In 2025, playing your own music on an iPhone is surprisingly hard, unless you pay Apple or navigate a maze of limitations. So I built my own player from scratch, with full text search, iCloud support, and a local-first experience. GitHub link Why I Built My Own Audio Player Like many people, I’ve picked up too many subscriptions, some through Apple (iCloud, Apple Music), others got lost in random platforms (like Netflix, which I forgot I was still paying for). I actually used Apple Music regularly (and previously Spotify), but the streaming turned out to be more convenience than necessity. With a curated local library, I didn’t lose much, just the lock-in.
  • FreedomAdvocate@lemmy.net.auEnglish
    1·
    16 hours ago

    The point of a streaming music service is to stream, not download.

    It’s not a “free trial”. It’s free with paid features.

    I also have a lifetime Plex Pass and don’t really use any of the paid features of Plexamp despite using Plexamp a lot.

    Nothing there is necessary or really even remotely a “must have”

    • WolfLink@sh.itjust.worksEnglish
      1·
      16 hours ago

      I use a good chunk of the paid PlexAmp features, although I agree they are mostly just extras.

      However, Downloads is a must-have IMO. I often listen to music while traveling, e.g. on a plane or train or on a road trip, and cell service is unreliable in those situations.

      Also just getting bombarded by ads to upgrade would be enough for me to consider the product a “free trial”, although tbf I don’t know how bad PlexAmp is about that.