madplay ☆
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Description:
MPEG Audio Decoder
Type: Formula  |  Tracked Since: Dec 28, 2025
Links: Homepage  |  formulae.brew.sh
Category: Multimedia
Tags: audio mp3 decoder multimedia cli
Install: brew install madplay
About:
Madplay is a command-line MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 audio decoder and player. It reads from stdin or file and decodes Layer I, II, and III bitstreams (commonly MP3) to raw PCM audio. Its main value is providing a lightweight, reliable tool for decoding and playing audio files without dependencies on GUI libraries.
Key Features:
  • Supports MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 Layer I, II, and III decoding
  • Outputs raw PCM audio to stdout or plays via ALSA/OSS
  • Lightweight, command-line only, suitable for embedded systems
  • Accurate decoding using the high-quality libmad library
Use Cases:
  • Decoding MP3 files to WAV/PCM for processing pipelines
  • Lightweight audio playback on headless servers or embedded devices
  • Batch conversion of audio libraries via shell scripts
Alternatives:
  • ffmpeg – More versatile; supports many codecs and formats beyond MP3, but heavier dependency
  • lame – Primarily an MP3 encoder; can also decode but focuses on encoding tasks
Version History
Detected Version Rev Change Commit
Sep 16, 2025 2:44am 3 VERSION_BUMP aebcc6c8
Sep 13, 2024 7:50pm 3 VERSION_BUMP 80cc2b9f
Aug 7, 2024 10:15am 3 VERSION_BUMP 03f9e6f4
Sep 29, 2023 5:47pm 2 VERSION_BUMP e2dfdedd
Dec 2, 2022 12:26am 2 VERSION_BUMP 287c15fd
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