MPD is a powerful server-side application for playing music. In a home environment, you can connect an MPD server to a Hi-Fi system, and control the server using a notebook or smartphone. You can, of course, play audio files on remote clients. MPD can be started system-wide or on a per-user basis.
MPD runs in the background playing music from its playlist. Client programs communicate with MPD to manipulate playback, the playlist, and the database.
The client–server model provides advantages over all-inclusive music players. Clients can communicate with the server remotely over an intranet or over the Internet. The server can be a headless computer located anywhere on a network.
There’s graphical clients, console clients and web-based clients.
To provide an insight into the quality of software that is available, we have compiled a list of 8 best graphical MPD clients. Hopefully, there will be something of interest here for anyone who wants to listen to their music collection via MPD.
Here’s our verdict captured in a legendary LinuxLinks-style ratings chart. All the software featured here is published under an open source license.
Let’s explore the 10 graphical MPD clients at hand. For each title we have written a detailed review.
| Graphical MPD Clients | |
|---|---|
| Quimup | Qt-based MPD client with a lovely mini-mode |
| Cantata | Feature-rich and user friendly client offering an excellent and intuitive interface |
| Ymuse | Easy, functional, and snappy GTK front-end |
| Euphonica | MPD client with delusions of grandeur |
| Plattenalbum | GTK front-end for MPD. It’s written in Python |
| Sonata | Lightweight GTK+ music client. Small and elegant |
| CoverGrid | Unlike other clients, it concentrates on albums. |
| SkyMPC | Simple MPD client |
| xfmpc | GTK+ MPD client focusing on a low footprint |
| mpz | Music player with MPD support |
This article has been updated to reflect the changes outlined in our recent announcement.
 Explore our carefully curated directory of recommended free and open source software, covering every major software category.The directory forms part of our extensive collection of articles for Linux enthusiasts. It includes hundreds of detailed reviews, together with free and open source alternatives to proprietary software from companies such as Google, Microsoft, Apple, Adobe, IBM, Cisco, Oracle, and Autodesk. LinuxLinks also covers interesting projects worth exploring, Linux-compatible hardware, free programming books and tutorials, and much more. Know a useful free and open source Linux application that we haven’t covered? Tell us about it using our submission form. |
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Cantata is my favorite graphical client too. Everything is really polished, it’s very snappy and has every feature you could possibly want.