AudiBar is a lightweight menu bar audio player focused on simple playback without library management overhead. The app supports drag-and-drop file loading directly onto the menu bar icon for immediate playback of audio files.
Supported formats include MP3, FLAC, WAV, AAC, M4A, AIFF, CAF, and MP4. The free version handles single-file playback, while the Premium version (£2.99, one-time purchase) adds playlist management, internet radio streaming, and station favorites. Premium features include support for M3U, PLS, and XSPF playlist formats, auto-play, shuffle, and customizable theme colors.
The app maintains low resource usage, consuming under 50MB of memory and typically below 3% CPU even during streaming. This efficiency makes it suitable for systems running multiple menu bar utilities. The interface provides context menu controls and a panel view for playlist management when needed.
AudiBar deliberately avoids music library features such as collection scanning, metadata analysis, or album artwork fetching. Files can be loaded from any location including iCloud Drive without indexing or cataloging.
System requirements: macOS 13.5 Ventura or later. Universal binary supporting Intel and Apple Silicon Macs.
Pricing: Free version for single-file playback. Premium upgrade £2.99 (one-time) via Mac App Store.
Limitations: No library management, metadata editing, or streaming service integration. The app does not sync playback state across devices or maintain listening history. Internet radio requires Premium.
Alternatives: Vinyls provides a similar menu bar player with album artwork display. Apple Music or Spotify offer comprehensive library management for users needing organizational features. foobar2000 provides advanced playback options for power users.
Suitable for users who need quick audio file playback from the menu bar without managing a music library, particularly those working with individual recordings, podcasts, or internet radio streams.
