Don't say "ITunes"
March 17, 2012 2:47 PM Subscribe
I need a music player for Mac OS that emulates Windows Winamp.
I just switched to a Macbook. I like music. On Windows I love Winamp- mainly for the fact that I can browse my library in an intelligent way (filtering by artist, then album, then song), and then drag these songs onto a "now playing" list.
This seems so intuitive and well-done that everyone should be copying it. They're not. Songbird comes close, but there is no "now playing" list. You have to put things on a playlist, which you can't really see until you're playing it. I am aware of extensions but the one I added which claimed to help with this was buggy and impossible to use.
Mac Winamp seems to be a joke with almost no options. Either it was always that way or they recently ruined it. I would use an older version if it emulated the Windows version, but I can't find one.
I will not use iTunes. Is there a decent choice for Mac OS, or should I run Windows Winamp in Parallels?
Once more with feeling: I will not use iTunes.
I just switched to a Macbook. I like music. On Windows I love Winamp- mainly for the fact that I can browse my library in an intelligent way (filtering by artist, then album, then song), and then drag these songs onto a "now playing" list.
This seems so intuitive and well-done that everyone should be copying it. They're not. Songbird comes close, but there is no "now playing" list. You have to put things on a playlist, which you can't really see until you're playing it. I am aware of extensions but the one I added which claimed to help with this was buggy and impossible to use.
Mac Winamp seems to be a joke with almost no options. Either it was always that way or they recently ruined it. I would use an older version if it emulated the Windows version, but I can't find one.
I will not use iTunes. Is there a decent choice for Mac OS, or should I run Windows Winamp in Parallels?
Once more with feeling: I will not use iTunes.
I hate iTunes too, and I asked your question before.
I use either Spotify or VLC.
Against your strong words, though, iTunes is far, far better on mac than on PC if you haven't looked at it.
posted by cmoj at 3:14 PM on March 17, 2012 [2 favorites]
I use either Spotify or VLC.
Against your strong words, though, iTunes is far, far better on mac than on PC if you haven't looked at it.
posted by cmoj at 3:14 PM on March 17, 2012 [2 favorites]
I'm running Linux, but I know XMMS and Audacious are Linux alternatives for Winamp. A quick search revealed that Vox is a Mac alternative for Audacious.
Beyond that, seconding VLC.
posted by retypepassword at 3:53 PM on March 17, 2012
Beyond that, seconding VLC.
posted by retypepassword at 3:53 PM on March 17, 2012
Possibly Amarok, which is mainly a linux thing but I recall there being an OSX port.
posted by curious nu at 5:03 PM on March 17, 2012
posted by curious nu at 5:03 PM on March 17, 2012
Cog is also an option but has not been updated in years. Source should be available if you are of a codey mind (it has a tendency to crash on current OS versions).
posted by curious nu at 5:05 PM on March 17, 2012
posted by curious nu at 5:05 PM on March 17, 2012
I've been using Play and Decibel of late on OSX - simple, fast apps with easy to create "now playing" playlists a la Winamp...
posted by tkbarbarian at 5:19 PM on March 17, 2012
posted by tkbarbarian at 5:19 PM on March 17, 2012
A second for Vox. I mostly use iTunes, but when I need to easily play a bunch of audio files without dealing with library features, it's my go-to.
posted by raygan at 5:39 PM on March 17, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by raygan at 5:39 PM on March 17, 2012 [1 favorite]
Once more with feeling: I will not use iTunes.
Too bad. It does this:
On Windows I love Winamp- mainly for the fact that I can browse my library in an intelligent way (filtering by artist, then album, then song), and then drag these songs onto a "now playing" list.
posted by caek at 6:39 PM on March 17, 2012 [5 favorites]
Too bad. It does this:
On Windows I love Winamp- mainly for the fact that I can browse my library in an intelligent way (filtering by artist, then album, then song), and then drag these songs onto a "now playing" list.
posted by caek at 6:39 PM on March 17, 2012 [5 favorites]
I'm a big fan of Enqueue. Superficially looks more like iTunes than Winamp, but:
• It isn't horrible bloatware
• Has a "now playing" list
• Good quick artist/album/track filtering
• Good file format support (incl. FLAC)
• Supports Last.FM scrobbling
Available on the Mac app store, more info here.
posted by ChristopherS at 5:25 AM on March 18, 2012
• It isn't horrible bloatware
• Has a "now playing" list
• Good quick artist/album/track filtering
• Good file format support (incl. FLAC)
• Supports Last.FM scrobbling
Available on the Mac app store, more info here.
posted by ChristopherS at 5:25 AM on March 18, 2012
Purely out of curiousity, what's the issue with iTunes?
I promise not to argue, but the last several people who expressed this to me were simply unaware of some easily alterable preferences or file system management options.
I've found it to be far and away the most flexible and capable music player/library organizer/mp3 tagger available, and I've tried a lot of programs over the last 10 years on my 60k+ song collection.
iTunes can and will do everything you specify, without fuss. You can completely prevent it from touching your files if that's what you are trying to avoid.
posted by Aquaman at 8:40 AM on March 18, 2012 [2 favorites]
I promise not to argue, but the last several people who expressed this to me were simply unaware of some easily alterable preferences or file system management options.
I've found it to be far and away the most flexible and capable music player/library organizer/mp3 tagger available, and I've tried a lot of programs over the last 10 years on my 60k+ song collection.
iTunes can and will do everything you specify, without fuss. You can completely prevent it from touching your files if that's what you are trying to avoid.
posted by Aquaman at 8:40 AM on March 18, 2012 [2 favorites]
You can use the "iTunes DJ" mode on iTunes to get something like the now-playing list you want, with the caveat that once you run out of tracks it will continue playing by shuffling your library.
posted by fifthrider at 12:05 PM on March 18, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by fifthrider at 12:05 PM on March 18, 2012 [1 favorite]
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Blazecock Pileon at 3:12 PM on March 17, 2012