Headset is a simple music player for Mac, Windows and Linux with integrated YouTube search, a home screen with popularity list by genres and eras, and best of all, a radio powered by Reddit.
Headset takes the songs that are shared in over 80 music subreddits, categorizes them and plays them automatically.
It is a great and pretty unique way to find new music as it is chosen by other humans like you and not by algorithms.
Publisher’s description
What is Headset?
Headset is an open-source music player program for Windows from Daniel Ravina. It ranks 38th by popularity among music players in this catalogue. It is written in JavaScript.
Installation and requirements
Official installers exist for 64-bit as EXE. It can be installed for the current user only, without administrator rights.
Updates and version history
The current version is 4.2.1, released on August 26, 2022. 9 versions are listed since January 25, 2024, each with links to its own installer files. That is about 3.4 releases a year. The last update is more than a year old.
Popularity and file types
The Chocolatey package has been downloaded 8,814 times. The source code on GitHub (headsetapp/headset-electron) has 779 stars. Similar programs include Spotify, iTunes and FLAC.
Project description on GitHub: “Official Headset repo”
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- Installs without administrator rights
Cons
- No native ARM64 build
- No update for more than a year
- No documented silent install switch
In short: Headset is an open-source music player tool for 64-bit PCs. Updates have slowed down.
Is Headset safe to download?
- The file is served by github.com, the publisher’s own domain
- The download link uses HTTPS
- A SHA256 hash is published, so you can verify the file:
22FE2A659C7BB613C979CBF17387F6B467B5DB36AD0092186A5C0BB8DD6385E1· Open the VirusTotal report for this hash - The link has not been checked yet
- The source code is public
- ExeAtlas does not host, wrap or modify installers
Related guide: How to check a file’s SHA256 hash on Windows
Security practices (OpenSSF Scorecard)
Automated checks of the headsetapp/headset-electron repository on GitHub by the Open Source Security Foundation, last run on October 19, 2026.
- No binaries in the repository10
- Licence declared10
- Code review0
- Actively maintained0
- OpenSSF Best Practices badge0
- Security policy0
- Fuzzing0
- Signed releases0
- Static code analysis0
The score rates how the project is developed and released, not whether the program is safe to install. scorecard.dev
Recent versions
All 9 versions ›9 versions over 3 years · about 3.4 a year
| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.2.1Latest | August 26, 2022 | — | 64-bit EXE |
| 4.2.0 | August 27, 2022 | — | 64-bit EXE |
| 4.1.1 | May 21, 2022 | — | 64-bit EXE |
| 4.1.0 | May 17, 2022 | — | 64-bit EXE |
| 4.0.0 | May 9, 2022 | — | 64-bit EXE |
| 3.3.3 | June 2, 2021 | — | 64-bit EXE |
| 3.3.2 | January 25, 2024 | — | 64-bit EXE |
| 3.3.1 | January 25, 2024 | — | 64-bit EXE |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id Headsetapp.Headset -echoco install headset -yRelated guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Also for other systems
brew install --cask headsetInformation
- Publisher
- Daniel Ravina
- Category
- Music players
- Licence
- MIT
- Price
- Free
- Source code
- github.com/headsetapp/headset-electron
- Written in
- JavaScript
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10
- Architecture
- 64-bit
- Installer
- EXE
- Version
- 4.2.1
- Released
- August 26, 2022
- Added to the catalogue
- June 2, 2021
- Versions listed
- 9
- Updates / year
- 3.4
- Chocolatey downloads
- 8,814
- GitHub stars
- 779
- GitHub forks
- 73
- Website
- headsetapp.co
- winget ID
- Headsetapp.Headset
- Chocolatey package
- headset
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
Alternatives to Headset
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Proprietary5.4M ↓ -
iTunes12.13.11.1iTunes offers the world’s best way to play — and add to — your collection of music, movies, TV shows, podcasts, audiobooks, and more.Proprietary2.9M ↓ -
Open source15.7K ↓ -
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YouTube Music3.12.0YouTube Music Desktop App bundled with custom plugins (and built-in ad blocker / downloader)Open source21K ↓ -
Spotube5.1.2Spotube is a Flutter based lightweight spotify client. It utilizes the power of Spotify & Youtube's public API & creates a hazardless, performant & resource friendly User ExperienceOpen source17.5K ↓
Frequently asked questions
Is Headset free?
Yes. Headset is open-source software under the MIT licence.
Is Headset safe to download?
The download comes from github.com, which belongs to the publisher; ExeAtlas does not host or change the file. Compare its SHA256 hash with the one shown here, or open the VirusTotal report for that hash.
How do I install Headset with winget?
Open PowerShell or Windows Terminal and run the winget command shown on this page. winget downloads the official installer and checks its SHA256 hash before running it.
Does Headset run on ARM (Windows on Arm)?
There is no ARM64 build; Windows 11 on Arm can run the 64-bit version through emulation.
Where can I download an older version of Headset?
The versions page lists all 9 versions with links to their official installer files, back to January 25, 2024.
Can I use Headset without administrator rights?
Yes, there is a per-user installer that does not need administrator rights.
What are alternatives to Headset?
Spotify, iTunes, FLAC, Mixxx and Clementine. The alternatives page compares them.
