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Best Music Players for Mac 2023

Explore our list of music players for Mac: both free and paid options. From well-established apps like Elmedia Player to promising newbies, you're sure to find the right one for you.

Top choice
Elmedia: universal video player
4.5 Rank based on 1531+ users, Reviews(793)
 
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Let's find the best music players for Mac.

When you’re trying to find the best music player, it can be an overwhelming task. Plus, different users have different needs. But to determine which media player for Mac is right for you, consider the following: spyware (or lack thereof), codec compatibility, price, support for multiple formats, and ease of use. Take a look below to learn more about the key aspects of each app.

The Best Music Player for Mac in 2023: Top Picks

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Top Features
VideoDuke
Elmedia Player
JustPlay
VLC
IINA
Pine Player
Vox
5KPlayer
Swinsian
Fidelia
Colibri
Audirvana
Cog
Musique
Amarra Luxe
Audio equalizer
Audio equalizer
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Supports local file streaming to TV
Supports local file streaming to TV
yes (PRO)  
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Playlist creation and editing
Playlist creation and editing
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Subtitle support
Subtitle support
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Trial version
Trial version
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Elmedia: All You Need in a Music Player

Elmedia: universal video player
4.5 Rank based on 1531 + users Reviews(793)
Requirements: macOS 10.12+
Version: v8.12(3287), Released 8 Jan, 2023 Release notes
Category: Video
Direct Download

When choosing a music player, Mac users praise Elmedia Player for a number of reasons. First, it adheres to the highest audio playback standards in an audio player for Mac. Secondly, Elmedia Player supports an extensive list of formats like M4A, MP3, AAC, WMA, OGG, AC3, etc. It even plays FLAC on Mac, which Apple Music (formerly iTunes) cannot open. Also, Elmedia Player is fully compatible with the latest macOSes.

Elmedia offers a range of amazing features, such as built-in music volume controls and a 10-band graphic equalizer with presets. With its AC-3/DTS hardware passthrough and wireless connectivity via AirPlay, DLNA, and Chromecast, this superior Mac MP3 player lets you play music however you like, wherever you like. Give it a free trial to explore all the opportunities.

Best free video player for Mac.
Note:

According to MacSources, Elmedia Player is a powerful yet easy-to-use application. It is a multi-format player with lots of customizable features and a sleek modern interface. However, it is also highlighted that the user may be confused as the software can be found on four separate websites and product pages. To make it easier for users to find the right version of Elmedia Player, it is recommended to clean up websites and consolidate product options in the App Store. For more information, visit MacSources.

Supported formats: MP3, FLAC, M4A, APE, OGG, AC3, M4A, AAC, WMA, WAV, and many more.

Supported OS: macOS

Price: free to use, PRO upgrade costs $19.95

icon pros Pros:

  • 10-band equalizer for minute adjustments
  • A playlist feature to organize your music library
  • Audio receiver functionality.

icon cons Cons:

  • Requires PRO version to unlock all the features
  • Available for macOS only.

JustPlay

JustPlay is a tiny but still powerful app for Mac admirers. The app is not only a great video player for Mac but also can be considered the best music player. Despite having a minimalistic interface, JustPlay supports an impressive set of audio formats. The great plus of this player is that it doesn’t require any plugins or codecs to be able to deal with all kinds of file formats.

Besides that, the app grants you full control over the audio playback. While using this player you can configure the volume without changing the overall Mac’s sound settings. In addition, JustPlay provides a wealth of information about video and audio files from a practical information panel.

JustPlay is a universal macOS app with M1/M2 support.
Note:

According to Macworld, JustPlay is an excellent, more than capable media player for Mac. Compared to other players, it lacks some profound features, however, it is not critical and for the money, JustPlay is a useful player with a neat interface.

Supported formats: MP4, AVI, MOV, SWF, DAT, MKV, MP3, FLAC, M4V, FLV, etc.

Supported OS: macOS

Price: costs $4.99

icon pros Pros:

  • Runs natively both on Apple Silicon and on Intel Macs
  • Wide list of supported audio formats
  • Full playback control
  • 10-band equalizer.

icon cons Cons:

  • No trial version
  • Limited Blu-ray capabilities.

