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Discovering the best MP3 Managers for Mac can be a rewarding pursuit. While iTunes offers convenience, it can sometimes become a cumbersome and less intuitive application that engulfs a substantial chunk of your Mac’s storage. Thankfully, a range of alternative MP3 management tools is available, each vying to offer user-friendly interfaces, robust performance, and a streamlined user experience. In this article, we delve into the realm of the ‘Best MP3 Managers for Mac,’ exploring software options that excel in providing an intuitive interface, reliable functionality, and an uncomplicated overall journey.
These apps provide you with the essential tools to manage, play, organize, and modify your music collection without the extraneous clutter that is typically included with iTunes. Even though it is not possible to purchase media through these programs, they do an excellent job of delivering a streamlined and trouble-free experience for music management and enjoyment on your Mac.
Best MP3 Managers for Mac Comparison Table
| Product | Cross-Platform | Supported Formats | Customization Options | Streaming Support | Download Link |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plexamp | Yes | MP3, FLAC, ALAC, AAC, WAV | Limited | Yes | Download Now |
| Clementine | Yes | MP3, FLAC, AAC, WAV, OGG | Extensive | No | Download Now |
| IINA | No | MP3, FLAC, AAC, WAV, OGG | Limited | No | Download Now |
| VOX | Yes | MP3, FLAC, AAC, WAV, ALAC | Extensive | Yes | Download Now |
| Elmedia | Yes | MP3, FLAC, AAC, WAV, ALAC | Limited | Yes | Download Now |
Plexamp
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Intelligent Play Queue | Creates a personalized playlist based on your listening habits and ratings. |
| Gapless Playback | Seamlessly transitions between songs for a smooth listening experience. |
| Visualizers | Offers a variety of visually appealing effects to accompany your music. |
| Offline Listening | Allows you to download your favorite songs and listen to them offline. |
| Customizable Interface | Tailor the app’s appearance and layout to suit your preferences. |
Plexamp is similar to Winamp, which I’ve used for a long time. Plexamp is more of an inspired successor than a real one, and it works well on a Mac. It keeps track of music, plays it, and uses the great Plex to send your music to any connected device, which is a big win. If you don’t already have Plex working, you’ll need to set it up a bit, but once it’s up and running, it’s easy to use.
If you want, you can set up Plex to work only offline and use it to manage all of the files on your computer. Plexamp only works with MP3 files, so if you want to use video, you will need another media player.
The Good
- Putting together smart playlists helps you find new music.
- Gapless playback means you can listen without any breaks.
- Visualizers that are easy on the eyes add a visual element to your enjoyment of music.
The Bad
- Some users may find that there are too many features.
- Only works with a limited number of file formats.
Clementine
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Cross-Platform Support | Available on multiple operating systems, including Windows, macOS, and Linux. |
| Smart Playlists | Automatically generates playlists based on criteria like genre, rating, and more. |
| Online Music Services | Integration with various online platforms, such as SoundCloud and Spotify. |
| Remote Control | Control your music playback remotely using the Clementine Android app. |
| Transcoding Support | Converts audio files to different formats on the fly for seamless compatibility. |
Clementine is a great music manager, which is why I mentioned it in my article about MP3 managers for Windows. Clementine can handle both the music on your computer and the music in the cloud. It can play all kinds of files and let you edit, tag, create visualizations, podcasts, and do all sorts of other things with media.
Clementine is also free, which is shocking considering how powerful the program is. It works well, plays music and keeps track of it, and is easy to set up and use. Clementine will work if Plexamp doesn’t.
The Good
- Wide cross-platform availability means that users on different systems will be able to use it.
- Smart playlists make it easy to find and organize music based on what you like.
- When you connect to popular online music services, your music library gets bigger.
- Having a remote control makes it easier to control your music playback.
The Bad
- Users who want a modern look might not like a user interface that looks old.
- Some users have said that their computers sometimes freeze or become unstable.
