Music Managers for Linux: Listen, iTunes Alternative

Listen is yet another Linux music player/music manager for Linux. Like many such pieces of software, Linux attempts to duplicate many of the features found in Apple's iTunes, but also adds to it features not so common to Macs.

The layout of Listen is similar to iTunes (and other three-paned music players), in that the user is shown a list of all the artists found in the user's music library. Beside this list is a complete list of all the albums contained in that library. This list, however, changes when an artist's name is clicked on in the left column, and switches to a listing of just the albums by that artists. When an album is clicked on, the bottom pane shows a listing of all the songs on that album.

Double-clicking on a song title will play just that song, while double-clicking on an album title will enqueue the entire album into the playlist, which is located on the far left of the program's window. Depending on the user's settings choice, the playlist can act very similar to iTunes, or quite differently. The iTunes way is that as a song is double-clicked, it will immediately start playing. The other option is that double-clicking a song (or album or artist), will add that song (or the album or an entire artist's collection), to the end of the queue, while continuing to play the currently-playing song.

By default, the queue is static. Once a song is added to it, it is there until removed. However, Listen also has an option for a Dynamic playlist. If this is checked, the playlist automatically updates itself. As songs are played, they are removed from the playlist and the currently-playing song is moved to the top of the list. Similarly, the user has the choice of how many songs to display. This is a very nice feature, as it saves the user from needing to get rid of "old" songs.

Of course, sometimes users like to listen to the same mix of songs over and over. In this case, once this "greatest hits" playlist is compiled, it can be saved for later listening, simply by clicking on the save icon at the bottom of the window. Saved playlists show up in the middle pane of the program window and can, just like an album, be added to the play queue, as well as exported to a m3u playlist for sharing. Depending on size, a playlist can also be burned to a CD, for listening in a car, home system or portable player.

Listen also comes with support for Wikipedia searches (of artist, album or song), as well as lyric searches (via leoslyrics.com or lyrc.com.ar), last.fm integration (which can also automatically generate a playlist for the user based on previously listening habits), and more. With the correct libraries installed (most Linux distributions will offer to download these libraries at installation), Listen can also act as an iPod manager. Adding songs to the iPod is as simple as dragging them from the Listen library onto the iPod icon, in the middle pane. Deleting songs is just as simple. Simply navigate to the iPod (by clicking on the icon), and click to remove them. The file is deleted, and the iTunes database updated, all in that single click. Very easy and very intuitive, especially for people (like me), who are not very apt to read a program manual!

Like many music programs out today, Listen has support for Podcasts built in, as well as web radio stations. To add a Podcast to Listen, simply select "New Podcast Feed" from the Music menu, and enter the feed's web address. The Podcast will now show up in the Podcast section of the middle pane. When a feed is first added, any current attachments are downloaded automatically. After this, via the preferences panel, Podcasts can be updated automatically at startup, or checked at whatever interval a user chooses. Podcast support also extends to the iPod, although - unlike some players - the user has to add the Podcast file to the iPod manually, unlike some players, which allow a user to "subscribe" the iPod to certain Podcasts, which are then automatically loaded onto the portable device whenever the iPod is attached.

I have to admit to being quite impressed with Listen. I had tried the program probably six months ago, and had given up on it for a variety of reasons. After seeing that a new version had been released lately (version .5), I decided to give it another chance, and am very happy I did. I don't know that Listen will replace my default player, but it is definitely worth a look. Listen, at the moment, is at the point that were I forced to use it on a daily basis, I think I would quickly get used to the way it works, and not miss what I used to use. In my book, that's all I ask for, and because of this, I can recommend Listen to almost any user. Two thumbs up!