Our verdict: Quod Libet suits people who keep a large, carefully tagged music collection and want to search and edit it precisely. Its search language and tag editor are more powerful than most players offer. The GTK interface looks plain on Windows, and there is no streaming service support.
About Quod Libet
Quod Libet is an open source audio player written in Python on top of the Mutagen tagging library. The project describes it as built around the idea that you know how to organize your music better than the program does, and it scales to libraries with tens of thousands of songs.
Playlists and searches can use plain words or regular expressions over any tag. The same tag editing engine is available as Ex Falso, a separate tagger without the player. Quod Libet also handles ReplayGain, album art, podcasts and internet radio.
What it does well
- Regex search. Search and build playlists with plain text or regular expressions over any tag.
- Any-tag editing. Shows and edits every tag in a file, not only a fixed set of fields.
- Ex Falso tagger. The same tag editor runs as a standalone program without the player.
- ReplayGain. Plays tracks and albums at an even volume using ReplayGain tags.
- Podcasts and radio. Subscribes to podcast feeds and plays internet radio stations.
Who it is for
Good fit
Collectors with large local FLAC or MP3 libraries who want precise searching and tag control.
Look elsewhere
Spotify or YouTube Music users, and people who want a modern Windows-style interface.
Pros and cons
Pros
- Very flexible search with regular expressions
- Edits any tag, in bulk
- Handles large libraries
- No ads or accounts
Cons
- GTK interface looks out of place on Windows
- No streaming services
- Current macOS builds are only unofficial
How to install Quod Libet
Download the Windows installer from the project's downloads page; a portable build is listed there too. On first start, add your music folder in the library preferences and let it scan. Learn a few search examples from the documentation; that is where Quod Libet differs most from other players.
Questions about Quod Libet
Is Quod Libet free?
Yes. It is open source under the GNU GPL v2 with no paid edition.
What is Ex Falso?
Ex Falso is the tag editor from Quod Libet as a separate program, for people who want to keep their current player and only edit tags.
