Alternatives to the Mac Music App: The 6 Best Free Music Players
Apple’s Mac Music App, commonly known as iTunes, has been the best option for Mac users to organize and play their music libraries. However, since the release of macOS Catalina, Apple divided iTunes into three separate apps; Music, TV, and Podcasts. The Music app has the same other features of its predecessor with some improvements, but not everyone finds it better. If you are one of those looking for the best alternatives to the Mac Music app, you can find out the best free music players that can offer you various features and a different experience. Here are the 6 best free music players for Mac.
VOX Player
VOX Player is the best option for audiophiles who seek to listen to high-resolution audio. The app is compatible with a broad array of formats, including FLAC, MP3, ALAC, DSDL, PCM, APE, CUE, M4A, and many others. It boasts its audio engine and extensive audio control options. In addition, VOX Player offers premium membership, including limitless online storage and advanced audio options.
IINA
IINA is an open-source audio and video player that is created to meet contemporary Mac appearance. The app is written in Swift language. Its advanced features encompass full Touch Bar assistance, Force Touch trackpad controls, and music mode activation autonomously. IINA is also able to save unlimited playing back histories and sends various shortcuts.
Clementine
Clementine is the next versatile player on my list. For many years, it has been one of the most popular players among Mac lovers. What do I like about it? First, it supports a vast number of formats. Second, it has smart playlists, podcast support, and last.fm music scrobbling. And save the best for the last – it enables you to listen to the streaming radio. That said, you can choose between purchasing the subscription and playing locally stored music. Additionally, Clementine can fetch the missing tags for you straight from MusicBrainz. It will be a nice thing if you enjoy sorting your library and it can find and download the album art from a couple of sources.
Elmedia Player
Elmedia can be the choice for you if you look for a smooth and stylish interface. Its strength is also its file support. Here, it is almost unlimited – in addition to MP3 format, I have definitely succeeded with M4A, WMA, and M4V; however, there are many more. It takes no efforts to create or go through the playlist that are ordered neatly. Such player is easy to control and has all features you can think of. This one is not so common among the majority of players – it even can serve as a video player. This fluency in files also gives you freedom to browse through subtitles in different languages.
5KPlayer
Many people claim that 5KPlayer is one of the best free players available for Mac. I cannot but agree with that statement as they did their best to bring maximum convenience. This one both plays music and supports videos. What is more, with this one, you can download any video from Internet sources and play it, as well as stream to your TV. Of course, use this quality with caution.
Swinsian
Finally, the last player on my list was developed for music collectors. It is very sophisticated and can be used only locally. Here, you will find a feature that reads your folder content. Their collection is quite impressive. Highly customizable – it allows you to edit the tags and arrange the smart playlists. Also, you can delete the duplicates. I also like that the interface with this one is perfectly clean and the music you chose to play is in the center of your attention, with no other distractions around.
Conclusion
As you can see, these six free music players offer various features that may appeal to different people. Whether you’re an audiophile who wants high-resolution audio support or someone who needs a no-frills music player, there’s something out there for you. Why not give them a try and see which one suits your listening habits?
