People who have spent a lot of money to curate their music collection are always in search of a best and free music player software for their PC. That’s because these audio player apps allow audiophiles to listen to their favorite songs whenever they want and help them organize their library in a better manner. When we talk about Windows 10, there are many free mp3 software available for 2019. However, many old-school music players are out of the picture. If you can recall, I am talking about the long gone free music manager software went by the name Winamp.
On the other hand, Microsoft’s home-baked software, Windows Media Player has been replaced by newer music apps. Although, the former default mp3 music player for Windows still exists as a free optional feature in Windows 10. The realm of free music apps for PC might be fading away with time, but still, there are many people who consider local solutions over their internet-based audio streaming counterparts. So, wasting any more time, let’s see 2019’s some best free music player software for Windows 10. Note: We have curated the list of some of the apps for Windows 10 and older versions.
Best Audiophile Music Player Software
Please note that the names aren’t mentioned in any order of preference. 10 Best Free Music Player Software for Windows 1. Dopamine After the speedy installation process of Dopamine completes, what you get to look and feel is enough to put it amongst other best and free music player apps.
The Rise of the HD Music Player for Audiophile's. UPDATE: We have updated the list of the best audiophile players to reflect the new competitors in the market space. New additions as of this date are the Astel & Kern AK70 Mk2 which I now use as my own personal day to day DAP. The Rise of the HD Music Player for Audiophile's. UPDATE: We have updated the list of the best audiophile players to reflect the new competitors in the market space. New additions as of this date are the Astel & Kern AK70 Mk2 which I now use as my own personal day to day DAP. We also have a Astell & Kern SP1000 in for review and first impressions indicate that will be added to the list in. Getting the Most out of your Music Player Streamlining your Mac to be an Audio Component Audiophiles can spend countless hours and seemingly countless dollars on traditional audio components such as speakers, pre-amp and cabling; adding expensive additions like EMI/RFI treatment, isolation solutions, power conditioning, and more.
The open source Windows Media player alternative appears to be a Microsoft-made UWP app, contrary to the fact that it isn’t, and it not available in the Store either. The things users would like about this popular music app for Windows is the easy to navigate interface, not to mention, the fluidity. All the options and settings are placed in a way that users don’t need to strain their eyes to find them. There are a number of customizations that can be done to improve Dopamine’s interface. Dopamine supports a vast number of audio formats including MP4, WMA, OGG, FLAC, M4A, AAC, WAV, APE, and OPUS.
This music playing app might fall behind a little regarding feature set, but users can take advantage of various things like automatic meta tagging, displaying lyrics in real-time, last.fm scrobbling, etc. Some of Dopamine’s features require the users to run Windows 10 on their computer.
The creators of this free music player have made it easier for people who want to make a switch. MusicBee can easily import your iTunes and Music library. It comes with support for various audio formats, including MP3, AAC, WMA, WAV, M4A, FLAC, OGG, APE, TAK, etc. This audio player can sync your songs with Android phones, some iOS devices, USB drives, and other portable music players.
It can also keep an eye on your hard drive for changes and update the music library automatically. You can customize MusicBee with a number of skins and plugins (also supports some Winamp plugins). MusicBee’s list of features includes support for 15-band equalizer, DSP effects, CD ripping, automatic metadata import, etc. MusicBee and doesn’t consume much space on your hard drive. It can be installed on Windows just like any other software. But the free music player is also available as a portable version.
Moreover, a UWP version of the music player is also available in Store. Supported Platforms: Windows. Clementine The open source Clementine, fork of another music player known as Amarok, is also one of the best free music players for Windows 10. Clementine might not be as good looking as MusicBee, but it offers some serious library management to its users. There is a built-in file manager and the music player easily find audio content in lots of online services like SoundCloud, RockRadio, RadioTunes, etc.
You can also configure Clementine to access your music stored on cloud drives, including Box, Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive, Amazon Cloud Drive, etc. The free music player software comes with all the standard features including equalizer and support for different formats.
What’s more is that you can use your Android device as a remote control for Clementine. Supported Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux. Foobar2000 Since its inception, foobar2000 has generated a cult following.
