foobar2000 is a free audio player for Windows built around a music library and playlists. Alongside listening, it can edit the information stored in audio files, convert tracks to other formats and extract music from audio CDs.
Music library
The media library indexes music in folders you choose and can monitor those folders for changes. File-type filters control what enters the index, while library viewers provide access to the collection. An optional selection playlist follows the tracks selected in a library viewer, connecting browsing directly to a playable list.
foobar2000 also supports searches based on track information and autoplaylists built from queries. An autoplaylist updates as the library changes, so a selection based on metadata does not have to be rebuilt manually whenever matching music is added.
Track tags
The Properties dialog edits metadata for a single track or a selected group. For an album, you can apply one shared artist or album value while keeping separate titles for each song. Automatic track numbering uses the selected order, and the artwork controls let you add or remove images such as a front cover, back cover or disc picture.
When useful information is present in filenames rather than tags, Automatically Fill Values can transfer it using a pattern you specify. For example, a consistent artist, album and track naming arrangement can supply the corresponding metadata fields.
Formats, gapless playback and radio
foobar2000 plays formats including MP3, AAC, Apple Lossless, FLAC, Ogg Vorbis, Opus, WAV and WavPack. Additional decoder components extend the range of playable files. It can also play audio inside ZIP, 7-Zip and RAR archives without requiring you to extract those files first.
Gapless playback keeps adjoining tracks continuous, including recordings split into separate files. The player can remember the current track and position when it closes and resume them on the next startup. Listening can also extend beyond stored files: foobar2000 supports internet radio, integrates with Radio Browser and can control network audio players or foobar2000 on another device over a local network.
ReplayGain
The ReplayGain scanner analyzes loudness and stores adjustment information with the tracks. Playback can use individual track gain to reduce loudness differences across a mixed selection, or album gain to retain the relative levels between songs on an album. Applying these tags during playback changes the listening level without re-encoding the audio.
Playback controls include gain adjustment and clipping prevention based on peak information. Separate preamp settings are available for music with and without ReplayGain data, so unscanned files can have their own default level adjustment.
Audio conversion
The Converter takes selected playlist tracks and creates files in another format. It accepts anything the configured player can decode. WAV and AIFF are among its built-in output choices; compressed outputs such as MP3 and FLAC use separate encoder binaries. The Free Encoder Pack supplies several of these encoders.
Conversion settings control the destination folder, filename pattern and whether tracks become individual files or are combined. You can transfer tags to the new files and save the configuration as a preset for later jobs. Applying ReplayGain or DSP processing during conversion changes the generated audio itself, whereas transferring ReplayGain information copies the adjustment data for a player to use later.
CD ripping
For audio CDs, foobar2000 lets you choose a drive and tracks, enter album and song information, then send the extraction through the Converter or a saved conversion preset. The selected output settings determine the resulting music files.
Secure ripping rereads audio to check for consistent results; stronger checking takes longer. AccurateRip verification can compare the extracted audio with results submitted by other listeners and display the comparison when extraction finishes. Drive offset correction is available to account for where a particular drive begins reading the audio samples.
Customizing foobar2000’s interface
The default interface is assembled from elements such as a playlist view, Album List, library search and album artwork. Splitters divide the window into resizable areas, and tabs hold different views. Quick Appearance Setup offers predefined arrangements, while layout editing lets you place and copy elements. A finished configuration can be exported as a theme.
Playlist columns and grouping determine how track information appears within that layout. An equalizer and audio visualizations can occupy their own areas, and customizable keyboard shortcuts provide access to player commands. Optional components extend the player with additional decoders, sound processing and other functions.
