- Best Windows 10 Music Player Apps for PCs in 2021
- Spotify
- Foobar2000
- MusicBee
- Great affordable accessories for music fans
- COWIN E7 PRO ($90 at Amazon)
- Anker SoundCore 2 ($40 at Amazon)
- HiFiMan RE-400 ($39 at Amazon)
- These tools will help you keep your PC’s drivers updated
- These 10 apps are must-haves apps for any new Windows PC
- These are the best PC sticks when you’re on the move
- Richard Devine
- 10 Best Music Players for Windows
- The Best Music Players for Windows
- 1. Dopamine
- 2. Foobar2000
- 3. Music Bee
- 4. AIMP
- 5. MediaMonkey
- 6. Winyl
- 7. Clementine
- 8. Bread Player
- 9. Winamp
- 10. Audacious
- Choose the Best Music Player Software for Windows
- 11 COMMENTS
Best Windows 10 Music Player Apps for PCs in 2021
Windows is a vast platform with a huge selection of apps, and it’s sometimes difficult to know where to get the best one for you. That’s certainly true of music apps, since different types of music listener will have different requirements. Fortunately, there’s a lot of great apps to choose from. Here we’ve rounded up what we feel are the best of the best.
If a format exists, VLC can probably play the file. It’s very much the Swiss Army Knife of media players.
VLC also comes in two flavors for Windows, both free. There’s the Microsoft Store version which is built for PCs, tablets and Xbox One; and there’s the old-school desktop app.
VLC goes beyond just digital files and also offers streaming support and will convert various file formats. It’s an extremely useful tool to have around for music and video
Spotify
Spotify is probably the most popular streaming music service on the planet, and it’s now available through the Microsoft Store, too.
It’s the same desktop app as it’s always been, with the added bonus of seamless updates through the Store. If you’re going to use Spotify, then getting it from the Store is the thing to do.
Not only do you get access to Spotify’s vast catalog of content, be you a paid or free subscriber, but you can also use it to play your own locally stored content. The app itself is totally free to use, and while the design is a little cluttered, if you want to stream as well at catalog your own tunes, it’s a top choice.
Foobar2000
While Foobar2000 was pushing forwards with a Windows Store app to complement its existing Win32 offering, that project seems to have stalled thanks to low user count. The «proper» app is still very much alive and kicking and is both powerful and customizable.
When you set it up you can tweak the interface to your liking, and Foobar2000 will play basically anything you can throw at it. It’s also got a built-in transcoder, support for full Unicode, tags, and gapless playback.
That last one alone is reason enough to give it a try. It’s also free, if you need another reason.
MusicBee
Despite not being a Universal Windows Platform (UWP) app for Windows 10, MusicBee sports a modern design that looks really nice. But looks aren’t all it has going for it.
It’s easy to move your existing music library from Windows Media Player or iTunes with the import feature, as well as being able to organize your podcasts and audiobooks.
Toss in gapless playback, some pretty robust equalizer controls and a host of customizations, and MusicBee very easily becomes your music player. You can even pump the sound out of your PC in 5.1 if you have the speakers for it!
It’s also totally free. There’s nothing not to like.
Great affordable accessories for music fans
Getting the most from your music requires a little help from some hardware. Whether it’s headphones or speakers, if it doesn’t sound good you’re going to have a bad time. These are some of our favorite accessories.
COWIN E7 PRO ($90 at Amazon)
COWIN’s E7 Pro delivers active noise canceling on a budget. They’re lined with well-cushioned earpads for a comfortable and great-sounding experience.
Anker SoundCore 2 ($40 at Amazon)
The Anker SoundCore 2 offers punchy mobile audio, boasting impressive audio quality over Bluetooth and 3.5mm connectors with a promised 24-hour battery life.
HiFiMan RE-400 ($39 at Amazon)
The RE-400s offer a comfortable fit and a neutral soundstage that makes them stand out from a lot of other similarly priced headphones.
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These tools will help you keep your PC’s drivers updated
Windows 10 does a good job of updating your PC’s drivers, but third-party tools can help you clean up and optimize your system. Here are the best tools to keep your Windows 10 PC’s drivers up to date.
These 10 apps are must-haves apps for any new Windows PC
You just purchased a new PC and set it up, and now you’re looking for some great apps. Look no further. These are the best apps for your new Windows 10 PC.
These are the best PC sticks when you’re on the move
Instant computer — just add a screen. That’s the general idea behind the ultra-portable PC, but it can be hard to know which one you want. Relax, we have you covered!
