Clementine Music PlayerLinux
vs
MusicBeeWindows
Clementine Music Player as a Linux alternative to MusicBee
Updated
Our verdict
Clementine Music Player can replace MusicBee for users who mainly want a lightweight, cross‑platform player with smart playlists, tag editing, and podcast support. It handles most common audio formats, offers gapless playback, and integrates with desktop controls via MPRIS. However, it lacks some of MusicBee’s advanced library features, such as detailed metadata editing, extensive plugin ecosystem, and native support for certain audio CD formats. Users who rely heavily on MusicBee’s deep library management or Windows‑specific plugins may need to adjust their workflow.
- License
- GPL-3.0+
- Price
- Free
- Latest version
- 1.4.0rc2 (April 23, 2020)
- Rating
- —
What works the same
- Both support smart playlists and dynamic playlist creation
- Both allow tag editing and fetching metadata from MusicBrainz
- Both play common audio formats (MP3, FLAC, AAC, OGG)
- Both provide podcast discovery and playback
- Both offer gapless playback and cross‑fade options
What is different
- Clementine has no native support for Windows‑only plugins that extend MusicBee’s functionality
- MusicBee’s library view includes more detailed metadata fields and advanced sorting options
- MusicBee integrates more tightly with Windows audio controls and the taskbar
- Clementine relies on MPRIS for desktop integration, which may be less convenient on some Linux desktop environments
- MusicBee’s plugin system is more extensive and allows third‑party extensions that Clementine does not support
Opening your MusicBee files
MusicBee stores libraries in a proprietary SQLite database and uses .mbe files for playlists. Clementine does not natively read these formats. Users will need to export playlists from MusicBee as M3U or XSPF and manually rebuild the library in Clementine, then re‑tag files if necessary.
Switching from MusicBee to Clementine Music Player, step by step
- Export MusicBee playlists to M3U/XSPF format via the File → Export menu.
- Copy your music folder to a location accessible by Clementine (e.g., ~/Music).
- Launch Clementine and let it scan the folder to build a new library.
- Use the tag editor in Clementine to fetch missing metadata from MusicBrainz.
- Recreate any custom library views or sorting preferences manually in Clementine.
Key features of Clementine Music Player
- Search and play local library
- Internet radio from Spotify, Soundcloud, Icecast, Subsonic
- Cloud integration (Box, Dropbox, Google Drive, OneDrive)
- Smart and dynamic playlists
- Tag editing and transcode to MP3/Ogg/FLAC/AAC
- Lyrics, album art, and visualisations
- M3U/XSPF/PLS/ASX import/export
- Remote control via MPRIS or Android
How to install Clementine Music Player on Linux
flatpak install flathub org.clementine_player.ClementineFrequently asked questions
Does Clementine support podcast subscriptions?
Yes, Clementine can discover and download podcasts, and play them from the built‑in podcast list.
Can I use Clementine on Windows?
Yes, Clementine is cross‑platform and runs on Windows, macOS, and Linux, but on Linux it integrates better with native desktop controls.
Is there a way to use MusicBee plugins in Clementine?
No, Clementine does not support MusicBee plugins; you would need to find alternative plugins or extensions compatible with Clementine's architecture.
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