Local playback and playlists
Play locally stored MP3, AAC, M4A, FLAC, Apple Lossless, WAV, AIFF, CAF, AC3, and other formats decoded natively by macOS. Load and save M3U playlists, and import music by dropping files or folders into the app.
GhostDeck
GhostDeck is an offline music player for macOS that plays local audio files in a retro, modular deck interface. It supports common native formats, M3U playlists, equalizer controls, five animated low-poly worlds, and offline playback without accounts or network access.
Offline music player with a retro deck interface
GhostDeck is an offline music player for macOS that plays audio files from folders on your Mac. It uses a classic deck-style interface with four snap-together modules for playback, playlists, equalizer controls, and visual feedback.
While a track plays, its artwork appears in a slowly turning jewel case over one of five low-poly scenes. The native Metal renderer generates the environments on the Mac, while controls such as playlist management, keyboard shortcuts, media keys, and dockable windows support desktop listening without a network connection.
Features
10-band equalizer
Shape playback with a 10-band equalizer, preamp, live response curve, and presets including Flat, Bass, and Headphones.
Playback visualisation
View a 32-band analyser, scrolling track title, and elapsed or remaining time while music plays.
Five rendered worlds
Choose among five low-poly worlds, then shift a theme’s hue across the colour spectrum. The scenes are rendered in Metal with generated geometry, lighting, fog, reflections, and vignette effects.
Modular desktop interface
Use four modules that snap together, dock the deck near a screen edge, and select a 1x–4x pixel scale. Keyboard shortcuts, media keys, the menu bar, and the Now Playing widget support control outside the main window.
Offline, native operation
The native macOS app runs offline, has no account or analytics, and is sandboxed to folders the user opens. The site states that the app is about 12 MB and idles at a few percent of one CPU core.
Use cases
Listening to a local music library
Open a music folder and play files recursively without sending the library to an online service. The app can use embedded artwork or nearby cover files, with a generated sleeve when neither is available.
Managing desktop playlists
Load or save M3U playlists, shuffle or repeat tracks, and control playback with keyboard shortcuts, media keys, the menu bar, or the Now Playing widget.
Ambient background listening
Select one of five scenes, adjust its hue, choose an equalizer preset, and dock the deck in a screen corner while it runs alongside other Mac work.
Tuning and monitoring playback
Use the 10-band equalizer, preamp, live response curve, spectrum analyser, and elapsed or remaining time display for more detailed playback control.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Supports a broad set of audio formats decoded natively by macOS, plus M3U playlist import and export.
- Combines a 10-band equalizer and playback analysis with five configurable low-poly visual worlds.
- Works offline without accounts, analytics, or network access, and only accesses folders the user opens.
- Offers dockable, snapping modules, keyboard controls, media keys, and adjustable pixel scaling.
Cons
- It is designed for local files and does not stream from Spotify or Apple Music.
- The stated system requirement is macOS 14 Sonoma or later.
- The source does not document integrations beyond local folders, M3U playlists, macOS media controls, and the Now Playing widget.
FAQ
Does GhostDeck stream from Spotify or Apple Music?
No. GhostDeck plays files stored on your Mac rather than streaming from Spotify or Apple Music. Select a folder and it scans its contents recursively.
Which audio formats and playlists are supported?
It supports formats macOS can decode natively, including MP3, AAC, M4A, FLAC, Apple Lossless, WAV, AIFF, CAF, and AC3. M3U playlists can be loaded and saved.
Which Macs can run GhostDeck?
GhostDeck requires macOS 14 Sonoma or later and supports both Apple silicon and Intel Macs.
How does GhostDeck find album artwork?
Artwork is taken from embedded tags first, then cover.jpg or folder.jpg beside the track. If no artwork is available, GhostDeck generates a retro sleeve based on the title.
Does GhostDeck send data over the network?
The app has no account requirement, analytics, or network access. It is sandboxed and only sees folders that you open.
Quick Facts
- Category
- Offline music player
- Platform
- macOS 14 Sonoma or later
- Processor support
- Apple silicon and Intel
- Playback source
- Local files and folders
- Playlist format
- M3U import and export
- Purchase model
- One Mac App Store purchase; no subscription or in-app purchases stated
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