Music for the Shell. kew is a fast, immersive music player that allows you to listen to music privately.
Publisher’s description
What is kew?
kew is an open-source music player program for Windows from Ravachol. It is written in C.
Installation and requirements
Official installers exist for 64-bit as EXE (Inno Setup). The installer supports unattended (silent) installation.
Updates and version history
The current version is 4.4.0, released on October 11, 2026. 2 versions are listed since September 12, 2026, each with links to its own installer files. The last update is less than a month old.
Popularity and file types
The source code on GitHub (ravachol/kew) has 3,172 stars. Similar programs include Spotify, iTunes and Clementine.
Project description on GitHub: “Music for the Shell. kew is a fast, immersive music player that allows you to listen to music privately.”
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- Documented silent install
- Updated in the last two months
Cons
- No native ARM64 build
In short: kew is an open-source music player tool for 64-bit PCs. Administrators can deploy it unattended.
Is kew 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:
EC83720020DF3B4A45058C03CB8BAEA4D63932C31C97051833B9D2F47F9ACED7· 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
Recent versions
All 2 versions ›| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.4.0Latest | October 11, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXE (Inno Setup) |
| 4.3.4 | September 12, 2026 | — | 64-bit EXE (Inno Setup) |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id Ravachol.kew -ekew-4.4.0-windows-x64.exe /VERYSILENT /SUPPRESSMSGBOXES /NORESTART /SP-Related guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Also for other systems
brew install kewInformation
- Publisher
- Ravachol
- Category
- Music players
- Licence
- GPL-2.0
- Price
- Free
- Source code
- github.com/ravachol/kew
- Written in
- C
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10
- Architecture
- 64-bit
- Installer
- EXE (Inno Setup)
- Version
- 4.4.0
- Released
- October 11, 2026
- Added to the catalogue
- October 12, 2026
- Versions listed
- 2
- GitHub stars
- 3,172
- GitHub forks
- 111
- Website
- github.com
- winget ID
- Ravachol.kew
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
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Frequently asked questions
Is kew free?
Yes. kew is open-source software under the GPL-2.0 licence.
Is kew 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 kew 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.
Can kew be installed silently?
Yes. The silent install page lists the exact command for each installer.
Does kew 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 kew?
The versions page lists all 2 versions with links to their official installer files, back to September 12, 2026.
What are alternatives to kew?
Spotify, iTunes, Clementine, Mixxx and Spotube. The alternatives page compares them.
