Tauon music player, previously known as Tauon Music Box, has introduced native PipeWire audio playback on Linux, currently in an experimental phase.
Devotees of this efficient music player expressed their desire for inherent PipeWire compatibility, prompting developers to act. The recent Tauon 7.8.1 version now comes with built-in PipeWire support.
For context, Tauon was previously compatible with PipeWire through the pipewire-pulse compatibility layer. With the current update, however, Tauon can directly connect with PipeWire, leveraging its full array of features.
However, there are still some bugs and occasional glitches that can cause the system to crash, so the native PipeWire backend isn’t switched on by default yet. It is available for users who are eager to experiment or are experiencing issues with the standard PulseAudio configuration.
Other changes in Tauon 7.8.1 include:
.aifffiles now import correctly- Improved compatibility for parsing CUE sheets
- Jellyfin library imports are now faster
- Tweaks to how albums are grouped in the gallery view
And that’s this update in a nutshell (a bunch of other new features were added in the 10 year anniversary release earlier this year).
“Why should I use Tauon if {alternative player} does everything I need?” – Eh, this is just a news article about the latest update, not an opinion piece or general review.
Tauon is known for being a robust, playlist-centric music player that utilizes GStreamer technology. It includes a variety of features, integrations, and customization options, in addition to strong compatibility with media servers like Jellyfin.
One critical point of discussion is its unique user interface. Described often as “opinionated,” the UI is not native, which might not appeal to everyone. Although user experience consistency is crucial for many, particularly those who prefer GNOME Shell, this is not a universal preference.
This distinctive UI also allows the implementation of various attractive ‘mini modes’ that might be particularly appealing to those who enjoy Linux visual enhancements, providing an interesting alternative to traditional ‘now playing’ displays like Conky setups or other standalone applications. It also supports theming, though a Yaru theme is not available yet.
Interested in the most recent version?
Linux users can access Tauon via Flathub, or can compile the program using the source code from its GitHub page. Windows users can download the official installers from the project’s website.