Software Alternatives & Startups

ncmpcpp VS Swinsian

Compare ncmpcpp VS Swinsian and see what are their differences

ncmpcpp logo ncmpcpp

Ncurses Music Player Client (Plus Plus)

Swinsian logo Swinsian

A powerful and flexible music player for macOS
  • ncmpcpp Landing page
    Landing page //
    2021-09-22
  • Swinsian Landing page
    Landing page //
    2022-03-21

ncmpcpp features and specs

  • Feature-rich
    ncmpcpp offers a wide range of features including a media library, playlist management, cover art display, and support for Last.fm, allowing users extensive control over their music experience.
  • Customizability
    The application allows users to customize its appearance and behavior extensively, making it adaptable to individual preferences and workflows.
  • Lightweight
    ncmpcpp is lightweight and efficient, using minimal system resources while providing powerful features, making it suitable for use on older hardware.
  • Keyboard-Driven Interface
    Designed for keyboard use, ncmpcpp offers keyboard shortcuts for nearly all of its functions, allowing for fast and efficient control by experienced users.
  • Integration with MPD
    As a client for the Music Player Daemon (MPD), ncmpcpp offers seamless integration, allowing users to control their MPD music servers directly.

Possible disadvantages of ncmpcpp

  • Steep Learning Curve
    New users may find ncmpcpp challenging to learn due to its text-based interface and extensive use of keyboard shortcuts.
  • Limited Support for Non-MPD Contexts
    ncmpcpp is specifically designed as a client for MPD, so it lacks utility and integration features for users not using MPD.
  • Lack of Modern UI
    The text-based interface may be off-putting to users accustomed to graphical interfaces, potentially making it less visually appealing.
  • Configuration Complexity
    While customizable, the process of configuring and fine-tuning ncmpcpp to specific needs can be complex and time-consuming.
  • Dependency on MPD
    Since ncmpcpp is dependent on MPD, issues with MPD or incompatibility with certain versions could affect ncmpcpp's functionality.

Swinsian features and specs

  • User-Friendly Interface
    Swinsian offers a clean and intuitive interface that makes it easy for users to navigate and manage their music library.
  • Wide File Format Support
    The application supports a wide range of audio file formats, including MP3, AAC, FLAC, and more, providing flexibility for various music collections.
  • Advanced Tagging
    Swinsian offers robust tagging options that allow users to organize their music library efficiently by editing metadata such as artist, album, and genre.
  • Powerful Search Functionality
    The powerful search functionality makes it easy to find tracks quickly within a large music library.
  • Library Management Tools
    Swinsian provides various tools to manage and clean up the music library, such as duplicate track detection and library monitoring.
  • Customizable Interface
    Users can customize the interface to their liking, including options to adjust the layout and appearance.

Possible disadvantages of Swinsian

  • Mac-Only
    Swinsian is available only for macOS, limiting its availability to Windows and Linux users.
  • Paid Software
    Swinsian is not free software; it requires a purchase, which might be a downside for users looking for free alternatives.
  • Lack of Streaming Service Integration
    The application does not support integration with popular music streaming services like Spotify or Apple Music.
  • Limited Support and Updates
    Compared to some other music management applications, Swinsian may have less frequent updates and a smaller support community.
  • No Mobile Version
    There is no mobile version of Swinsian, which limits its use to desktop environments only.

Analysis of Swinsian

Overall verdict

  • Swinsian is generally well-received by users who are looking for a powerful and lightweight alternative to Apple's iTunes or the Music app. It has a strong reputation for stability, performance, and ease of use, making it a solid choice for macOS users.

Why this product is good

  • Swinsian is a popular music player for macOS due to its robust library management features, wide format support, and customizable interface. It is appreciated for its minimalistic design, efficient handling of large music libraries, and seamless integration with existing music collections.

Recommended for

  • Users with large music collections who need efficient library management.
  • Mac users who prefer a lightweight and customizable music player.
  • Individuals seeking support for a wide variety of audio formats.
  • People who want an alternative to the default Apple Music app without a cloud-based model.

ncmpcpp videos

Ncmpcpp: The Best MPD Client With The Worst Name

More videos:

  • Review - Spotify + Mopidy + ncmpcpp = The most Linux way to listen to Spotify!
  • Review - Linux Language Learning Workflow (Part 1: mpd, ncmpcpp + trans with Assimil)

Swinsian videos

swinsian time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Category Popularity

0-100% (relative to ncmpcpp and Swinsian)
Audio Player
21 21%
79% 79
Music Streaming
0 0%
100% 100
Media Player
100 100%
0% 0
Audio & Music
0 0%
100% 100

User comments

Share your experience with using ncmpcpp and Swinsian. For example, how are they different and which one is better?
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Social recommendations and mentions

Based on our record, Swinsian seems to be more popular. It has been mentiond 29 times since March 2021. We are tracking product recommendations and mentions on various public social media platforms and blogs. They can help you identify which product is more popular and what people think of it.

ncmpcpp mentions (0)

We have not tracked any mentions of ncmpcpp yet. Tracking of ncmpcpp recommendations started around Mar 2021.

Swinsian mentions (29)

  • Why I Ditched Spotify, and How I Set Up My Own Music Stack
    Recently I gave up on Apple Music. The clients had gotten so bad from a UX perspective that I found it frustrating to use. Especially on desktop. There is also no easy way to cache your _entire_ library to disk. Other services+clients are heaps of Electron that I'd rather avoid. It took some effort and pain but I have a pretty solid self-hosted system now that requires no futzing around: 0. epoupon's Lightweight... - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
  • Show HN: Petrichor – a free, open-source, offline music player for macOS
    If you are looking for a “old school iTunes” kind of player there’s also https://swinsian.com/. - Source: Hacker News / about 1 year ago
  • Foobar2000
    I can recommend Swinsian on macOS: https://swinsian.com/ It's a wonderful music player that handles large libraries and is quite customisable (especially smart playlists). - Source: Hacker News / about 2 years ago
  • Is Plexamp an effective solution for moving local files to an iOS device without iTunes?
    It does. Give a try to Swinsian instead, it's not free but it worth every pennies. I manage a 20k+ flac collection with ease with it. Source: over 3 years ago
  • Can anyone recommend a good Mac mp3 player to add star ratings to tracks?
    Swinsian is one of the best music players on macOS - you can edit idv3 tags directly from the player. Source: over 3 years ago
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What are some alternatives?

When comparing ncmpcpp and Swinsian, you can also consider the following products

C* Music Player - cmus is a small, fast and powerful console music player for Linux and *BSD.

Apple Music - Apple Music app combines your personal iTunes library with Apple's music subscription service. Music you have purchased from the iTunes store, or synced over from other sources, is available in the "Library" tab. Read more about Apple Music.

kew - A terminal music player for Linux.

TIDAL - Tidal is a streaming music service supported by some of the most influential artists working in the industry.

AIMP - AIMP : Free Audio Player : Официальный сайт программы

Last.fm - The world's largest online music service. Listen online, find out more about your favourite artists, and get music recommendations, only at Last.fm