Modular design of this simple music player for Windows makes it easier to add new features and components to the free music player. Foobar2000 desktop app is available for Windows XP and later versions; it also offers portable installation. You can find this music software as a UWP app for Windows 10 and above.
Foobar2000 apps are available for Android and iOS as well. In the first look, the interface is more minimalistic than any other audio app for PC out there. Some users might not like it, because, 2019 is here and people might not want to see a music player that appears to be designed for Windows 98. But as it’s said, don’t judge a book by its cover.
FooBar2000 can play a range of audio formats, including MP3, AAC, WMA, OGG, FLAC, WAV, Opus, Speex, etc. It supports automatic meta import, CD ripping, and it can access compressed archives like ZIP, GZIP, 7z, etc.
Then come the numerous keyboard shortcuts which you can customize at your will. Supported Platforms: Windows, Android, iOS. Hearing about AIMP gives a quick reminder of the great image editing software called GIMP.
But this music player for Windows has no ties with GIMP which was developed by the GNU Project. In fact, AIMP, short for Artem Izmaylov, is named after its creator who released the first version in 2006. For those people who consider visual appearance as a deal breaker, AIMP is one of the top-rated music player in that sector. This player can do a lot more than playing songs stored on the hard drive.
AIMP provides a good looking interface for organizing your song library, creating custom and smart playlists, rips CDs, manage meta tags, change player skins, etc. If you’re in search of a player for PC with equalizer, AIMP can be a choice worth considering. This is shipped with an 18-band equalizer and a variety of sound effects to listen to the music as you like. A couple of things users would find convenient is the detachable playlist section and the ability to change the theme with a single click.
Regarding audio formats, this audio player for Windows supports almost every popular audio format out there. Also, there is a built-in audio converter, sleep timer, and an alarm clock feature which even wakes a PC from sleep mode. Supported Platforms: Windows, Android.
MediaMonkey Another free music player software that can help you unclutter your messy collection is MediaMonkey. In the first appearance, it looks like a redesigned version of WMP but with way more features. Besides playing numerous audio formats, this Microsoft Windows Media Player alternative can automatically tag audio files, help you sync files with devices, stream audio over your network, rip CDs, burn music to DVDs and CDs, convert audio format, manage volume automatically, and much more. This audio player for Windows has a dedicated jukebox which can help users fuel a party with their own music collection while preventing the library from being modified. MediaMonkey is primarily a music app for Windows, but it’s also available in the form of Android and iOS apps that act as a wireless remote control. There is a premium version of the free music player called MediaMonkey Gold which a way to get for an extra set of features. Supported Platforms: Windows.
VLC VLC already tops the list of the best music software for Windows of 2019, but the open source software has the capabilities to handle people’s music needs. With VLC, users can easily create song playlist out of there local music collection and also stream it over their network. It also houses a number of online radio services which the users can access at their fingertips. The built-in equalizer is complemented by other advanced audio management feature which VLC is already known for. Why people love VLC is because it can play almost every audio and video format that exists.
The availability of apps for almost every popular platform makes VLC one of the best free music player software. Supported Platforms: Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, Chrome OS, Apple TV, Windows Phone. ITunes Do I need to tell you about iTunes? Probably, the answer would be no. Storage basics ppt for mac. Other than being a bridge between iOS devices and computers, iTunes is also one of the best free music players software for Windows as well. A reason why you can prefer iTunes this single music player can solve different types of music needs but the bulkiness of this music player might compel some users to take a step back.
ITunes can play your locally stored music, and it can play the music you bought on the iTunes music store. And if you have subscribed to Apple Music, the free music player triples as an online music streaming app for Windows. ITunes supports popular audio formats, including MP3, WAV, AIFF, Apple Lossless, and AAC.
It also provides an easy way to manage your songs in the library. Other than playing songs on your PC, you can also stream them to other devices on your local network using a feature called home sharing. Standard music player features in iTunes include the equalizer, optional compact mode, metadata import, etc. Another advantage that makes iTunes a considerable choice is that Apple backs it.
