Computers are a popular way for playing music. Most computers are not silent and may therefore be discounted as an ideal platform for audiophiles. Nevertheless, for the vast majority of music listeners, fan noise is a minor annoyance. And there are silent computers available, ranging from the inexpensive Raspberry Pi to custom built specialist and media PCs with high-end sound cards offering audiophile sound quality. The benefits offered by computers cannot be ignored allowing music lovers to enjoy music without needing a standalone music player. The ability to play a wide range of formats, manage large music collections, and streaming a huge raft of music available over the internet are just a few examples of the benefits offered by audio players.

Linux is blessed with some excellent mature music players. My favorites are Amarok, Audacious, Banshee, and Tomahawk. Awesome open source applications. In particular, I have been a devotee of Banshee for a decade, using it as my main media player. But I am keen to explore potential replacements and have tried almost all available music players. My journey has identified some very promising music players which are worth exploring.

This article selects the best of them. Like many types of software, the selection of a favorite music player is, to some extent, dependent on personal preferences. Nevertheless, I trust that the applications featured in this article represent the most appealing up-and-coming music players. All of them are released under an open source license.

There is an extensive amount of free audio software available on the Linux platform which is both mature and sophisticated. Linux has many audio tools which offer enhanced functionality and integration with internet music services. With most desktop environments having several audio players, together with cross-platform applications, integrated media players, there is a plethora of music players to choose from.

Now, let’s explore the 5 music players. For each title we have compiled its own portal page, a full description with an in-depth analysis of its features, a screenshot of the software in action, together with links to relevant resources and reviews.

Highly Promising Music Players Lollypop First-rate GNOME music playing application implemented in Python Volumio Audiophile Music Player Yarock Modern and elegant music player Pragha Lightweight music player qomp Platform-independent online music player

Return to our complete collection of recommended free and open source software including our latest additions.

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