mpg123

What is mpg123?

mpg123 is a free and open-source command-line MPEG audio player known for its speed and efficiency in decompressing MPEG audio files, including MPEG-1 and MPEG-2 layers 1, 2, and 3. The player's most common use is to play MP3 files, and its library, libmpg123, is widely utilized by other media players like XMMS and Winamp. mpg123 stands out for its use of hand-written assembly optimizations that leverage SIMD instructions, enabling it to perform the iDCT part of MPEG decoding faster than most other MP3 players, making it a highly resource-efficient solution. While the original mpg123 project ceased official development for several years, the open-source community has contributed patches and maintained the software, ensuring its continued availability and security

Highlights

• Cross-platform command-line MPEG audio player
• Supports MPEG-1 and MPEG-2, layers 1-3 (including MP3)
• Utilizes hand-written assembly optimizations with SIMD instructions for efficient MPEG decoding
• Used as a library (libmpg123) by other media players like XMMS and Winamp
• Maintained by the open-source community after original development ceased