So, updates and new features are added at regular intervals. Supported Platforms: Windows, macOS, Android. Windows Media Player The simplicity and ease of use offered by WMP still make it one of the best and free audio player software for Windows OS, even on Windows 10.
If you don’t like the default look of the player, there are many custom skins for WMP. You’ll easily recognize what the music player has become as you would be able to see those visualizations while playing music. WMP has got your back when it comes to playing different audio file formats, and it can also play some video formats and image formats.
You can efficiently manage your songs library, create playlists, rip music, burn your music collection, etc. The free music player can also import metadata from the internet. You can sync your music library with different types of portable devices using Windows Media Player. And just like iTunes, WMP also allows you to share your library over your local network.
If you are still looking for a Microsoft-owned music player and manager, you can check out the pre-installed. The Windows app has recently gained quite a momentum. Supported Platforms: Windows 10. Spotify Many of you use Spotify streaming service on your iOS and Android smartphone.
But you might not know about Spotify desktop app that not only bring your vast playlist on your Windows PC but also, allows you to play local content. Similar to its phone apps, Spotify on Windows 10 syncs your account and adds “Friend’s activity” to the right.
Moreover, all the features are available on the desktop app. For instance, you can opt for a private session, play offline songs, listen to podcast and more. The best part about having Spotify is that you can steam millions of songs as well as play music saved on Windows PC. Not to mention of the fact that it’s a completely free music software for Windows 10. You can also toggle on the experimental features on the Spotify music app for Windows 10.
The only drawback it is more focused on streaming music as compared to other mp3 player apps, which means there are not many functions when it comes to local music.
How often is it that you can get something for your system for nothing? Almost never. Below are six of our favorite free pieces of software that we think every audio enthusiast should download and try out.
From CD ripping to improving your ability to critically listen, this list has something for everyone. Enjoy, and let us know if you have any other suggestions by posting in the comments below. Exact Audio Copy Exact Audio Copy, or EAC as the cool kids say, is the Swiss Army Knife of CD ripping, copying, and burning. The goal of this program, as the name suggests, is to rip audio from a CD without adulterating the file.
It does this through jitter correction and read error detection. When ripping in “secure mode”, EAC reads every audio section at least twice, or relies on extended error information that some drives are able to return with the audio data. Let’s say there is an error while reading a disc, the program will re-read up to 82 times, compare the results, and give you the best copy possible. If the program is less than 99.5% sure the audio stream is correct, it will alert you with a read error.
Beyond accuracy, the program is endlessly customizable while still managing to be easy enough to use for the less-technical user. Exact Audio Copy EAC can save the ripped files in uncompressed WAV format, and supports external MP3, WMA, flac and OggVorbis encoders. It can also decompress some files back to WAV. There are a host of other features, like CD writing, pre-track gap detection, and metadata editing.
If you are looking to take your CD collection and turn it into a digital library, EAC is the way to do it. TT Dynamic Range Meter We’ve written about compression and the loudness war for years (see: and for two examples), and we’re not alone in our frustration. The Pleasurize Music Foundation created TT Dynamic Range Meter with the goal of fighting the over-compression of music. The program tells you the dynamic range of songs, so you can find out if you have just purchased a quality recording or not. One fun use of DR Meter is to compare different releases of the same song or album.
The program is incredibly easy to use, simply select the track or folder you want analyzed. And that’s it. It takes a few seconds for the program to spit out a number telling you the dynamic range of the album or track. It can also create a log file telling you the dynamic range of each individual track if you scan an entire folder.
According to their website, a DR of 7 “is low for rock music or very low for Jazz, but it is quite acceptable for electronic club music which has nowadays often values below DR4. All values above DR12 have generally a high dynamic quality.” DR Meter Offline DR Meter Log Sheet DR meter comes in two flavors, what they call an offline version (pictured above) and as a foobar2000 component.
For those of you who are wondering what foobar2000 is, checkout our. If you do decide to download DT meter, we encourage you to and support their campaign to end the loudness war. Room EQ Wizard Room EQ Wizard, or REW, was one of the original room and loudspeaker measurement systems available to the home theater enthusiast.
