audacious

Launch the GUI

$ audacious

$ audacious --new-instance [path/to/audio]

$ audacious --enqueue [path/to/directory]

$ audacious --play-pause

$ audacious --[fwd|rew]

$ audacious --stop

$ audacious --headless

$ audacious --quit-after-play

audacious [options] [file1] [file2] ...

-h, --help
    Show help options.

--version
    Show program version.

[file1] [file2] ...
    Files to be added to the playlist. Supports various audio formats.

-e, --enqueue
    Enqueue files to the playlist instead of replacing the current playlist.

-q, --quiet
    Suppress output to terminal.

-p, --play
    Begin playback.

-s, --stop
    Stop playback.

-u, --pause
    Pause playback.

-r, --rewind
    Rewind to the beginning of the current track.

-f, --forward
    Advance to the next track.

-t, --next
    Jump to the next track in the playlist.

-b, --previous
    Jump to the previous track in the playlist.

-v , --volume
    Set the volume (0-100).

-m, --show-main-window
    Show main window (GUI).

--exit
    Exit Audacious.

-H , --load-playlist
    Load a playlist file.

-S , --save-playlist
    Save the current playlist to a file.

--skin
    Start with specific skin.

Audacious is an advanced audio player derived from Beep Media Player, which itself was based on XMMS.
It is designed to be lightweight, efficient, and highly customizable, making it suitable for a wide range of users and systems, including older or resource-constrained machines.
The `audacious` command allows you to play audio files (like MP3, FLAC, WAV, etc.) directly from the command line. This functionality is useful for scripting audio playback, integrating it into automated tasks, or simply controlling the player without a graphical interface. The command-line interface offers most of the basic controls, such as adding files to the playlist, playing, pausing, skipping tracks, and controlling the volume. Audacious also supports a variety of plugins for extended functionality, from visualizations to advanced audio processing.

The command-line interface relies on an existing Audacious process. If Audacious is not running, the command may not behave as expected. Ensure an Audacious instance is running (even in the background) for commands to take effect.

Playing a single file:
audacious my_song.mp3

Adding multiple files to the playlist:
audacious song1.flac song2.wav song3.ogg

Playing files and starting playback immediately:
audacious -p song1.mp3

Enqueue files to the existing playlist:
audacious -e new_song.mp3

Set the volume:
audacious -v 75
Playing all files inside a directory
audacious *.mp3

Audacious evolved from Beep Media Player (BMP), which was a fork of XMMS (X Multimedia System). The primary motivation was to modernize the codebase, improve GTK+ 2 integration, and address some of the limitations of XMMS. Development has continued to focus on maintaining its lightness and customizability, making it a popular choice for users who prefer a simple and efficient audio player.

mplayer(1), vlc(1)