Songbird (software)

Songbird is a free and open source software audio player and web browser, with a stated mission "to incubate Songbird, the first Web player, to catalyze and champion a diverse, open Media Web."^[3]

Songbird utilizes the cross-platform frameworks Mozilla XULRunner and GStreamer media framework, and largely capable of running on Microsoft Windows, Apple Mac OS X, Solaris and Linux.

In January 2010, Philips announced they will ship a personalized version of Songbird with some of their line of portable audio/video players.^[4]

On April 2, 2010, it was announced that POTI Inc. will drop official Linux support ending with Songbird version 1.7.2. POTI Inc. would instead focus on its Windows and Mac OS X versions of Songbird, providing only unofficial support for Linux releases.^[1] Linux builds are still being offered, but only as nightly builds (not on the main page) and they are not tested by the developers.

Features

• Multi-platform compatibility with Windows XP, Vista and Mac OS X v10.5 (x86, x86-64). In April 2010, the Songbird team announced they would drop Linux support starting with 1.7.2 (NOFX), and begin releasing only on Windows and OS X.^[1]
• Ability to play multiple audio formats, such as MP3, AAC, Ogg Vorbis, FLAC, Apple Lossless and WMA
• Ability to play Apple FairPlay-encoded audio on Windows and Mac platforms via hooks into QuickTime (authorization takes place in iTunes)
• Ability to play Windows Media DRM audio on Windows platforms
• A skinnable interface, via feathers
• Media files stored on pages viewed in the browser show up as playable files in Songbird
• MP3 file download
• Ability to subscribe to MP3 blogs as playlists
• Ability to build custom mixes
• Ability to scan the user's computer for all audio files and add them to a local library
• A configurable and collapsible graphical user interface similar to iTunes, and mini-player mode
• Keyboard shortcuts and media keyboard support
• Automatic updates
• Last.fm integration via a plugin, complete with love/hate buttons
• Insound.com and HypeMachine integration
• Microsoft MTP compatible device support
• Ability to edit and save metadata tags
• Gapless Playback & ReplayGain
• Watch Folders
• Media Importing / Exportings (from and to iTunes)
• Automatic Library Files Organization
• Last.fm Radio

Add-ons

Extensions

Users can add features and change functionality in Songbird by installing extensions. Extensions are similar to the Extensions for the Firefox browser and can be easily ported.^[5] Community coded extensions are available on Songbird's addons support page. Known community designed extensions are: Qloud Tagging & Search, eMusic Integration, iTunes Importer, Artist Tracker, Library File Organizer, Audioscrobbler Notifier, Wikipedia Artist Display, SHOUTcast Radio Directory, UnPlug, Adblock Plus, Taglib metadata handler, and ChatZilla.

Skins

Skins are referred to as "feathers" in Songbird, and give users and artists the ability to change the look of Songbird via an extension which generates a default skin. Using CSS (and optionally XUL), and an image manipulation program such as Photoshop or GIMP, users are then able to make Songbird look however they want.

Release history

Songbird was founded by Rob Lord and developed by Pioneers of the Inevitable (with members who previously developed for both Winamp^[6] and the Yahoo! Music Engine).

See also

• Comparison of video player software
• List of feed aggregators
• Comparison of feed aggregators
• Qtrax, a client based on Songbird.
• Nightingale (software), a Songbird fork for Linux
• Mozilla

References

External links

• Songbird homepage
• Songbird Add-ons
• Songbird, the "open source iTunes killer," flies today - Boing Boing interview with Rob Lord
• Lord of the Birds…Songbird - Interview with Rob Lord
• Songbird ver. 1.4.2 review at Lifehacker.com - December 23, 2009, accessed January 14, 2010
• Songbird, music player that wants to do everything, loses CEO - Songbird loses CEO
• Frenchbirds, a French Songbird community