Interface rebuilt
6.0 gives iPhone, iPad, and Mac one shared visual language. Playback gestures, list layouts, capsule pickers, and empty-state guidance were all reworked, so even a large library stays easy to navigate.
Hi-Res local music player for iPhone, iPad, and Mac, with Bit-Perfect, DSD, and NAS / cloud library support
Minimal interface, audiophile core: a Hi-Res player built for large libraries
PurePlayer plays your own music files from local folders, NAS, WebDAV, SMB, Google Drive, and Baidu Netdisk. Version 6.0 rebuilt the interface and the performance core, so a library of a hundred thousand tracks still scrolls and searches smoothly. It supports Bit-Perfect output, native DSD passthrough, gapless playback, and a parametric equalizer, and includes Chat with Music, which picks tracks from your library into the queue when you describe a mood or a scene in one sentence.
Get it
Feature set
Performance rebuilt for large libraries
Library scanning, sorting, and filtering all run on background threads. Play-all and queue restore are planned in bounded windows instead of loading the whole library into memory at once. Browsing and search stay responsive on six-figure collections.
Chat with Music (Music Agent)
Tell it in plain language, like "a rainy day, feeling a bit low" or "some classical for late-night work", and it understands the scene, picks matching tracks from your library, and plays them back-to-back. Choose an Apple on-device model or connect your own OpenAI-compatible endpoint. It only recommends music you already own.
Remote libraries: WebDAV, SMB, Google Drive, Baidu Netdisk
Connecting a NAS or cloud drive builds an index first, so you can browse covers and metadata without downloading the library. Playback streams while downloading; verified copies are cached locally, and clearing the cache protects songs in the current queue.
Local Reference Folders
On iPhone and iPad you can point straight at a folder in the Files app and play in place; nothing is copied into the app. Cloud placeholder files are only fully read after you confirm.
Bit-Perfect and Exclusive Mode
The output sample rate follows each track, with no unnecessary resampling. On Mac you can enable Exclusive Mode to take over the output device.
Native DSD passthrough (DoP)
Sends native DSD to an external DAC over DoP, up to DSD256. If the device doesn't support it, DSD converts to PCM in real time for playback.
Parametric equalizer (PEQ)
A 10-band parametric EQ where each band's frequency, gain, and Q are adjustable, with preamp gain and custom presets. A set of built-in calibration profiles for common headphones is included.
Gapless playback
The buffering layer was rewritten so symphonic movements, live albums, and DJ mixes play without gaps. An optional Gapless Optimization reorders the queue by sample rate to cut down on DAC clock switching.
Multiple play queues and smart playlists
Keep several independent play queues and switch between them at any time. Smart playlists update themselves by rule: "most played", "never played", "added in the last 30 days".
Classical metadata and sort tags
Recognizes composer, conductor, lyricist, work, and movement tags, and lets you browse by work. Supports TITLESORT, ARTISTSORT and other sort tags; Chinese and Japanese titles can sort by reading.
All-format decoding
Lossless FLAC, APE, WavPack, TTA, ALAC, AIFF, WAV, CAF; lossy MP3, AAC/M4A, OGG Vorbis, Opus, Speex, Musepack, Shorten; DSD formats DSF and DFF; plus MOD, IT, XM, and S3M tracker modules. External .lrc and embedded lyrics are supported.
In depth
From adding a library to pressing play
- Add a music source: pick a local folder, or connect WebDAV, SMB, Google Drive, or Baidu Netdisk. On iPhone and iPad you can also use a Local Reference Folder to point straight at a directory in the Files app.
- Build the index: PurePlayer reads tags and covers to build the library. Remote sources only read metadata and don’t download all the music first. You can rescan incrementally later, or let it rescan automatically when the folder changes.
- Browse and organize: browse by song, album, artist, composer, or work; switch between grid and list views. Create normal playlists, smart playlists, or several play queues.
- Play: remote songs stream while downloading. For offline listening you can download in batch, or turn on Offline Mode to play only what’s cached.
Sound-quality settings
PurePlayer’s audio path leaves the original data as untouched as possible:
- Automatic sample-rate switching: the output follows each track’s sample rate, with no unnecessary resampling.
- Exclusive Mode (Mac): takes over the output device, bypassing the system mixer.
- DoP passthrough: sends native DSD to an external DAC, up to DSD256. With DoP on, the equalizer is unavailable and volume stays at maximum; control it on the DAC or amp.
- DSD-to-PCM conversion: when the device doesn’t support DoP, DSD files convert to PCM in real time.
- Max sample rate on iOS: you can set a cap for an external DAC to avoid rates it can’t handle.
- Parametric equalizer: a 10-band PEQ you can tune by hand or start from a built-in headphone calibration profile.
When the sample rate changes during gapless playback, some DACs mute briefly while their clock switches. That’s hardware behavior. Gapless Optimization reduces how often it happens.
Remote libraries and caching
| Source | Connection | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| WebDAV | Address + account | Good for NAS and self-hosted drives |
| SMB | Address + account, optional domain / workgroup | SMB2 / SMB3 supported |
| Google Drive | Sign in via the system web page | Credentials stored in the system keychain |
| Baidu Netdisk | Sign in via the system web page | Credentials stored in the system keychain |
Remote songs stream while downloading, and completed verified copies stay in the local cache. Clearing the cache never removes songs that are playing or queued. Cache usage is visible and clearable in settings.
