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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.

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[-] Skullgrid@lemmy.world 21 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

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 points 3 weeks ago

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.

[-] KindaABigDyl@programming.dev 16 points 3 weeks ago

All I need is VLC and MPV

[-] Neptr@lemmy.blahaj.zone 10 points 3 weeks ago

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).

[-] flux@lemmy.world 10 points 3 weeks ago

I'm looking for this exact rundown. If there is anything close to musicbee I'd love to know.

[-] onlinepersona@programming.dev 9 points 3 weeks ago

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 points 3 weeks ago

I'm happy with Quod Libet as well. There are a few quirks that annoy me but, yeah, overall 👍

[-] ExtremeUnicorn@feddit.org 2 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

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.?

[-] ulterno@programming.dev 4 points 3 weeks ago* (last edited 3 weeks ago)

Yes

mpv --shuffle --force-window=yes

for opening a playlist.

--force-window, because some tracks might have cover art, while others don't, which causes mpv to hid and then again show later on, causing it to pop up on top of other stuff you might be doing.

[-] NaibofTabr@infosec.pub 7 points 3 weeks ago

Really nice overview

[-] Ganbat@lemmy.dbzer0.com 6 points 3 weeks ago

there’s really no need to have a giant translucent strawberry in the middle of my screen at all times.

Alright, so, how do we tell 'em it can be toggled in the settings?

[-] who@feddit.org 3 points 3 weeks ago

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.

[-] nyan@lemmy.cafe 3 points 3 weeks ago

Personally, I favour Aqualung. But really, it's all a matter of taste.

[-] Fizz@lemmy.nz 2 points 3 weeks ago

I use tauron and the ui is nice but god dam I find using it to be confusing

this post was submitted on 27 Jan 2026
114 points (99.1% liked)

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