Foobar2000

Original Article ↗ Hacker News Discussion ↗

Enduring popularity & nostalgia

  • Many recall Foobar2000 as their main player after Winamp, and several still use it daily on modern Windows and macOS.
  • It’s often cited as one of the few “old-school” Windows apps that remain in active, reliable use, alongside tools like IrfanView, Total Commander, and Media Player Classic.
  • Some users say their curated local collections more or less stalled when they left Windows because nothing comparable existed on Linux/macOS.

File-based libraries vs streaming

  • Several commenters moved almost entirely to streaming due to convenience and connectivity, and don’t see themselves going back.
  • Others strongly prefer local files: for offline use (travel, planes), long-term ownership, avoiding tracking, and retaining rare or removed tracks.
  • A recurring theme is “one giant playlist on shuffle” of personally curated files, which streaming algorithms don’t replicate well.

Features & strengths

  • Praised for clean, no-nonsense UI, extreme configurability (layout, panels, themes), and a powerful plugin ecosystem.
  • Supports many obscure formats (trackers, game music, MIDI via VSTi, ZIP-in-ZIP archives), advanced DSP (speaker correction, channel routing), and ReplayGain.
  • Folder-based playback and “click a directory, play everything” behavior are valued, as is simplicity for focused listening.

Alternatives & cross-platform use

  • On Linux/BSD: DeaDBeeF, Audacious (including Winamp-style mode), mpd+ncmpcpp, cmus, mocp, VLC, Clementine/Strawberry, Quod Libet, xmms lineage.
  • On macOS/iOS: Swinsian, Cog, Ionica, Minimoon, IINA, and others are suggested; Foobar under Wine works for some, but plugin/skin issues are common.
  • Some recommend other classic-style players (AIMP, Apollo/Boom, 1by1, directory players like VUPlayer and Resonic).

Configuration, UX, and usability critiques

  • A few found they spent more time configuring Foobar than listening, or felt lost trying to recreate old setups.
  • Some find the UI dated or “meh” compared to more modern players; others see that simplicity as a virtue.
  • Directory-focused users wish folder playback were more “native” and less plugin-dependent.

Licensing & development discussion

  • Foobar is proprietary with an open plugin SDK. Some call this “parasitic” on open-source codecs/plugins.
  • The author has argued against open-sourcing; critics counter that the real reason is simply a desire for control and a low bus factor.
  • Backports to 1.5/1.6 are linked to SSE removal and older-Windows support; some infer plugin compatibility and XP-era machines as motivations.

Music sources today

  • Reported sources include: existing ripped CD collections, ongoing physical media purchases, Bandcamp and other download stores, Deezer Hi-Fi with unofficial tools, torrents, Soulseek, and public download sites.
  • Streaming (Spotify, Apple Music, etc.) is still used by many for discovery, but often not for primary listening.