How to use Chat with Music
Just say what you want, like “fast songs for running” or “piano for a Sunday morning”. It reads the intent, finds matching tracks in your library, and starts a queue. You can like or dislike its picks and later results take the feedback into account; when you have no ideas, ask it to draw a random set.
Two engines are available:
- Apple on-device model: runs on the device and needs hardware and a system version that support Apple’s on-device AI.
- Remote model (bring your own key): enter the endpoint, API key, and model name of an OpenAI-compatible service; requests go straight to the address you configured.
It only picks from your library. It will never recommend music you don’t own.
Free features and Pro
PurePlayer is a free download. Local folder playback, all-format decoding, gapless playback, playlists, and library browsing all work out of the box. Player Pro is a one-time purchase, and a first install includes a 14-day Pro trial.
| Feature | Free | Pro |
|---|---|---|
| Local playback, all-format decoding | ✓ | ✓ |
| Playlists, library browsing, classical tags | ✓ | ✓ |
| WebDAV / SMB / Google Drive / Baidu Netdisk | ✓ | |
| Local Reference Folders (iPhone / iPad) | ✓ | |
| Parametric equalizer | ✓ | |
| DoP passthrough, Exclusive Mode, auto sample rate | ✓ | |
| Multiple play queues, smart playlists | ✓ |
During the trial you can have at most 5 play queues.
Privacy and network use
PurePlayer has no account system. Pro entitlement is verified through App Store purchase records.
- Fully local: playing local music, scanning the library, and using the Apple on-device model need no network.
- Needs the network: connecting remote libraries; with a remote model, your request and the required library tags are sent to the endpoint you configured.
- Usage statistics: Chat with Music sends sanitized usage data by default to improve recommendations. You can turn it off in settings; if you do, likes and dislikes you submit are still sent in sanitized form.
- Wi-Fi upload on iPhone: when you upload music to the app from a computer’s browser it happens on the local network only, and the app has to stay in the foreground.
System requirements
- iOS / iPadOS 18.0 or later
- macOS 15.0 or later
- Distributed through the App Store; one purchase covers iPhone, iPad, and Mac
- Chat with Music’s on-device mode needs hardware that supports Apple’s on-device AI
- DoP output needs an external DAC that supports DoP
Who it is for
- Audiophiles who listen through USB DACs or amps and need Bit-Perfect, automatic sample-rate switching, and DSD passthrough
- Users whose library lives on a NAS, WebDAV, SMB, or cloud drive and don't want to copy hundreds of GB to a phone first
- Classical listeners who browse by composer, conductor, work, and movement, not just album and artist
- Music lovers tired of streaming recommendations who want to rediscover their own collection
FAQ
What's new in PurePlayer 6.0?
The interface was rebuilt across iPhone, iPad, and Mac, and the performance core was reworked: library scanning and sorting moved to the background, remote sources now stream while downloading by default, and the cache protects songs that are playing or queued. iPhone and iPad also gain the Pro feature Local Reference Folders.
What does the free version do? How is Pro priced?
The free version plays local music with every supported format, gapless playback, and playlists. Pro is a one-time purchase that unlocks remote libraries, the parametric equalizer, DoP passthrough, Exclusive Mode, multiple queues, and smart playlists. A first install includes a 14-day Pro trial.
Can it play music from a NAS or cloud drive?
Yes (Pro). It supports WebDAV, SMB (SMB2 / SMB3), Google Drive, and Baidu Netdisk. It indexes metadata first and streams while downloading when you play, so there's no need to download the whole library to the device first.
What is a Local Reference Folder?
A Pro feature on iPhone and iPad. Point the app at a folder in the Files app and it plays the music in place. The app indexes metadata first, and cloud placeholder files are only fully read after you confirm; nothing is silently copied or downloaded.
Which audio formats are supported?
Lossless: FLAC, APE, WavPack (WV), TTA, ALAC, AIFF, WAV, CAF; lossy: MP3, AAC/M4A, OGG Vorbis, Opus, Speex (SPX), Musepack (MPC), Shorten (SHN); DSD: DSF and DFF, with DoP output up to DSD256; plus MOD, IT, XM, and S3M tracker modules.
Why can't I use the equalizer with DoP on?
DoP packages the raw DSD data and sends it to the DAC as-is. Any digital processing in between would corrupt it, so the equalizer and volume control are disabled in DoP mode. Keep the app volume at maximum and control it on the DAC or amp.
Who does Chat with Music send my data to?
With the Apple on-device model, everything is processed on the device. With a remote model, requests go only to the endpoint you entered. Separately, the app sends sanitized usage statistics by default, and you can turn this off in settings.
Tech and privacy note
PurePlayer Hi-Res is designed for offline local processing and does not depend on cloud transcoding. Read ourprivacy policyfor full data-handling details.
Support and feedback
You can reach us via email feedback@efficient-lab.com or submit issues and suggestions through GitHub Issues.
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