amarok. It is indeed made, with the main focus on ease of use.
Key Features:
- Supports cloud services such as Dropbox, Google Drive, and Spotify.
- Has built-in podcast management and internet radio support.
Pros:
- Supports extensive formats
- Multi-platform (Linux, Windows, macOS)
- Offers integration with clouds
Cons:
- UI may look a little outdated
3. Audacious
Audacious is a simple, light, and fast music player ideal for those who prefer a clean, no-frills experience.
Key Features:
- Supports a range of plugins that include Winamp skins
- Is extremely efficient with very low usage of system resources.
Pros:
- Extremely fast and light in weight
- Customizable, using themes
- They can play nearly all the audio formats
Cons:
- It lacks some advanced features like integrated streaming services.
4. Amarok
Amarok is a KDE-based music player, it offers so many features that make it one of the most powerful options out there.
Key Features:
- Podcast integration and Last.fm streaming
- It is robustly well-endowed playlist management.
- Completely customizable UI, which it comes in several layouts.
Pros:
- Extensive feature set
- Supports scripts and plugins
- Amazing playlist and library management tools
Cons:
- Amarok can be heavy on the system resources
5. DeaDBeeF
DeaDBeeF is a flexible and lightweight music player which can be customized.
Key Features:
- Support for large number of audio formats.
- Support for plugins to extend functionality
Pros:
- Consumes fewer resources
- Supports less-known audio formats
- Highly customizable with the use of plugins.
Cons:
- Quite simple, unattractive looks
6. Lollypop
Lollypop is a modern, beautiful-looking music player for the GNOME desktop environment.
Key Features:
- Support for local music, the top streaming services- Spotify etc.
- Play your music by artist, album, or genre.
Pros:
- Intuitive and minimalistic interface.
- Great GNOME integration.
- Visual enhancement with album artwork display.
Cons:
- Not offering anything particularly customized options.
7. QMMP
QMMP is a lightweight audio player from the classic Winamp interface, inheriting most of the same customizing elements.
Key Features:
- Native support for several audio formats and codecs.
- Skinnable UI.
Pros:
- Winamp-like interface to recreate nostalgia.
- Low memory and system usage.
- It is possible to add more functionality using plugins.
Cons:
- Outdated interface design.
8. Musique
Musique is simple, fast, and clean music player that offers no-nonsense approach to how you organize and listen to your music.
Key Features:
- Album cover display and artist biography fetching.
- Easy browsing in folder structures.
Pros:
- Clean interface and minimalist design.
- Optimally fast performance.
- It is easy to organize your music in the player.
Cons:
- Lacks advanced features like equalizer support or plugin support.
9. Strawberry
Strawberry is a fork of Clementine, having a higher audio quality, and modernity in design. It supports most features, although it has some features that may not be in the main Clementine but are there in Strawberry.
Key Features:
- High-res audio support, included equalizer, cross-platform support.
- Support Tidal and Subsonic streaming services.
Pros:
- Updated and modern UI.
- Awesome audio quality for audiophiles.
- Regular updates.
Cons:
- Could be very tough to learn for beginners.
10. Elisa
Elisa is one of the best-looking easy-to-use music players built for KDE environments.
Key Features:
- Simple, clean, playlisting with ability to manage the music library.
- It supports a wide array of audio formats.
Pros:
- Great KDE integration.
- Lightweight and responsive.
- Modern UI.
Cons:
- No podcasts or radio streaming support.
11. Exaile
Exaile is a heavy-weight music player that is capable of performing a lot in library management. On the general balance, functionality bears more importance than the use of resources.
Key Features:
- Plugin support for fetching lyrics, album art, and much more.
- Supported on Linux and Windows.
Pros:
- Offers a lot of options for library management.
- Supports a good amount of plugins.
- Cross-platform.
Cons:
- Some of the features may need to install some plugin or other.
12. Moc (Music on Console)
Moc is a terminal-based, fast, and efficient music player with the absence of a GUI.
Key Features:
- It is a CLI-based music player that supports playlists.
- It employs extremely low system resources.
Pros:
- Suitable for low-resource systems.
- Lightweight and fast.
- Totally customizable with regard to themes.
Cons:
- No graphical interface; therefore it may not impress many users.