VLC

VLC is one of the most popular contenders for the best Mac music player. Known mainly as a video player, it’s a reliable solution for audio playback as well. It supports a wide variety of audio formats without external codecs, as well as various streaming protocols.

Furthermore, there is an easy-to-use playlist manager and customizable keyboard shortcuts. It is also worth highlighting some standout features offered by VLC Media Player - the ability to start and stop playback at certain intervals, and shrink down to the menu bar as well.

VLC is a very reliable player for Mac OS.
Note:

For those seeking a free audio player for Mac, this could be an easy choice. However, VLC Media Player does have some wrinkles. Most advanced controls are hidden behind menus, which is not very convenient and friendly. Also, the design seems quite outdated in 2022. For more information, visit Trustpilot.

Supported formats: MP3, AAC, Vorbis, AC3, WMA, FLAC, ALAC, etc.

Supported OS: macOS, Windows, Linux, iOS, Android

Price: free

icon pros Pros:

  • Wide range of supported audio file formats
  • Media manager helps to maintain a clean library
  • Completely free to use and enjoy.

icon cons Cons:

  • Tagging files may be finicky at times
  • Very basic and minimal set of features
  • Outdated design and UX.

IINA

IINA is arguably one of the best Mac music player apps in recent years. It’s mainly because of how natural the UI and UX feel in the Mac ecosystem. You can rely on IINA to play any of your music files. It integrates Apple’s native gesture controls, dark mode, Touch Bar, and mouse and trackpad controls to give you the most authentic macOS feel. Besides, Slant ranked IINA as the №1 best video player for Mac. IINA is a compelling choice for an open-source audio player for Mac.

IINA is a free and open-source media player software based on mpv.
Note:

Thanks to the built-in audio equalizer, you can seamlessly adjust your sound, stream music from the web, and broadcast it to local devices. With the picture-in-picture mode supported it is possible to play music in the background while you browse or work.

Supported formats: M4A, MP3, AAC, M4A, etc.

Supported OS: macOS

Price: free

icon pros Pros:

  • Authentic macOS feel throughout the whole app
  • Robust audio equalizer and audio controls
  • Open-source app.

icon cons Cons:

  • Some advanced users might find it overly basic
  • Is not stable and can crash from time to time.

Pine Player

While other applications on this list are compatible with different platforms, Pine Player works exclusively on macOS. The app boasts a huge list of supported formats, which includes MP3, FLAC, APE, AAC, M4A, WAV, WMA, DSD, and SACD ISO, among others. This Mac music player has an Oversampling Filter that converts compressed MP3 files to a higher sample rate while providing incredible sound quality.

A very simple offer with a user-friendly interface.
Note:

The crossfade and gapless playback functions will give you a pleasant listening experience with seamless transitions between your favorite songs. While offering music fans a wide range of features, the player is absolutely free. Read user reviews on MacUpdate.

Supported formats: FLAC, MP3, M4A, APE, AAC, WAV, OGG, AIFF, etc.

Supported OS: macOS

Price: free

icon pros Pros:

  • Many supported formats
  • Smooth and enjoyable music listening experience
  • Free app.

icon cons Cons:

  • Highs and mids aren’t very crisp
  • UI layout isn’t too user-friendly.

Vox

Vox is another best music player for Mac users due to the wide variety of offered features. Thanks to its user-friendly design this app is very easy to get into. Vox supports all kinds of audio file formats like ALAC, DSD, WAV, AIFF, and more. It’s an all-in-one music app that gives you access to thousands of radio stations, playlist customization, and a rich audio-listening experience. As for the playlist feature, it is much easier to use and manage compared to VLC, although it does take longer to download files.

Although Vox is free, some features are locked behind a premium plan, which is quite expensive. For $4.99 a month, you unlock and can benefit from advanced features like gapless playback, a built-in 10-band equalizer, unlimited cloud storage space, a refined studio-like listening experience, playlist syncing, deeper customization options, and a lot more.

