macOS
Homebrewverified · 100%
brew install madplaylocal Homebrew formula metadata
MacPortsverified · 94%
sudo port install madplayMacPorts ports tree · audio/madplay/Portfile · source: api.github.com
brew
Install madplay with Homebrew, apt, MacPorts, zypper
MPEG Audio Decoder. Version 0.15.2b via Homebrew; verified 2026-06-19.
install
Additional install commands
Linux
Debian aptverified · 92%
sudo apt install madplayDebian stable package indexes · madplay · source: deb.debian.org
openSUSE zypperverified · 92%
sudo zypper install abxtestopenSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata · abxtest · source: download.opensuse.org
overview
Package summary
MPEG Audio Decoder
Project links
Commands and aliases
- abxtest
- madplay
history
Project history and usage
madplay is the command-line front end distributed with MAD, the MPEG Audio Decoder from Underbit Technologies. The official MAD page describes MAD as a high-quality MPEG audio decoder implementing MPEG-1, MPEG-2 lower sampling frequency extensions, the de facto MPEG 2.5 format, and all three MPEG audio layers including MP3.
Project history
Underbit distributes MAD as libmad, the madplay command-line front end, and the libid3tag ID3 tag library. The project emphasizes 24-bit PCM output, fixed-point integer computation, and a new implementation based on ISO/IEC standards rather than derivation from the ISO reference source.
Adoption history
MAD and madplay became part of the classic Unix audio stack because fixed-point decoding was valuable on machines without fast floating-point units and because MP3 playback was a common package-manager use case. The official page notes third-party ports and packages for Debian, FreeBSD, and NetBSD, and lists many third-party applications using or planning to use MAD.
How it is used
madplay is used as a simple CLI audio player and decoder for MPEG audio streams, especially MP3 files. Package users typically install it when they want a small command-line player or a known-good libmad-based decoder for testing and scripting.
Why package nerds care
madplay is historically significant because it packages the front end to libmad, a GPL fixed-point MP3 decoder that showed up across many Unix media applications and ports. It is a small package, but it represents an older era of audio packaging where decoder accuracy, patent-era MP3 support, integer arithmetic, and command-line playback all mattered.
Timeline
- Official distribution: Underbit distributes MAD source via FTP and SourceForge mirror rather than an official HTTP source-control repository.
- Official package history: Underbit documents libmad, madplay, and libid3tag together as the MAD software distribution.
- Third-party packaging: Underbit notes third-party packages for Debian, FreeBSD, and NetBSD.
Related projects
- madplay is related to libmad, libid3tag, mpg123, mpg321, LAME, GStreamer, MPlayer, VideoLAN Client, XMMS MAD plugins, and other Unix audio players and media frameworks listed on the official MAD applications page.
Sources
security posture
Risk level: blue
broad file, network, media, or database tool signal.
Risk classifier
blue risk · medium confidence · tool
Why
- broad file, network, media, or database tool signal
Signals
- text:audio
Install behavior
- No Homebrew post-install hook is recorded in formula metadata.
- Homebrew bottle metadata is available for 10 platform targets.
- Installs with 2 runtime dependencies.
Recommended review
Before unattended agent use, check whether the tool reads plaintext credentials, writes remote state, publishes artifacts, or shells out to plugins.
executables
Installed executables
| Command | Kind | Exposure | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
abxtest | cli | global executable | |
madplay | cli | global executable |
freshness
Version and freshness
These signals separate page generation age, package-manager activity, and upstream release comparison. Version lag is warned only when an evidence URL and comparable versions are present.
page generated2026-07-08
manager version0.15.2b
manager updated2026-06-19
local dataok
upstreamnot checked
latest detectednot detected
https://www.underbit.com/products/mad/
- infoRelease/tag comparison is only available for GitHub repositories.https://www.underbit.com/products/mad/none confidence
install metadata
Package metadata
| Package key | brew:madplay |
|---|---|
| Version | 0.15.2b |
| Package manager | Homebrew |
| Package manager page | https://formulae.brew.sh/formula/madplay |
| Homepage | https://www.underbit.com/products/mad/ |
| Upstream docs | https://www.underbit.com/products/mad |
| License | GPL-2.0-or-later |
| Source archive | https://downloads.sourceforge.net/project/mad/madplay/0.15.2b/madplay-0.15.2b.tar.gz |
| Last updated | 2026-06-19T12:32:39-07:00 |
| Pulse | updated |
| Dependencies | libid3tag, mad |
| Bottle | available (on arm64_linux, arm64_monterey, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, arm64_ventura, monterey, sonoma, ventura, x86_64_linux) |
| Homebrew post-install | not defined |
| Service | none declared |
registry facts
Source database details
| Source Database | Homebrew formula API |
|---|---|
| Tap | homebrew/core |
| Full Name | madplay |
| Version Scheme | 0 |
| Revision | 3 |
| Bottle Stable Root URL | https://ghcr.io/v2/homebrew/core |
| Deprecated | no |
| Disabled | no |
| Keg Only | no |
| URL Keys |
|
source database matches
Other package-manager records
Matches are pulled from external package-manager indexes and kept separate from local Automic Vault package links.
Debian apt95%
madplay 0.15.2b-10.1
MPEG audio player in fixed point
https://www.underbit.com/products/mad/
sudo apt install madplay- Section: sound
- Architecture: amd64
- 4 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Madplay
Ubuntu apt95%
madplay 0.15.2b-10build2
MPEG audio player in fixed point
https://www.underbit.com/products/mad/
sudo apt install madplay- Section: universe/sound
- Architecture: amd64
- 4 dependencies
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Madplay
zypper95%
abxtest 0.15.2b-3.7
Double-blind ABX comparison testing script
http://www.underbit.com/products/mad/
sudo zypper install abxtest- License: GPL-2.0-or-later
- Category: Productivity/Multimedia/Sound/Utilities
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: madplay
- 1 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Madplay
zypper95%
madplay 0.15.2b-3.7
MPEG audio decoder and player
http://www.underbit.com/products/mad/
sudo zypper install madplay- License: GPL-2.0-or-later
- Category: Productivity/Multimedia/Sound/Players
- Architecture: x86_64
- Source Package: madplay
- 5 dependencies
- 1 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Madplay
zypper95%
madplay-lang 0.15.2b-3.7
Translations for package madplay
http://www.underbit.com/products/mad/
sudo zypper install madplay-lang- License: GPL-2.0-or-later
- Category: System/Localization
- Architecture: noarch
- Source Package: madplay
- 1 dependencies
- 3 provides
- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Madplay
MacPorts95%
madplay
sudo port install madplay- normalized package name match
- Matched by: Madplay
source trail
Generated from repository data
This page is generated by av-web from the private package SQLite artifact built by scripts/generate-pkg-sqlite.py.
Combined YAML source
View the package source record on GitHub.
Used sources
- Geiger risk classifier
- Nucleus package database
- av.db category and tag curation
- cross-ecosystem install command graph
- curated package history
- external package-manager database matches
- package relationship graph
- package version freshness
- package-page enrichment