deadbeef
DeaDBeeF plays and converts audio formats across Linux, macOS, Windows, and other Unix-like systems.
About deadbeef
DeaDBeeF is a modular cross-platform audio player compatible with GNU/Linux, macOS, Windows, *BSD, OpenSolaris and other Unix-like systems. It supports playback of a wide range of audio formats including common lossy and lossless files, chiptune formats, tracker modules, and formats decoded via FFmpeg. The player also offers audio conversion, tag reading and writing, cuesheet support, customizable UI and DSP plugins, gapless playback, ReplayGain, album art display, and internet radio streaming.
Key features
- Plays common lossy/lossless, chiptune, tracker and FFmpeg-supported audio formats
- Converts audio between formats with optional preprocessing like downsampling
- Reads and writes ID3, APEv2, VorbisComments and other tag/metadata formats
- Supports embedded and external cuesheets with automatic album track splitting
- Includes customizable 18-band graphical equalizer and other DSP plugins
- Streams internet radio via Shoutcast/Icecast and MMS protocols
Best for: It is best suited for users of Linux, macOS, Windows and other Unix-like systems who want a highly customizable audio player with broad format support, conversion and streaming capabilities.
Good for
- Supports a very wide range of audio and chiptune formats
- Offers highly customizable UI and DSP pipeline with plugin support
- Includes built-in audio conversion and internet radio streaming
Watch out for
- Streaming radio is limited to selected formats and transport protocols
- Some non-unicode tag charset support requires optional configuration
- The software is not open source per provided directory data
deadbeef at a glance
- Website
- deadbeef.sourceforge.io
- Category
- Software & Utilities › Media Players & Servers
- Type
- Website
- Pricing
- Not confirmed. Check the site
- Platforms
- Linux, macOS, Web, Windows
- Open source
- Not stated
- Language
- English
- Last checked
- Oct 6, 2026 · Online when checked
- Listed
- Oct 5, 2026
Guides for Media Players & Servers
deadbeef alternatives
Tools and sites you could use instead, ranked by how closely they match.
Play audio and video formats with SMPlayer, a media player for Windows and Linux that includes built-in codecs.
Play media from the command line with mpv, a free, open-source player supporting many formats, codecs, and subtitle types.
VLC plays multimedia files, discs, streams, and devices, and can also convert, encode, and stream media.
Open source
24 alternatives
Play media from the command line with mpv, which supports a wide range of formats, codecs, and subtitles.
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deadbeef FAQ
What audio formats does DeaDBeeF support?
It plays common formats like MP3, OGG, FLAC, AAC, ALAC, WAV, plus chiptune, tracker modules, and FFmpeg-supported formats.
Can DeaDBeeF convert audio files to other formats?
Yes, its converter plugin can transcode files, with optional preprocessing like downsampling or equalizer adjustment.
Does DeaDBeeF support cuesheet files?
Yes, it supports embedded and external cuesheets, with automatic charset detection, album track splitting, and smart heuristics for matching cuesheets to audio files.
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