There are also versions of this player for online listening and for iPhone.
Note:

We have analyzed product reviews on MacUpdate and can note that users mostly complain about problems with use and purchase, as well as poor service.

Supported formats: FLAC, DSD, M4A, PCM, APE, MP3.

Supported OS: macOS

Price: free, Premium version starts from $4.99/month

icon pros Pros:

  • A comprehensive app for music enthusiasts
  • Feature-rich, with support for all kinds of formats
  • Sync available between Mac and iOS devices (iPhone, iPad)
  • Unlimited cloud storage.

icon cons Cons:

  • Has a subscription fee
  • Very CPU-intensive.

5KPlayer

5KPlayer is a free music player Mac solution that doubles as a video player and media streamer. It can download songs or playlists from online platforms such as YouTube, Facebook, Dailymotion, Vimeo, Vevo, SoundCloud, and many more. It can also convert video files to audio MP3 and AAC formats.

Another handy feature is the built-in radio player with a free selection of preset satellite radio channels. 5KPlayer also supports options characteristic of Apple, like switching your playback from Mac to iPhone/iPad and vice versa and transferring your iPhone photos to your Mac. All in all, 5KPlayer is quite handy and serviceable as a music player.

5KPlayer is a multimedia player that can take on any file.
Note:

It offers all the basic playback features that a music player should have, but that's it. If you need some extra music playback options, it's better to find an alternative. According to users’ reviews on Trustpilot, the app is hard to uninstall, contains ads, and slows down your computer. For more information, visit Trustpilot.

Supported formats: MP3, WMA, FLAC, AAC, AC3, OGG.

Supported OS: macOS, Windows

Price: freeware

icon pros Pros:

  • Easily converts online movie video soundtracks to MP3
  • Wirelessly streams audio and video via AirPlay and DLNA
  • Build a media library by sorting audio/video files, creating new playlists, etc.

icon cons Cons:

  • Learning curve for new users.

Swinsian

Swinsian is a sophisticated audio player Mac users can find. Those who dub it the best audio player for Mac appreciate its wide range of supported formats, folder monitoring, and advanced tag editing features. The player works with FLAC, AAC, MP3, WAV, APE, AC3, WMA, and more. Swinsian lets you control playback using global shortcuts or the special mini window. Even with large music libraries, users can easily customize the interface.

Despite its simplicity, the Swinsian player is not free. On the official website, the application can be purchased for $24.95. But before buying, users have the opportunity to download a trial version and explore its main features.

Application for more advanced users.
Note:

Based on a review on mac.informer, Swinsian is a feature-rich audio player that provides useful benefits, is easy to use, and boasts flawless performance. Although you can easily find cheaper solutions, many audio players won't offer what Swinsian has. So, if you are looking for a multifunctional audio player for your Mac, this app is worth trying.

Supported formats: FLAC, MP3, AAC, ALAC, Vorbis, WMA, WAV, Opus, AC3, AIFF, MusePack, and APE.

Supported OS: macOS

Price: free trial, the price is $24.95

icon pros Pros:

  • Support for global keyboard shortcuts
  • Ability to find duplicate tracks
  • Convenient playlist
  • Search and replace tags.

icon cons Cons:

  • Sound is fairly standard
  • Requires time to learn how to use it.

Fidelia

Fidelia is a music player for Mac which caters to music professionals. The average user could use it but wouldn’t truly enjoy the app’s benefits. Taking full advantage of this player requires a good sound system. Fidelia provides the highest possible fidelity, fit for music connoisseurs.

The supported plug-ins and OS X’s system Audio Units let you, as the developers put it, "sculpt your sound". The app’s omnivorous nature means it can read AIFF, WAV, CAF, MP3, AAC, ALAC, Ogg Vorbis, and FLAC. This player doesn’t have a free version and can be purchased at $29.99, although it does offer a free trial period.

Fidelia is a leading high-definition digital audio player.
Note:

The player constantly receives updates and also has an excellent support service. According to mac.informer's review, it's a good idea to consider cheaper options before buying Fidelia. Although these solutions may not play as many file formats as Fidelia, they are just as good.

Supported formats: Apple Lossless, FLAC, MP3, WAV, AAC, Vorbis, CAF.