Once setup properly, it’s a joy to use. Actually, I find it much more intuitive than Omnimic, a costly alternative. REW is packed with useful features, the most prominent being an SPL meter, RTA, waterfall plot, and spectrogram. REW can help you figure out the best placement for speakers, listening position, and acoustic treatments. Figuring out how to use all of the functionality packed into REW can be a little tough at first, but there is a large online community to provide support. Room EQ Wizard Like we said, once up and running, REW is a powerful piece of software. However, getting it up and running can be difficult, and results can be inaccurate depending on the quality of measurement equipment you are using.
You will need to invest in a microphone, cables, tripod, and external soundcard (external soundcard is optional). You may also need something like the phantom power supply for the mic, depending on the functionality of the soundcard you purchase. If you are willing to spend some extra time during setup and invest in decent quality measurement gear, you will be rewarded.
For people who want a more seamless experience, kits from or (review in progress) come with everything you need and work right out of the box with little to no setup. Harman How to Listen This is the only program we know of that is designed to improve your critical listening abilities. Originally created to train Harman employees, it has been made available, for free, to the public. It’s technically still beta, but it has been that way for a number of years, so don’t expect an update anytime soon. 2 Band Test 24 Band Insane Test The program works by asking listeners to identify how a track has been manipulated.
For example, the image above-left shows a very basic Band ID exercise. The user can switch be an unaltered “flat” version of the song, and the modified “EQ” version. The goal is to identify which of the two Eqs shown is being applied, number 1 or 2. The tests become increasingly difficult. Above-right is an image of the most difficult Band ID test the program has to offer. As you can tell, the tests become very difficult.
There are a number of different training exercises, including reverb, coloration, and noise. If you become tired of the tracks that come with the software, you can even upload your own to demo. Audio DiffMaker Have you ever made a change to your system and wondered if there was any actual change in the sound? Let’s say you just spent $3,800 per foot on a Audioquest WEL Signature power cable, and you want to know if that made any difference, audible or not. That’s the purpose of Audio DiffMaker. You record a reference track.
This can be done with a mic to capture the actual sound output from your speakers, or using various other methods to capture the audio output from a device. Next, make the change in the system, and then record a compared track. The software compares the two tracks and extracts the difference. Diffmaker Screenshot The designers (Liberty Instruments) went through a lot of trouble to ensure accuracy. For example, it automatically accounts for sample rate drift and level differences, so the difference recording is only what has actually changed between the two recordings. Anyway, that’s what they claim, and they seem to have taken all of the necessary steps to achieve that goal.
Note that this system does not require your equipment be completely linear or of the highest quality, by its very design all of the characteristics of your system are part of the reference and comparison recordings. Even though the concept of Audio DiffMaker is simple, be warned that its actual implementation can be difficult and time consuming. The two recordings need to be very carefully taken so as to isolate only a single variable. Still, if you are really into small system tweaks and DIY projects, this is a fun program to see if each change makes a difference or not. Audacity Audacity has been around for a long time, and like some of the other software on this list, is opensource. Unlike the other software on this list, which serve specific purposes, Audacity has a wide range of uses. Essentially, it’s a sound recording and editing program.
It can record live audio or computer audio, and then be used to edit the recording. One of the common uses of Audacity is to record and edit podcasts, and is employed by for that very purpose. Quality is also key with Audacity.
It can import and export WAV, AIFF, AU, FLAC and Ogg Vorbis files, and record at 24-bit depth and 192,000 Hz sampling rate (384,000Hz on OS X and Linux). Audacity screenshot One of the reasons it made this list is because of a cool “show clipping” feature. The program will highlight red any portion of the audio waveform that clips. Like DifMaker, this can be used to compare the quality of different tracks. The above screenshot shows a song from HDtracks’ free sampler.
The image below shows Dire Straits “Walk of Life” downloaded from iTunes notice any clipping? Image Courtesy of and their loyal listener John Conclusion We thoroughly enjoy using the software on this list, and hope you will too. We didn’t cover everything out there, so let us know what your favorite software is. Finally, we want to say a quick thanks to all of the individuals who invest their time and effort into creating software that the rest of us can use for free. Richard Stallman would be proud.