13. VLC Media Player
VLC is actually a multimedia player in itself and can be used as a music player. It supports almost every audio format available in the market.
Key Features:
- Supports MP3, FLAC, WAV, and AAC among others.
- Has an equalizer and can stream.
- Video playback interface, so slightly annoying for a music player.
Pros:
- Cross-platform friendly
- Supports most audio file types
- Streams internet radio and podcasts
Cons:
- Interface more suited to video playback than to audio
14. Sayonara Player
Sayonara is a lightfast music player suited to a user who desires a player that occupies fewer system resources.
Key Features:
- Internet radio support is integrated in this player along with library management.
- Resource-efficient and compact
Pros:
- Simple and quick.
- Supports web radio and podcasts.
- Low on system resources.
Cons:
- Lacks advanced features for handling large libraries
15. Tauon Music Box
Tauon Music Box is an audiophile-grade music player with advanced features such as gapless playback and customizable UI.
Key Features:
- It supports high-definition audio formats like FLAC, and has gapless playback and an advanced sound engine.
- Excellent audio quality.
- User interface very customizable.
- It has gapless playback.
Cons:
- Steep learning curve.
16. MPD (Music Player Daemon)
MPD is a server-client-based music player that allows you to control your music from anywhere on the net, making it quite versatile for large libraries.
Key Features:
- Controlled by clients on different devices.
- Lightweight and efficient for large libraries.
Pros:
- Very flexible and scalable.
- Handles large music collections perfectly.
- There are many alternative clients to choose from.
Cons:
- The setup requires some technical knowledge.
17. Gmusicbrowser
Gmusicbrowser is made to handle large music collections and offers a plethora of options for customization.
Key Features:
- Support multiple layout and UI configurations.
- Hand big music libraries in no time.
Pros:
- Highly customization is possible through the interface.
- Very good for large libraries.
- Supports formats
Cons:
- Interface can feel very old-school
18. Quod Libet
Quod Libet is a GTK-based free and open-source music player that aims to let the user easily handle music files.
Key Features:
- Audio tagger and audio editor support.
- View and playlist management.
Pros:
- Strong tagging and library organization
- Plugins supported, extra functionality possible
- Light on the system resources, very fast
Cons:
- Not as user-friendly as some other players are.
19. Odio
Odio is free, open source internet radio player that allows a user to stream music from thousands of radio stations around the globe.
Key Features:
- Stream internet radio stations across the globe
- Slim and elegant UI
Pros:
- Essential and aesthetic UI
- Extensive support for thousands of radio stations.
Cons:
- Not able to play locally stored music.
20. Nuvola
Nuvola is a cloud-based player for music that integrates popular streaming services like Spotify, Google Play Music and Amazon Music to your Linux desktop.
Key Features:
- Multiple desktop integration for various cloud music services.
- Includes support for notifications and media keys.
Pros:
- The desktop offers wide integration of streaming services
- A smooth desktop experience
Cons:
- More system resources are required as the basis is web-based
21. GNOME Music
GNOME Music is a music player meant for a GNOME desktop user to provide a clean, simple, and clutter-free listening experience.
Key Features:
- Tightly integrated with the GNOME Desktop
- It has let users manage their library and create playlists
Pros:
- Has a very minimalistic and straightforward design
- Fast and light
- Excellent GNOME integration
Cons:
- Presents fewer features compared to other players.
22. Olivia
Olivia is a cloud music player designed to stream music from various platforms, including YouTube, and it also supports local files.
Key Features:
- Saves and allows listening to online music streaming.
- Has in-built YouTube as well as FM radio.
Pros:
- Online streaming is great.
- User-friendly interface, very attractive.
- Supports playing of both local and cloud files.
Cons:
- Some of the advanced functions are still under development.
Conclusion
Whether you’re an audiophile seeking high-fidelity sound or a casual listener looking for a simple music player, Linux has plenty to offer. Each one has its unique features, advantages, and disadvantages, so it is best to try a few and see which suits your listening preferences.
Which of these Linux music players would you give a try on your system?
SOURCE:
- Tecmint: 22 Best Music Players That Are Worth Trying On Linux
- It’s FOSS: Top 11 Best Music Players for Linux
- LinuxConfig: Best Music Player for Linux
- MakeUseOf: The 15 Best Linux Music Player Apps