cmus
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Description:
Music player with an ncurses based interface
Type: Formula  |  Latest Version: 2.12.0@3  |  Tracked Since: Dec 17, 2025
Links: Homepage  |  formulae.brew.sh
Category: Multimedia
Tags: music-player ncurses terminal audio command-line
Install: brew install cmus
About:
cmus is a lightweight, terminal-based music player designed for efficiency and speed. It provides a powerful ncurses interface that allows for detailed library management and playback control directly from the command line. It supports a wide variety of audio formats through plugins, making it a versatile choice for audio enthusiasts.
Key Features:
  • Lightweight and fast operation with minimal resource usage
  • Powerful vim-like keybindings for efficient navigation
  • Extensive format support via input plugins (FFmpeg, FLAC, etc.)
  • Advanced library filtering and playlist management
Use Cases:
  • Managing and playing large music collections on headless servers or remote machines
  • Using a feature-rich audio player without leaving the terminal or using a mouse
  • Running a stable music player on low-spec hardware or inside screen/tmux sessions
Alternatives:
  • mpd – mpd is a daemon-based music player that separates the server from the client, whereas cmus is a self-contained application.
  • moc – moc is another ncurses player, but cmus is often noted for its more advanced library management and plugin architecture.
License: GPL-2.0-or-later
Dependencies: faad2, ffmpeg@7, flac, libao, libcue, libogg, libvorbis, mad, mp4v2, ncurses, opusfile, alsa-lib, pulseaudio
Bottles available for: arm64_tahoe, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_ventura, sonoma, ventura, arm64_linux, x86_64_linux
Version History
Detected Version Rev Change Commit
Nov 17, 2024 8:37pm 0 VERSION_BUMP 61891acf
Oct 26, 2024 12:29pm 0 VERSION_BUMP 1df1f90e
Sep 13, 2024 2:30am 0 VERSION_BUMP de0df550