Player Support
Beam reads the current song from your music player. “Supported” means Beam has a module for that player — it does not mean every version has been heavily tested. If you hit a problem, please report it: https://github.com/MrNidnan/beam-project/issues
Which one should I choose?
Choose the player you already use live. The easiest setup is usually the one that needs the fewest extra tools and changes to your current workflow. If you just want Beam to follow whatever is playing, try Now Playing.
Quick matrix
| Player / source | Windows | macOS | Linux | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Foobar2000 | ✅ | — | — | Uses the Beefweb component |
| VirtualDJ | ✅ | ✅ | — | History file or network control |
| JRiver | ✅ | ✅ | — | Direct + MCWS; zone support |
| Mixxx | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | Reads the local mixxxdb.sqlite |
| MediaMonkey | ✅ | — | — | Not for portable installs |
| AIMP / Winamp | ✅ | — | — | AIMP added for Windows |
| iTunes | ✅ | ✅ | — | |
| Spotify | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | |
| Icecast | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | Stream source |
| Now Playing (SMTC / MPRIS) | ✅ | — | ✅ | System-wide; follows almost any app |
| Cog / Decibel / Swinsian / Vox / Embrace | — | ✅ | — | macOS native players |
| Audacious / Banshee / Clementine / Rhythmbox / Strawberry | — | — | ✅ | Linux native players |
A blank cell means there is no dedicated module for that platform.
Foobar2000 (Windows)
Foobar2000 support uses the Beefweb component. Use this for a stable Windows setup if you are comfortable installing one Foobar2000 component.
- Beam connects to one Beefweb server URL.
- If you run a second foobar2000 instance for prelisten, make sure only the main playback instance is exposed through the Beefweb URL Beam uses.
- You can save the Beefweb URL, username, and password in Beam Preferences.
Full details: FOOBAR_MODULE.md
VirtualDJ (Windows, macOS)
VirtualDJ works in two modes:
- History File — usually the easiest starting point.
- Network Control
Beam also offers a deck selector and cover art from history parsing.
Full details: VIRTUALDJ_MODULE.md
JRiver (Windows, macOS)
On Windows, Beam talks to JRiver directly and also uses MCWS when available. On macOS, Beam uses JRiver’s local MCWS connection. MCWS is JRiver’s built-in web control option; turning it on lets Beam read JRiver more reliably.
- Leave Target Zone at
-1to follow JRiver’s current/default zone. - You can also target a zone by index (
index:1), name (name:Main Speakers), or id (id:123456789). Useful when you have a separate prelisten zone. - Enable MCWS in
Tools > Options > Media Networkand make sure reading access is set to “Everyone”.
Mixxx (Windows, macOS, Linux)
Beam reads Mixxx from its local mixxxdb.sqlite database. It auto-detects the
path, and you can override it in Preferences > Basic Settings > Mixxx.
- Use Run test to see the database path, playback status, and current metadata.
- Behavior depends on how Mixxx history and Auto DJ are configured.
- Limitation:
Next Tandacan be inaccurate because Beam reads history + the Auto DJ queue rather than a live deck API.
Full details: MIXXX_MODULE.md
MediaMonkey (Windows)
Supported. Do not use a portable installation if you want the normal MediaMonkey integration.
iTunes, Spotify, AIMP, Icecast and native players
- iTunes — Windows and macOS.
- Spotify — supported; also readable through Now Playing.
- AIMP / Winamp — Windows.
- Icecast — stream source on all platforms.
- macOS native: Cog, Decibel, Swinsian, Vox, Embrace.
- Linux native: Audacious, Banshee, Clementine, Rhythmbox, Strawberry.
Now Playing (SMTC / MPRIS)
Use Now Playing when you just want Beam to follow whatever your computer is already playing, without setting up a specific player. It reads the operating system’s own media session — no account, internet, or API key.
- Windows reads the SMTC session (the same info in the volume/media flyout).
- Linux reads the MPRIS session over D-Bus.
What works
Almost any app that publishes an OS media session: Spotify, Apple Music (Windows), Amazon Music, YouTube Music desktop, TIDAL, Deezer, and (on Linux) VLC, mpv, Rhythmbox, Clementine, Strawberry, Audacious, and more. Browsers (Chrome, Edge, Firefox) also work while a tab is playing media.
Use Detect to list apps publishing a session right now, pick a Source app, or leave it on Active session to follow whatever is playing. Run test shows the resolved app, status, and current track.
Limitations
The OS media session only exposes a few fields, so Beam can usually read title, artist, often album, sometimes cover art, and rarely genre. Other tags that file-based players provide — comment, composer, year, album artist — are generally not available and will be blank.
Streaming services: TIDAL, Qobuz, YouTube Music, Spotify and similar are not directly integrated as dedicated players. They may work through Now Playing if the app or browser exposes OS media metadata. Now Playing does not provide file paths, custom tags, or next-track data, so features that need those (for example the M3U8 setlist or
Next Tanda) will be limited.
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