Your privacy is not a bargaining chip.
An app can understand your preferences without sending them to its developer. That's the direction guiding Sonar.
INDEPENDENT BY DESIGN
Your music.
Your rules.
Your collection deserves a place of its own.
A modern, personal player built to give you back the freedom to simply listen.
Free on Windows and Linux. Donations are optional.
↳ Your files, on your device◎ Privacy as a principle✳ Customization with character
The experience
Press play.
Make yourself at home.
Organize what you love. Find those lyrics.
Let your music come to life.
Sonar follows your way of listening.
SONARVISUAL PREVIEW · NO AUDIO
YOUR COLLECTION
Your next favorite
The rest of the world can wait.
01:2404:32
A collection that's yours.
♫
The one you keep on repeatYOUR ARTISTS · YOUR ALBUMS
♡◎
The soundtrack to a journeyMEMORIES MADE OF MUSIC
♡✳
A discovery worth keepingANOTHER ONE FOR YOUR COLLECTION
♡≋
The album that never gets oldPLAY IT AGAIN
♡Some songs stay with us.
Others find the words
we hadn't found yet.
There's room for all of them.
ILLUSTRATIVE TEXT · NOT SONG LYRICSLET SOUND TAKE SHAPE
ONE PLAYER. YOUR WAY.
Try a color
01
A real music library.
Local files, metadata, playlists, and favorites. Your collection stays on your device.
02
Closer to your music.
Local lyrics and optional online search. An equalizer to tune the experience to your taste.
03
Personality in motion.
Themes, optional skins, and projectM visualizations. Appearance and effects work independently.
Connected when it makes sense.
Playing a file you already have shouldn't depend on a server. The internet expands possibilities; it doesn't have to be a requirement for pressing play.
Free by choice.
The desktop apps for Windows and Linux are free. Anyone who wants to help can make an optional donation, without unlocking features or committing to a subscription.
The freedom to stay. And to leave.
We want you to stay because you like what we've built. Your files and your musical history aren't tools for locking you in.
A DECLARATION OF DIGITAL INDEPENDENCE
“Technology should expand
individual freedom,
not turn your private life
into a product.”
THIS IS OUR POSITION.
THIS IS OUR COMMITMENT.Read the full manifesto
THIS IS OUR COMMITMENT.Read the full manifesto
The project
A project with
its own direction.
Stable Sonar Music Player releases on Linux Mint and Windows. A beta to explore what's next. One vision, evolving across platforms.
At home on your desktop.
Stable releases for Linux Mint and Windows, with local music, a library, playlists, favorites, lyrics, and an equalizer.
More ways to listen.
The Windows beta is getting new skins and effects. The goal is to bring these updates to both systems while preserving the experience and its features.
Android. Then iOS.
Plans include mobile devices and wearables, starting with Android and then iOS. These versions aren't available yet.
Free on desktop, with optional support.
Waves, personal recaps, and community creations remain part of the future vision. Development happens one step at a time.
SONAR LAB
A great collection
starts with the details.
Previously called Maelstrom LAB, Sonar LAB is the player's companion for taking care of your local files' metadata.
SONAR LABREVIEW · ORGANIZE · PRESERVE
ILLUSTRATIVE PREVIEW · NOT REAL DATA
Less clutter.
More music to discover.
Inspect your library, review identification suggestions, and manage titles, artists, and artwork. Organize folders with previews, backups, and undo options.
Identification providers are optional and use the internet when queried. Current tag editing has format limitations; Windows and Linux distribution packages are still being prepared.
Explore the appsDOWNLOADS
Your next play
starts here.
Sonar Music Player and Sonar LAB for Windows and Linux. Free on desktop. Choose a stable release or explore the beta.
LISTEN
Sonar Music Player
A home for your library, your playlists, and your way of listening.
Windows 10/11 · x64Stable · portable package
Linux Mint · amd64Stable · .deb package · 6.3 MB
Download for Linux Windows 10/11 · x64Beta 0.1.0 · installer with skins · 280 MB
Download beta Download the Windows 0.1.0 beta from GitHub. This is the edition for trying skins and effects.
Before installing
The beta installer is for Windows x64 and isn't digitally signed. Windows may show an unknown-publisher warning. projectM effects require an OpenGL 3.3-compatible driver. On Linux, the .deb package may need system dependencies installed.
ORGANIZE
Sonar LAB
A dedicated app to inspect, identify, and organize your collection's metadata.
Windows · x64Distribution package in preparation
Linux Mint · amd64Distribution package in preparation
The project already exists as Maelstrom LAB. Installers under the Sonar LAB name haven't been released yet.
OPTIONAL SUPPORT
Like the idea? Help it grow.
Player and LAB are free on Windows and Linux. Donating is optional — it doesn't change what you can use.
BEFORE YOU PRESS PLAY
Good to know.
Do I need the internet to listen to my music?
Local playback works offline. Connected features, such as looking up lyrics or opening a web page, are optional and need internet access when used.
Is Sonar a streaming service?
Sonar is a player for your local collection. It doesn't provide a music catalog or replace your streaming service account.
Can I download it and try it now?
Yes. The stable Linux package and Windows beta 0.1.0 installer are available in the Downloads section. The Windows installer downloads directly from GitHub. The stable Windows link and LAB packages are still being prepared.
Is the project open source?
The manifesto defines Sonar as proprietary software. It uses third-party technologies and components under their respective licenses. User independence is a product principle.
Is Sonar free?
Yes. The desktop apps for Windows and Linux are free. Donations are optional; the support channel is still being set up.
What about Android, iOS, and wearables?
They're in the plans. The path starts with Android, followed by iOS, including wearable experiences. No download or release date has been announced yet.
Are Waves and the community store available?
Not yet. They're part of the manifesto's future vision. Development and terms will be announced separately.