Supported OS: macOS

Price: free trial, the app costs $29.99

icon pros Pros:

  • Connection of plugins in AU format
  • Support for iOS
  • Support for iZotope.

icon cons Cons:

  • Pricy app
  • Sometimes glitches.

Colibri

Colibri offers a lot of features for quite an affordable price. This music player for Mac is aimed primarily at lovers of quality music and provides bit-perfect playback. That’s why the app supports almost all popular lossless audio file formats - FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF, APE, TTA, and WavPack. The app can also play other formats - from Ogg Vorbis to AAC/M4A (in lossy quality only). Furthermore, Colibri supports cue sheets, gapless playback, and more. Another thing that distinguished it is the fact that it doesn’t overload the system, thus saving battery power.

The free version is quite limited.
Note:

With the release of the new version, the application received many internal improvements. It was also announced the development of Colibri for iOS, iPadOS and tvOS. More information can be found at Colibri Devblog.

Having read reviews on MacUpdate, we can summarize that, in general, users are satisfied with the player and its performance, and also note the high-quality work of the customer support. All in all, with its native macOS feel, Colibri would be a good fit for those looking for a native Mac experience.

Supported formats: FLAC, WAV, ALAC, APE, AIFF, TTA, DSD, WavPack, etc.

Supported OS: macOS

Price: free, PRO version costs $9.99

icon pros Pros:

  • Ability to play music by album, artist, playlist
  • Ability to create your own playlist
  • Ability to load cover art for FLAC files
  • Correctly displays information about playing songs.

icon cons Cons:

  • Requires to purchase PRO pack to unlock enhanced features.

Audirvana

Audirvana quickly established itself as the best music player app for Mac owners who wish to steer away from iTunes, while benefitting from the optimal sound quality. However, this dedication to pristine sound and advanced settings comes at a steep price. The player opens the most popular audio formats, especially high-res: FLAC, WAV, AIFF, the new MQA format, as well as DSD files.

Audirvana also integrates high-definition streaming services TIDAL, Qobuz, and HRA Streaming. Besides that, you can manage all types of music file libraries regardless of their size. View and directly modify album and song information in various metadata fields, especially for classical music: conductor, orchestra, soloist, period, style, main instrument, etc.

The high resolution digital audio player.
Note:

In 2020, with the release of an update, cross-platform optimization was added to the player. You can find more information about updates here. For a detailed review, visit Headfonia.

Supported formats: AIFF, WAVE, AAC, MP3, FLAC, Monkey Audio APE, WavPack, Apple Lossless, DSD, etc.

Supported OS: macOS, Windows

Price: free trial, $69.99

icon pros Pros:

  • Support for track and album browsing
  • Support for search by track, albums, artist, or playlist
  • HRA Streaming integration
  • Modern UI.

icon cons Cons:

  • Freezes while managing media library
  • Remote function doesn’t work correctly
  • High price.

Cog

Cog is one more free music player for Mac that can read numerous file formats, including WAV, ALAC, Opus, Vorbis, RealAudio, DTS, Musepack, etc. The app has a dual-panel interface so you can add tracks to one, arrange them as you like, and play them in the other. Besides that, there is built-in support for ReplayGain and the ability to change the audio output device. In addition, this Mac audio player makes it possible to control playback using hotkeys.

Cog is an open source audio player for macOS.
Note:

For those who create music, it is possible to connect the Soundfont and MIDI plug-ins. But still, Cog doesn't have as many features as the other players on this list.

Supported formats: WAV, APE, CUE, GBS, FLAC, AAC, DTS, APL, ALAC, OGG, MP3, NSF, SPC, etc.

Supported OS: macOS

Price: free

icon pros Pros:

  • Support for audio formats such as MP3, WAV, FLAC, and OGG
  • Simple, iTunes-like interface with basic playback options
  • Localized for various languages.

icon cons Cons:

  • No tone control
  • Doesn’t offer too much functionality.

Musique

Unlike previous music player Mac apps which imply that you create your own playlists, Musique is closer to the standard "Music". It scans your saved audio recordings within the selected directory and categorizes them by artist and album.

