By default Sonixd Redux uses the built-in Chromium audio engine (Web backend). The MPV backend is an alternative that uses MPV as the audio engine, providing true gapless playback and additional features.
| Feature | Web backend | MPV backend |
|---|---|---|
| Gapless playback | Simulated | True gapless |
| ReplayGain | ✗ | ✓ |
| Audio device selection | ✓ | ✓ |
| EQ / PEQ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Format support | Limited (browser) | Broad (ffmpeg) |
MPV must be installed on your system before enabling the MPV backend.
Windows
winget install shinchiro.mpv
Linux
# Debian / Ubuntu
sudo apt install mpv
# Arch
sudo pacman -S mpv
# Fedora
sudo dnf install mpv
macOS
brew install mpv
If MPV is installed system-wide, no further configuration is needed. If you installed MPV to a custom location, set the path under MPV Binary Path.
If MPV fails to start, a notification will appear. Double-check the binary path and that MPV is correctly installed.
Controls how MPV handles the transition between tracks.
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| Weak (default) | Gapless when audio format matches between tracks. Recommended. |
| Yes | Always gapless, may cause issues with different formats |
| No | No gapless - brief silence between tracks |
Normalizes loudness using ReplayGain tags embedded in your audio files.
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| Off | No normalization |
| Track | Adjusts each song to a consistent loudness level |
| Album | Preserves relative loudness within an album |
ReplayGain only works if your audio files contain ReplayGain tags. These are typically written by your music server (Navidrome, Beets, etc.) or a dedicated tool like
loudgain.
Select which audio output device MPV uses. Click Refresh to update the device list if you plugged in new hardware. The device switches instantly without interrupting playback.
Leave empty to use the system-installed MPV. Set a full path if you installed MPV to a custom location.
Windows example: C:\Program Files\MPV Player\mpv.exe
Linux example: /usr/local/bin/mpv