Cog for MAC
Free, open-source audio player for Mac: lossless and lossy formats, tracker modules, game music and MIDI, with gapless playback and synced lyrics.
Cog Overview
Cog is an audio player for the Mac that plays a very wide range of formats. It handles everyday files such as MP3, AAC, ALAC, FLAC, Ogg Vorbis and Opus, and it also plays tracker modules, video game music, C64 SID tunes and MIDI. Playback is gapless, and you can shuffle by album or track, repeat a track, an album or a whole playlist, and listen to HTTP streams and HLS. The Mac window has a playlist with an Info Inspector, a file tree browser, Spotlight search and a mini window.
Sound options include ReplayGain with clipping prevention, an equalizer with presets, speed and pitch control, spatial audio, and an exclusive mode that runs the output device at each track's sample rate. Cog is free and open source under the GPL-2.0 license and is maintained by Christopher Snowhill; Vincent Spader started the project. It is a universal app for Apple Silicon and Intel and needs macOS 12 or later. Cog runs in the App Sandbox, so it can open only the folders you grant it in Settings; your Music, Downloads and Movies folders are granted already. Roland SC-55 MIDI emulation needs your own ROM set.
Key Features
Cog plays almost anything you throw at it, and takes care over the sound.
- Common formats: MP3, AAC, ALAC, FLAC, Ogg Vorbis, Opus and WavPack.
- Retro audio: tracker modules, video game music and C64 SID tunes.
- MIDI: built-in synthesizers with SoundFonts, or Audio Unit instruments.
- Gapless playback: albums play without pauses between tracks.
- Sound controls: ReplayGain, equalizer, speed and pitch.
- Synced lyrics: from the file's tags, or looked up on LRCLIB.
- Scrobbling: Last.fm and ListenBrainz.
- Mac touches: mini window, file tree, global hot keys and AppleScript.
What’s New in Version 3857
Cog 3857 adds Quick Look previews and fixes small window and playback details.
- Quick Look: preview the files Cog plays in Finder
- SID: songs end at their length again
- Playlist: rate only by a click on the stars
- Window: the toolbar sliders work again after a sheet
- Window: the volume tooltip hides on a timer
- Window: the toolbar time is centred in its field
Cog FAQ
Is Cog free?
Yes. Cog is free and open source under the GPL-2.0 license.
Which macOS version does Cog need?
Cog 3857 needs macOS 12 or later.
Does Cog run on Apple Silicon?
Yes. It is a universal app for Apple Silicon and Intel.
Which audio formats does Cog play?
It plays MP3, AAC, ALAC, FLAC, Ogg Vorbis, Opus, WavPack and more, plus tracker modules, video game music, C64 SID tunes and MIDI.
Does Cog support gapless playback?
Yes. Cog plays tracks gaplessly.
Can Cog show lyrics?
Yes. It shows synced lyrics from the file's own tags, or looks them up on LRCLIB when the file has none.
Does Cog scrobble?
Yes. It scrobbles to Last.fm and ListenBrainz.
Why can Cog not open one of my folders?
Cog runs in the App Sandbox, so it can open only folders you have granted it in Settings, General. Your Music, Downloads and Movies folders are granted already.
Can I install Cog with Homebrew?
Yes. Run brew install --cask cog-app.
Where does the Cog download on cog.FULLMAC.app come from?
The download button leads to the official Cog website at https://cog.losno.co/. cog.FULLMAC.app does not change or repackage the app.
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