Audacious 4.4.1 Released with Under the Hood Improvements

Audacious, the open-source, cross-platform music player, has released a new update, version 4.4.1. While this release doesn't introduce any groundbreaking new features, it focuses on refining existing functionalities and addressing user-reported issues. This approach, prioritizing polish and improvement, is a welcome change for users who appreciate the stability and reliability of Audacious.

Under the Hood Improvements

One of the most noticeable changes in Audacious 4.4.1 is the enhanced support for existing features. For instance, the Winamp skin users will now enjoy the titlebar dimming feature within the GTK UI. Similarly, the GTK UI offers the option to fully hide playlist tabs, providing a cleaner and more streamlined interface.

This update also expands the range of MPRIS metadata fields supported by Audacious, enabling richer metadata display and integration with other desktop environments. In terms of performance, the Sndio output plugin boasts improved control responsiveness, while the Speed and Pitch plugin now supports a minimum speed of 0.25, adding more flexibility for audio manipulation.

Addressing Compatibility and Functionality

The Qt Multimedia output plugin now enjoys full support for Qt 6, ensuring compatibility with the latest Qt versions. The FFmpeg plugin has been enhanced to detect and import .adx files, expanding the range of audio formats supported by Audacious.

For users who prefer CDDB functionality, it is now an optional feature for the Audio CD plugin, providing greater control and flexibility. Notably, the PulseAudio plugin is now preferred over the PipeWire plugin to ensure better backwards compatibility. However, users can still override this setting if they find the PipeWire plugin performs better on their system.

Ubuntu Users Rejoice: Drag and Drop Functionality Under Wayland

Ubuntu users using the GTK UI will be delighted to discover that drag and drop functionality now works seamlessly under Wayland. This makes loading music files from folders significantly faster and more convenient.

Addressing Bugs and Issues

This release also addresses several bugs and issues reported by users. A fix for writing tags to audio files on Windows ensures accurate metadata management. The reduced CPU usage when using the Qt Multimedia output plugin improves performance and reduces system load. Finally, scroll buttons for playlist tabs have been implemented for macOS users, enhancing the usability of the playlist management feature.

Staying Updated: Download and Installation Options

Audacious 4.4.1 is available for download on the official project website, offering versions for Windows, macOS, and Linux. Alternatively, users can obtain the source code from Github and compile it themselves.

While Audacious is available on Flathub, the latest version (4.4.1) is not yet available at the time of writing. An unofficial Audacious snap is also available, although it only offers GTK mode and hasn't been updated to version 4.4.1.

Conclusion

Audacious 4.4.1 focuses on refining existing functionalities, addressing compatibility issues, and improving overall user experience. By focusing on these aspects, this release demonstrates the commitment of the Audacious development team to provide a stable, reliable, and feature-rich music player for all users.