IINA
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Modern Interface | Offers a sleek and visually appealing user interface for an enjoyable media experience. |
| Wide Format Support | Plays a broad range of media formats, including popular video and audio file types. |
| Advanced Playback | Provides advanced features like customizable subtitles, video filters, and more. |
| Streamlined Controls | Intuitive and user-friendly controls make navigating and managing media effortless. |
| Integrated Browser | Allows you to browse and stream online content directly within the application. |
The Mac MP3 player IINA tried hard from the start to stand out. Even though the style and features are strange, it’s fun to use, if a little strange. Support for formats and viewing quality aren’t anything special, but once you see the user interface, you’ll know the difference.
IINA is a Mac MP3 player that uses trackpad movements, the Touch Bar, dark mode, and other macOS system features to their fullest. This is unusual for MP3 players for Mac. IINA’s uncanny authenticity makes the user feel like they are part of the Apple environment. It’s not very common for apps to try to “blend in” with macOS, but IINA went in an interesting and interesting way.
The Good
- The overall user experience is improved by modern interface design.
- It works with a wide range of media files because it supports so many formats.
- Subtitles and video filters can be changed in more advanced playback features.
The Bad
- Some users have had problems with performance now and then.
- Some rare file formats might not be supported fully.
VOX
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Hi-Res Audio Support | Delivers high-quality audio playback with support for lossless and high-resolution audio formats. |
| SoundCloud Integration | Access and stream your favorite tracks from SoundCloud directly within the VOX app. |
| Online Radio | Discover and listen to a wide variety of online radio stations from around the world. |
| Music Cloud Storage | Sync and access your music library across multiple devices. |
| EQ and Audio Effects | Customize your audio experience with equalizer settings and various audio effects. |
This Mac MP3 player app has a lot of cool and useful features. If you want to listen to old low-fidelity music, this is one of the best radio apps. But it also has some current features like cloud storage, syncing playlists, and even high-end extras like gapless playback. If you like music, VOX is the MP3 player for Mac that will suit your preferences.
But it comes with a monthly fee, which is one of the worst ways to make money. If you already pay for streaming services like Spotify, the $5 you have to pay each month adds up quickly. Is it worth the time and effort? You decide. Even though there is a licensing fee, the fact that VOX is one of our top picks for the best Mac MP3 players says a lot about how good it is.
The Good
- High-resolution and lossless formats can be used, and the audio quality is excellent.
- Your music library gets bigger when you easily connect to SoundCloud.
The Bad
- At first, some users may find the interface hard to understand or overwhelming.
Elmedia
| Feature | Description |
|---|---|
| Wide Format Support | Plays a broad range of media formats, including video and audio files. |
| Streaming to Smart TVs | Stream media content from Elmedia directly to your smart TV for a larger viewing experience. |
| Online Video Downloading | Download online videos from popular platforms like YouTube and Vimeo for offline viewing. |
| Subtitle Support | Add and customize subtitles for your videos for enhanced accessibility and viewing experience. |
| Playback Control | Control playback speed, direction, and other parameters for a personalized viewing experience. |
Elmedia Player is a music player that Mac users like for a number of reasons. First, it meets the highest standards for how an audio player for Mac should play music. Second, Elmedia Player can play a large number of files, such as M4A, MP3, AAC, WMA, OGG, AC3, etc. It can even play FLAC files on a Mac, which Apple Music (which used to be called iTunes) can’t. Also, Elmedia works well with the most recent macOSes.
Elmedia has a lot of great features, like a 10-band graphic equalizer with presets and built-in volume controls for sound. With its AC-3/DTS hardware passthrough and wireless connection through AirPlay, DLNA, and Chromecast, this high-end Mac MP3 player lets you play music however and wherever you want. Give it a try for free to see all the options.
The Good
- It works with a wide range of media files because it supports so many formats.
- Streaming works without any problems on smart TVs, which makes watching more immersive.
The Bad
- Compared to dedicated music players, it doesn’t have as many ways to play music.
FAQs
Yes, you can get iTunes, Vox, and MusicBee (via third-party tools) as free MP3 players for your Mac. These free options let you manage your MP3 files with basic to advanced tools.
Yes, most MP3 managers have tools that let you change things like the song title, artist, album, genre, and album art. You can easily keep track of and change the information about your MP3 files.
Yes, most MP3 managers can play a wide range of audio formats, including famous ones like AAC, WAV, FLAC, and OGG. Make sure to check which file types the MP3 software you choose can handle.