An audiophile player, free software through and through
RustMusic plays your local files: FLAC, ALAC, WAV, AIFF, MP3, AAC, Ogg, Opus, and DSD (DSF, DFF) natively. It provides bit-perfect playback (WASAPI exclusive mode on Windows), gapless playback and ReplayGain, and offers smart playlists, a tag workshop connected to MusicBrainz and Deezer, a DLNA server and playback on network players and AirPlay devices.
All of this code is released under the same license, the GNU GPL v3. There is no paid version, no premium tier and no locked feature: the builds offered on the website are compiled from the public code. RustMusic runs with the same interface on Windows, macOS (Apple Silicon and Intel) and Linux.
Free of charge and free software are not the same thing. A program can cost nothing and still keep its code closed; free software gives you rights over that code. RustMusic is both. The difference is explained in the guide “Free software, open source or freeware: what’s the difference?”.
What the GPL v3 license lets you do
The GPL v3 guarantees the four freedoms of free software. Applied to a music player, they are very concrete:
| Freedom | What the GPL allows | In practice with RustMusic |
|---|---|---|
| Use | Run the program for any purpose | At home, at the office, in a studio or a non-profit, with no license to buy and no account to create |
| Study | Read the code and understand how it works | Check how the sound is sent to your DAC, or which connections the application opens |
| Modify | Adapt the program to your needs | Fix a bug, add a language, change a behavior that bothers you |
| Share | Redistribute copies, modified or not | Give RustMusic to friends and family, include it in a Linux distribution, publish your own version |
In return, the GPL sets one condition: a modified version that is redistributed must stay under the same license, with its source code. This is called copyleft. It protects users: nobody can take RustMusic, close it and take these freedoms away from the people who use it.
Code anyone can check
RustMusic’s code is public on GitHub, in the larevuegeek/rustmusic-desktop repository. The audio engine, decoders, DLNA server and database are written in Rust, with Tauri 2; the interface is written in SvelteKit and TypeScript. The audio engine lives in the src-tauri/src/core folder.
RustMusic does not ask for an account, shows no ads and sends no telemetry. With free software, this is not a promise you have to take on trust: the code is there to check it, by you or by someone you trust.
Built-in updates are signed. Before installing a new version, RustMusic checks its signature against the public key embedded in its code: an update altered along the way is rejected.
Installing RustMusic
- Windows: the .exe installer from the Downloads page, or winget. “winget install rustmusic” installs it, “winget upgrade” keeps it up to date.
- macOS: the universal .dmg image, for Apple Silicon and Intel Macs.
- Linux: .deb (Debian, Ubuntu), .rpm (Fedora, openSUSE) and AppImage packages. A compatibility build is available for Debian 12, Ubuntu 22.04 and other distributions with an older glibc.
- From source, on all three systems: see the guide “Build RustMusic from source”.
Getting involved
Free software also moves forward thanks to the people who use it, and you don’t need to know how to code to help:
- Report a bug or suggest an idea in the GitHub issues, mentioning your system and, for network features, the brand and model of your hardware.
- Translate: the interface is available in French, English, German, Spanish and Italian. A translation fix can be submitted directly.
- Contribute code: small fixes can go straight to a pull request; for a new feature, open an issue first to discuss it.
- Support development on Patreon, Ko-fi or PayPal, or star the GitHub repository to help other people find it.
RustMusic is developed by one person, in their spare time: every bit of feedback counts.
Frequently asked questions
Is RustMusic really free?
Yes. There is no subscription, no paid version and no premium tier. Development is supported by donations, which unlock nothing extra in the application.
Can I use RustMusic at work?
Yes. The GPL v3 allows use for any purpose, personal or professional, with no license to buy.
Can I modify RustMusic and publish my own version?
Yes, as long as you publish it under the same license, the GPL v3, with its source code. To avoid any confusion with the official version, give it a different name.
Where can I find the source code and the license?
On GitHub, in the larevuegeek/rustmusic-desktop repository. The license is in the repository’s LICENSE file; the application also shows it in Settings → About, with a link to the full text.
Is there a mobile app?
No. RustMusic is a desktop player, for Windows, macOS and Linux.
A free software player, for good
RustMusic is free, licensed under GPL v3, with no account or telemetry. Download it, or read its code on GitHub.