XMPlay
XMPlay is a freeware audio player for Windows. Initially released in 1998, it sets itself apart from its competitors by providing a particularly authentic reproduction of tracker audio files.[1]
| Original author(s) | Ian Luck |
|---|---|
| Developer(s) | Un4seen Developments |
| Stable release | 3.8.3.4
|
| Operating system | Windows 98 or later |
| Size | 360 KB |
| Available in | English, Russian, others |
| Type | Audio player |
| License | Freeware Proprietary |
| Website | www |
Overview
Developed by Un4seen Developments in 1998, it originally only supported the XM file format of Fast Tracker II, from where the name "XMPlay" originates.
Nowadays XMPlay is able to handle many more tracker file formats, as well as today's widely used streamed music formats such as MP3, Ogg Vorbis, AAC, Opus, WAV, WMA, as well as a lot of less common formats,[2] through plug-ins found on the website. Plugins from the popular Winamp audio player can also be used to extend XMPlay's capabilities.
XMPlay is very powerful yet lightweight software:[3] the whole package only takes up less than 360 KB.
The software also offers typical audio player features, such as being able to get reception from internet radio, organizing music files into playlists and the visualization of sounds generated by real-time animations.
Changing the look of the software is also available through skins.
Another notable feature that XMPlay has is that it can handle true gapless playback between files.[4][5]
Engine
XMPlay's engine for processing audio files is available as a separate program library under the name of BASS or BASSMOD (only for tracker files) or BASSASIO (Steinberg's ASIO protocol). These libraries can also be used on non-Windows operating systems, they are free for non-commercial use, with commercial use needing to pay a fee for a license (with the exception of BASSMOD, which doesn't require a license). For the Unix audio player, "X Multimedia System" (XMMS), a MOD playing plug-in based on BASSMOD is available.[6][7]