Strawberry Music PlayerLinux
vs
Spotify DesktopWindows
Strawberry Music Player as a Linux alternative to Spotify Desktop
Updated
Our verdict
Strawberry Music Player is not a direct replacement for Spotify Desktop if you rely on official Spotify streaming with full sync and offline playback. However, it can act as a partial alternative for users who want local music management with optional Spotify catalog access via a plugin. It excels for audiophiles managing large local collections with high-quality output and metadata control. The Spotify integration is unofficial and community-maintained, so it may break or lack features like full playlist sync. Use Strawberry if you prioritize local audio fidelity and tagging over seamless cloud streaming.
- License
- GPL-3.0+
- Price
- Free
- Latest version
- 1.2.31 (October 3, 2026)
- Rating
- —
What works the same
- Both can play audio and manage playlists
- Strawberry can fetch album art from Spotify
- Both support scrobbling to Last.fm
- Strawberry provides access to Spotify's catalog via plugin
- Both run natively on Linux
What is different
- Strawberry focuses on local files; Spotify Desktop is cloud-first
- Strawberry has no official Spotify account sync or offline mode
- No cross-device sync in Strawberry like Spotify Premium offers
- Strawberry supports CD playback and tag editing, which Spotify Desktop doesn't
- Strawberry includes advanced audio output settings for bit-perfect playback
Opening your Spotify Desktop files
Strawberry cannot open or import Spotify Desktop playlist files (.sp or proprietary formats), as Spotify does not expose these in a standard way. Playlist migration requires manual recreation or third-party tools to export from Spotify as plain text or CSV. Strawberry supports importing playlists in standard formats like M3U, XSPF, and PLS. Your local music files remain accessible, but Spotify-exclusive content must be re-downloaded if available elsewhere.
Switching from Spotify Desktop to Strawberry Music Player, step by step
- Install Strawberry via your distro's package manager or Flathub
- Import your local music folder into Strawberry's library
- Manually recreate playlists using exported Spotify playlist data
- Enable the Spotify plugin in Settings and log in with your account
- Set up scrobbling to Last.fm or ListenBrainz if desired
Key features of Strawberry Music Player
- Supports most popular audio formats and CD playback
- Edit tags and retrieve metadata from MusicBrainz
- Fetch album art from Last.fm, Discogs, and Spotify
- Advanced audio output configuration for bit-perfect playback
- Smart and dynamic playlist management
- Built-in equalizer and audio analyzer
- Scrobbling support for Last.fm and ListenBrainz
- Transfer music to USB players and iPods
How to install Strawberry Music Player on Linux
flatpak install flathub org.strawberrymusicplayer.strawberrysudo apt install strawberrysudo apt install strawberrysudo dnf install strawberrysudo pacman -S strawberrysudo zypper install strawberryFrequently asked questions
Can Strawberry play Spotify songs without a Premium account?
Yes, the unofficial Spotify plugin in Strawberry works with free accounts, but depends on third-party libraries that may break after updates.
Does Strawberry support offline playback like Spotify Premium?
No, Strawberry does not officially support offline caching of Spotify tracks. You must rely on the plugin's real-time streaming, which requires internet.
Can I transfer my Spotify playlists to Strawberry?
Not directly. You need to export playlist tracks externally and import them into Strawberry as M3U or similar. Some third-party tools can automate this.
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