Songbird Frees the Music Player

by Mike Gunderloy - Mar. 14, 2008Comments (6)

You can think of Songbird as a sort of mashup of web browser and desktop music player. It can play music files (Ogg Vorbis, MP3, FairPlay, AAC and a variety of other formats) from your local system or from a web page. To Songbird, any web page is a potential playlist; if there are music links there, you'll see them displayed in a separate window with easy buttons for download. Songbird also understands some other web formatting, so if you browse to (for example) The Hype Machine, you'll get buttons to buy songs in the playlist.

Screenshot

Being built on the Mozilla core, Songbird understands skinning (Songbird skins are called "feathers") and add-ons. For example, you can install an extension that reads your existing iTunes library into Songbird, or one that displays the Wikipedia page for the currently-playing track.

The current Songbird release is version 0.4, which you can download from their Developer Center. If you'd like to be a bit more on the cutting edge, you can opt for the just-released 0.5rc1, which adds MTP device support on Windows. Although the application is still in beta with some bugs, it's quite usable and under rapid development.

Have you used Songbird? Would you say it competes with the non-OSS music players?

 


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6 Comments
 

There seems to be a lot of chatter about Songbird around recently including some discussions and posts on OStatic. I can't understand why Songbird is such a big deal??? There is nothing groundbreaking about the new release and the product is still buggy and there's nothing revolutionary about this "mp3 player". So, unless I'm missing something, why all the hype??


0 Votes

Well, it is a big deal. If you are on a linux box, and switch back and forth between windows and linux, you need a player that is better than xmms or something. I've used an earlier version of songbird and felt that it is a good, solid effort.


0 Votes

These thoughts about Songbird from the Q&A section of our site at OStatic are also interesting, particularly regarding customization:


@Kinan & Anonymous - I couldn't disagree more!


I agree to the extent that are some similarities - you can import your music, subscribe to podcasts, create playlists, rate each song, synchronize your playlists, etc. etc.


BUT This is OPEN SOURCE!


1. You can download extensions to change the look, feel & functionality as you please (e.g. You can download an add-on that displays the wikipedia page for the artist currently playing). Check out the entire list of add-ons at http://addons.songbirdnest.com/


2. You're not limited to a single file format and can download music from multiple stores - itunes, amazon, emusic


3. There is a whole lot of stuff being developed - tools and even the main offering is being enhanced very quickly.


So, its only a matter of time before Songbird surpasses iTunes as the best (Free) digital audio platform in the market


0 Votes

I used Songbird for a couple of months alongside WinAmp 5.xx. Songbird is a very nice music player with lots of features and great internet intergration. But, I've returned to WinAmp for one simple reason; all of my MP3 files sound alot better when played through WinAmp. If it wasn't for this little problem i would have stuck with Songbird.


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Just because the Mozilla Foundation makes the best browser doesn't mean they're going to produce a great mp3 player


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Please let there be 'iDevice' support- iTunes gives me a headache and WMP only works properly sometimes. VLC is an ugly runt but atleast it works every time. I find winamp old school and lack luster. Looks like there are some fantastic ideas in dev. Heres hoping that this media player can roll all of them together so I can watch dvd/bluray movies, listen to an orderly music library that updates with new tracks as I obtain them and also allows me to pimp my player with shiny Vista graphics. Is it too much to ask for a slick interface? Previous efforts would confirm this. Prove me wrong :)


A vision for a unified media device proffers images of masses of data organised into a format that wastes no time in finding what you want with a high ability to customise the system. A somewhat modular program structure would be very nice and SB is making an effort by the sounds of it with their plug ins.

I am no Linux god but open source is a plus. No monopolistic company wielding their business model stick at me!


I am a glass half full kinda guy but I don't think the ultimate media program will be realised any time soon.


0 Votes
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