Richard Devine
Richard Devine is an Editor at Windows Central. A former Project Manager and long-term tech addict, he joined Mobile Nations in 2011 and has been found on Android Central and iMore as well as Windows Central. Currently you’ll find him covering all manner of PC hardware and gaming, and you can follow him on Twitter and Instagram.
10 Best Music Players for Windows
Windows 10 comes with both Windows Media Player, as well as the Groove Music app and they are both fairly decent, but they are incapable of playing many popular file formats and also lack the tools that power users crave for. While these software gets the job done for most people, audiophiles in need of something more can have access to a wealth of features by choosing quality third-party music players fir Windows that can make listening to music an absolute pleasure.
But are customization tools and complex playback controls needed by all? No, because some people just want a simple music player that is fast, lightweight and elegant. Keeping in mind the diverse needs of users, we have compiled a list of the top 10 best music players for Windows you can find right now. So, let’s get straight to the point and check what these music players bring to the table and what sets them apart.
The Best Music Players for Windows
1. Dopamine
I have used many music players on my PC over the years, but none has proved to be as impressive as Dopamine. This software’s minimalist design blends particularly well with Windows 10’s dark and light themes, and its UI is one of the cleanest I have ever seen in a music player. All the options for opening the songs list, artists, albums, etc. are neatly laid out on the home screen, giving Dopamine an identity of its own when compared with the cluttered design of other music player software.
Dopamine can play songs in a wide array of formats such as WAV, MP3, OGG Vorbis, FLAC, WMA, APE, and M4A/AAC among others, all of which are the most widely used file-types for audio tracks these days. The settings menu is quite well-decked too, allowing users to control variables like audio latency, background adjustment tools and a host of others. Dopamine also boasts of Last.fm integration and also offers a nifty lyrics download tool that allows users to add lyrics to their song collection from sources like MetroLyrics, LyricWiki, etc. located in the settings menu itself.
Supported Platforms: Windows 10, 8 and 7
2. Foobar2000
Next in the list is Foobar2000, which is one of the most popular music players for Windows, and for a good reason. Foobar2000’s USP is its interface, which is even more minimalist and clean-looking than Dopamine. But don’t let the simple Windows Phone-esque black and white theme fool you, as the software is loaded with more tools and customization options than any other music player out there. The software comes with its own ReplayGain tool as well as an impressive DSP manager, aside from FTP and media server tools.
When it comes it to executing its fundamental task, Foobar2000 is no slouch, as the software has support for audio codecs such as MP3, MP4, AAC, CD Audio, WMA, Vorbis, Opus, FLAC to name just a few. Foobar2000’s advanced search feature is quite handy too, while its automatic library monitoring system keeps an eye on changes like addition and deletion of songs and accordingly manages the audio file elements like cover photos, lyrics, artist photo, etc.
Supported Platforms : Windows 10, iOS, and Android
3. Music Bee
Music is not just limited to the audio files stored locally on our devices, as there are a host of other media such as radio, podcasts, etc. where one can enjoy their love for music. If you are among the folks who listen to music from varied sources, MusicBee is the perfect software for you, as it brings the convenience of enjoying radio shows, podcasts, and locally stored songs in one slick-looking app. But is that all? Absolutely not. From my experience, I can confidently say that MusicBee is one of the most feature-laden music player apps you can find. From core music library management and automatic file organization to in-depth playback controls and aesthetic tools, the app simply has it all.
Aside from codecs like MP3, M4A, FLAC, Musepack, WavPack and Opus among others, MusicBee also supports audio interfaces like WASAPI and ASIO for high-end audio cards. The music player software also features a particularly useful tag update feature, which automatically identifies tracks with missing tags and updates them. Moreover, MusicBee also has support for WinAmp plugins and can synchronize songs and playlists with Android devices too.
Supported Platform: Windows 10, 8 and 7
4. AIMP
If you know your way around a music player and like to personalize even the most basic elements of the software, then AIMP is your best bet. Take for example its rich sound mixing options and the excellent sound engine section, which features an impressive 18-band equalizer and numerous sound effects like Reverb, Flanger, Enhancer, etc. which really work and are far from software gimmicks. Another noteworthy feature of AIMP is the Audio CD Grabber, which allows users to copy music files from an audio CD.