To create a playlist, just click on artists, albums, or individual tracks to add them to the collection. In the latest version, a dark version of the design has been added.

Musique a finely crafted music player.
Note:

The downside of the app is that it hasn’t been updated since 2020, so you may encounter issues on the latest macOS. Be sure to read user reviews before choosing. You can read reviews, pros, and cons of Musique here.

Supported formats: FLAC, OGG Vorbis, APE, MPC, WP, TTA, etc.

Supported OS: macOS, Windows, Linux

Price: free

icon pros Pros:

  • Ability to import Apple Music library
  • Support album covers
  • Ability to show song’s lyrics
  • Support for Last.fm.

icon cons Cons:

  • The last update was in 2020
  • Limited functionality.

Amarra Luxe

Amarra Luxe not only performs the functions of a regular audio player but also provides integration into such popular online services as TIDAL, Qobuz, and Nugs.net. The distinctive features of this music player for Mac include support for Hi-Res music formats, including DSD and FLAC.

Amarra also features an advanced equalizer with 16 presets and the ability to adjust the sound to speakers and headphones. The player boasts a clean, softened sound with the right timbres, well-developed mids, tight deep bass, and a gorgeous surround stage.

Amarra Luxe brings together the widest collection of streaming music.
Note:

Sonic Studio continues to develop state-of-the-art solutions for both professionals and consumers, as well as ongoing research in specialized areas to improve sound quality and workflow. However, the last update was released in 2021.

Supported formats: DSD/DSF, PCM, MQA, WAV, AAC, AAC, AAC, AAC MP3, FLAC, etc

Supported OS: macOS, Windows

Price: free trial, PRO version costs $99

icon pros Pros:

  • Intuitive interface with a pleasant design
  • Great sounding
  • Equalizer with 16 fixed presets
  • Work with the MQA codec.

icon cons Cons:

  • The price of the app.

What to Consider When Choosing the Best Music Player for Mac

Here we have gathered top criteria you should take into account when choosing the best music player. Besides that, we have made our list of the best music player for Mac based on our recommendations. So what features should a music player have?

  • Support for an impressive set of audio formats.
  • Ability to create and personalize playlist.
  • Ability to adjust audio playback according to your taste.
  • Local network streaming, i.e. to Smart TV.
  • Support for audio fine-tuning.
  • Built-in audio equalizer.
  • Support for high-fidelity audio playback.

As you can see, there are lots of music players for Mac. However, what users can consider the best Music player is a tricky question? Each of the apps described above is worth trying, still, we can outline Elmedia Player among the rest. The app has a perfectly combined user-friendly interface and a set of enhanced features. Besides that, while using Elmedia you won’t face any issues with playing unusual formats such as WMA on Mac. Take a look at our list, decide for yourself and enjoy listening to your favorite playlists.

Frequently Asked Questions:

We have reviewed several apps in the article above. You can use any of the players we described here. However, our choice and the title of the best music player goes to Elmedia Player.

Elmedia is a universal media player, so it's great for MP3s and other audio formats, even the lossy ones! It has lots of sound-related features, and things like audio visualization.

Apple Music is a subscription-based music streaming service. It offers a three-month free trial for new subscribers. After the trial, users will need to pay $9.99 a month for an individual plan. The price will be charged automatically or you can cancel it manually before the charge period.

Yes, your Mac comes with a built-in music player called Apple Music which was formerly known as iTunes. It runs various audio formats, however, it does not natively support lossless FLAC files, for example.

In this article, we have reviewed several best free music players for Mac among which are VLС, Pine Player, Cog, Musique, and 5KPlayer. Depending on the features you are looking for in a player you can choose the one that perfectly fits your requirements. If you are looking for a free M4A player take a look at IINA or Pine Player.

You guessed it - Elmedia Player. It has a 10-band equalizer with different presets.
Elmedia: universal video player
Requirements: macOS 10.12+ , 89.21MB of free space
Version 8.12(3287) (8 Jan, 2023) Release notes
Category: Video
Direct Download
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Try the Best Music Player for Mac — Elmedia Player

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