In a world of bloated music players and resource hungry streaming apps, sometimes you just want to play your local music collection without the overhead. Enter AuxBox, a lightweight command-line music player designed for simplicity, background listening, and DJ workflow integration.

What is AuxBox?

AuxBox is a daemon-based CLI music player that focuses on doing one thing well: playing your music collection with minimal fuss. Built with Go, it runs in the background and gives you instant playback control through simple terminal commands.

Whether you're coding with a study mix in the background or a DJ preparing tracks for your next set, AuxBox provides a streamlined workflow without the complexity of traditional music software.

Philosophy: From Silence to Sound in One Command

The design philosophy of AuxBox is simple:

auxbox play -f ~/Music

That's it. One command takes you from silence to sound. No GUI to launch, no playlist to configure, no subscription to manage. Just point it at a folder and let it play.

Key Features

Daemon Architecture

AuxBox runs as a background daemon, meaning you can start playback, close your terminal, and the music keeps playing. Control it from any terminal window without interrupting your flow.

Hot-Swapping

Want to change your music source mid-session? No need to stop playback first:

auxbox play -f ~/different-folder/

AuxBox seamlessly transitions to your new source without missing a beat.

Shuffle and Repeat Modes

Whether you want infinite random playback for background listening or controlled repeat modes, AuxBox has you covered:

auxbox play -f ~/Music/study-mix/ -s  
auxbox play -f ~/Music/study-mix/ -r

The -s flag enables shuffle mode, while -r activates repeat functionality.

Format Support

AuxBox supports the audio formats that matter: MP3, WAV, and AIFF/AIF. These cover the vast majority of music libraries and DJ collections.

The DJ Advantage

What sets AuxBox apart is its focus on DJ workflow integration. DJs often need to preview, organize, and rate tracks without firing up heavyweight DJ software like rekordbox or Serato.

AuxBox is building features specifically for this use case:

- Star ratings - Rate tracks on the fly while listening
- Genre tagging - Categorize your music from the command line
- Label tracking - Keep track of which label released each track
- rekordbox integration - All metadata syncs using industry-standard ID3v2 tags

This means you can organize your music library using AuxBox, and all your work carries over to rekordbox seamlessly.

Simple Control Interface

Navigation and control are intuitive:

auxbox skip      # Next track
auxbox back      # Previous track
auxbox pause     # Pause playback
auxbox play      # Resume
auxbox shuffle   # Toggle shuffle
auxbox repeat    # Cycle repeat modes
auxbox volume 75 # Set volume
auxbox status    # What's playing?
auxbox list      # Show all tracks
auxbox exit      # Stop daemon

No complex keybindings to memorize, no configuration files to edit. Just straightforward commands that do what you expect.

Use Cases

Background Listening for Developers

If you're a developer who likes coding with music but finds traditional players distracting, AuxBox runs quietly in the background. Start it once, control it when needed, and stay in your terminal workflow.

DJ Track Preparation

DJs accumulate massive music libraries that need organization. AuxBox lets you listen through new tracks, rate them, tag genres, and prepare them for your sets—all without launching your full DJ software.

Minimalist Music Playback

For anyone who prefers command-line tools and wants a no-nonsense music player, AuxBox strips away the unnecessary features and focuses on playback quality and control.

Current Development Status

AuxBox is actively developed with a clear roadmap:

- Phase 1 (Streamlined UX): Complete
- Phase 2 (Shuffle Mode): Complete
- Phase 3 (Repeat Modes): Complete
- Phase 4 (Star Rating): In Progress
- Phase 5 (Genre Tagging): Planned
- Phase 6 (Label Tracking): Planned

The project is open source and welcomes contributions from the community.

Installation

Getting started is straightforward:

git clone https://github.com/cerberussg/auxbox
cd auxbox
go build -o auxbox cmd/auxbox/*.go
mv auxbox ~/.local/bin/

Once installed, you're one command away from music.

Why AuxBox?

In an era where music players try to do everything; streaming, social features, podcasts, recommendations. AuxBox takes the opposite approach. It plays your local music files well, with a clean interface and features that support real workflows.

For DJs, it fills the gap between casual listening and full production software. For developers and terminal enthusiasts, it provides music playback without leaving the command line. For everyone else, it's a reminder that software doesn't have to be complicated to be useful.

If you're tired of bloated music players and want something that just works, give AuxBox a try. Your local music collection deserves a player that respects your time and your workflow.

Check out AuxBox on GitHub: https://github.com/cerberussg/auxbox