As far as codec support is concerned, AIMP plays well with the largest selection of audio standards I’ve ever seen in a music player. Aside from support for formats like CDA, AAC, AC3, APE, DTS, and FLAC among others, the app also has output support for DirectSound, ASIO, and WASAPI among others. MusicBee also has a nifty system shutdown feature which allows users to set a timer to shut down their PC at the scheduled time or after finishing a particular song. There is also a fairly advanced tag editor which supports standards like ID3v1, ID3v2, APE, and WMA to name a few.
Supported Platforms: Windows 10, 8.1, 8, 7 and Vista
Download AIMP Music Player (Free)
5. MediaMonkey
MediaMonkey is another feature-laden media player which is tailor-made for folks who like every detail of their music collection right on the home screen, and also want the software to keep their music library organized. For the latter, MediaMonkey’s automatic organization algorithm systematically arranges the audio files into folders based on artists, albums, series number, etc. Moreover, the MediaMonkey’s CD burner feature allows users to import songs from a CD, while its Podcatcher functionality lets users download podcasts.
Moving over to the technical aspects, MediaMonkey supports a wide array of audio playback formats such as MP3, AAC (M4A), OGG, WMA, and FLAC among others. The app also allows users to create a statistical table of their entire music collection and also sync it with Android and iOS devices. MediaMonkey also facilitates media sharing with TVs and other devices over UPnP and DLNA. Moreover, the software’s jukebox mode is a neat addition which automatically plays tracks of a particular genre to uplift your mood or keep the party going.
Supported Platforms: Windows 10, 8, 7 and Android
6. Winyl
If the idea of a lightweight music player app with a simple UI, rich audio codec support, and a clean design sounds appealing to you, then Winyl is the music player app you need. The ‘no-frills-no-fuss’ app can easily handle over 100,000+ audio files without a hiccup, and also features a dedicated radio section to let you tune in to your favorite shows on air and enjoy music from various genre. The app also has a ‘Smartlist’ feature’ which automatically creates playlists (25 Most Played, 5 Random Albums, etc.) for an added dash of convenience.
Winyl can play audio files of various formats (WMA, M4A, MP3, OGG, MPC, APE, FLAC, etc.) and also supports audio output in standards like WASAPI and ASIO. And hey, Gapless playback is also on the table, so you won’t be annoyed while waiting for the next song in the queue to actually start playing. The app can also import song lyrics from the web and is also equipped with a fairly efficient tag editor.
Supported Platforms: Windows 10, 8, 7, and Vista
7. Clementine
Clementine is among the most popular music player apps for Windows, and its popularity has a lot to do with its versatility and simplistic interface (which looks ancient compared to the design of other names mentioned earlier). But don’t let aesthetics deceive you, as the app is loaded with the widest array of online connectivity tools and music streaming options you’ll see in a music player app. Not only can you enjoy songs from services like Spotify, Grooveshark, SomaFM, etc. you can also play songs stored on the cloud (Dropbox, Google Drive, and OneDrive among others).
Clementine can play audio files of various formats like FLAC, MP3, and AAC to name just a few, and can also transcode songs into codecs such as MP3, OGG Vorbis, OGG Speex and FLAC among others. Moreover, it can also be controlled remotely with Android smartphones via a companion app. The music player software also features an excellent library management algorithm and can also update the songs that are missing album cover art details by downloading them automatically from the web.
Supported Platforms: Windows, Linux, and macOS
8. Bread Player
Bread Player is a free, open source music player for Windows platform that will catch your interest from the very first time you fire it up, thanks to its eye-catching design. But far from being an eye-candy, Bread Player is actually a very capable, open-source music player app which has all the bells and whistles of a conventional music player app.
Bread Players supports a wide array of audio codecs viz. MP3, M4A, FLAC to name just a few. But what’s impressive is the fact that unlike other music player app, the app automatically retrieves local audio files, which means you don’t have to manually search for audio files and add them to the library. Apart from that, the app also comes with synced lyrics support and an automatic download feature that fetches missing artist details of a track. And as an added bit of convenience for users, the app also offers OneDrive streaming to let users stream their songs stored on the cloud.
Supported Platform: Windows 10
Download Bread Player ( $1.99 )
9. Winamp
Winamp, the old horse, yet still in the race. Despite being around two decades old, Winamp has continuously been refined over the years by the addition of new features. In my opinion, Winamp’s UI gives you the true feeling of using a music player app, thanks to the systematic arrangement of tools and the detailed interface which is rich in features and playback controls.
Winamp has support for a wide array of contemporary as well as specialized audio formats such as MP3, AAC, FLAC, WAV, and OGG Vorbis to name just a few. Winamp can import music files from local folders, iTunes as well as audio CDs. Aside from audio playback, Winamp also facilitates streaming via podcasts, Internet radio and a couple of other media, and also offers Gapless audio playback for an uninterrupted music listening experience.
Supported Platforms : Windows 10, 8, 7 and Vista
10. Audacious
Audacious is another music player whose simplistic design approach and clean UI will win you over. But that doesn’t mean the software is lacking in tools and controls. Once you open the settings menu, you’ll discover a rich selection of tools ranging from effects like Crystalizer, LADSPA Host and Voice Removal to artist detail retrieval feature among a host of others. Audacious also features an audio bit depth control feature, ReplayGain, stream record functionality as well as support for plug-ins.
When it comes to music playback, Audacious supports a wide array of audio formats such as FLAC, WMA, AAC, WAV, and OGG to name just a few. You can also tweak the music player software’s interface to look like Winamp Classic’s and also enable proxy usage from its network settings section. Despite its vintage aesthetics, Audacious is quite an advanced music player and can easily handle whatever task you throw at it with ease.
Supported Platforms: Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista, XP and Linux
Choose the Best Music Player Software for Windows
Before you go ahead and proceed to download one of the software listed above, we’d advise you to go through the details and choose which music player suits your requirements. If you are after a clutter-free design and minimalist appeal, then Dopamine, Bread Player, and Winyl are your best options. However, if you like to play with tools and want a deep level of customization controls at your disposal, then AIMP, MusicBee, and MediaMonkey will serve you well.
So, that was our recommendation list. Do you have any music player in mind which stands out from its lot in a prominent fashion and offers some unique and useful features? If yes, then head to the comments section below to spread your knowledge and be someone’s savior.
11 COMMENTS
MusicBee is really the best of all. Super fonctionnal, nice customization, many tools and nice skins
You made mention of how Dopamine is so nice to look at but you didn’t show off AIMP’s skins, which are some of the most beautiful I’ve ever seen! Also, i like to veg out to visualizations whilst enjoying music, the only one that really has that is AIMP. Sometimes the inconsistencies of positioning of the mini player will drive me nuts but overall, it’s fantastic.
hmn? well there are several there that are so meh! vinyl is a wannabe groove and clementine is a wannabe musicbee, foobar is just butt ugly which makes it so meh! musicbee is my main but it lacks a drag n drop function/section ( if you do it actually adds it to the current album- so annoying there may be way to add the option but I haven’t found it) , you actually mention one that does that and its …. drumroll….. winamp. these both also do my visualizer running milkdrop. Ill try your mention of dopamine, but I remember reading something recently that it has some big negatives about it and that turned me off when reading the reviews but ill try it since im really tired of not quite being entirely satisfied (but winamp and musicbee are best so far for windows)? and the guy that posted about jet audio yeah that’s one of my favorite android players. I run blackplayer EX there is literally nothing better for android but jet audio comes close BPex can edit all of the files on the fly jet audio botches most of it every time. I dare you to prove that there is something better but it is only for android which is fine but I want it for windows or linux. now dopamine looks strangely like blackplayer ex, so like I said ill give it a whirl if someone wrote blackplayer ex for windows I would gladly pay 60 bucks for it just because I am tried of all of the mediocre BS.
Thanks for this review. My challenge is that I am looking for a Windows 10 application to sort through and create playlists with ease, and then export these to my Android phone, preferably to the same player application I would use to create the playlist on Windows. What would work best for that?
Song Director is just so much better. Song Director is easy to use, and can sort, find, search for anything about a music file in less than 1 second. Song Director is the only program I use.
Thank you so much for introducing me to Dopamine. I’ve been using Foobar for years, but it’s getting boring and a lot of components don’t work properly anymore… Dopamine has every function I want (even more) and has the most beautiful UI I’ve seen for an audio player.
Clemintine is the shit! Bass af!
You don’t say shit about equalizing features
AIMP is amazing! It’s exactly what I’ve been looking for to manually add lyrics to all my mp3s. The best part is that, if you integrate it with Windows Explorer, you don’t even have to open it to edit tags. How convenient! Other than that, it’s a great program all around. I highly recommend it.
and have audio out 5.1 ,7.1 etc…bit selection, the best player ever.
I use JetAudio. have been using since last 10 yrs and completely satisfied. Clutter free UI and options to customize as well. U should try that also and then may be add it to this list.