ncspot is an ncurses Spotify client written in Rust using librespot. It is heavily inspired by ncurses MPD clients, such as ncmpc.
Publisher’s description
What is ncspot?
ncspot by Henrik Friedrichsen is open-source Windows software in the music players category. It is written in Rust. Besides Windows, it is available for Linux.
Installation and requirements
The publisher provides Portable installers for 64-bit Windows. It runs without installation (portable).
Updates and version history
The current version is 1.5.0, released on October 1, 2026. The version history goes back to June 5, 2023: 11 releases, all linked to the official files. That is about 3.3 releases a year. The last update is less than a month old.
Popularity and file types
The source code on GitHub (hrkfdn/ncspot) has 6,798 stars. Similar programs include Spotify, iTunes and Mixxx.
Project description on GitHub: “Cross-platform ncurses Spotify client written in Rust, inspired by ncmpc and the likes.”
Pros / Cons
Pros
- Open source: the code can be inspected and built by anyone
- Portable: runs without installation
- Updated in the last two months
- Also runs on Linux
- Large user base
Cons
- No native ARM64 build
In short: ncspot is an open-source music player tool for 64-bit PCs.
Is ncspot 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:
547E5BAE5293D89144E27968C49071D5B36DA8DC7200193C0214EA2180F7C4ED· 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 hrkfdn/ncspot repository on GitHub by the Open Source Security Foundation, last run on October 19, 2026.
- No binaries in the repository10
- Actively maintained10
- No dangerous workflows10
- Licence declared10
- Code review3
- Restricted token permissions0
- Pinned dependencies0
- 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 11 versions ›11 versions over 3 years · about 3.3 a year
| Version | Date | Size | Files |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1.5.0Latest | October 1, 2026 | — | 64-bit ZIP |
| 1.4.0 | August 21, 2026 | — | 64-bit ZIP |
| 1.3.4 | May 22, 2026 | — | 64-bit ZIP |
| 1.3.3 | February 6, 2026 | — | 64-bit ZIP |
| 1.3.2 | November 11, 2025 | — | 64-bit ZIP |
| 1.3.0 | July 8, 2025 | — | 64-bit ZIP |
| 1.2.2 | January 31, 2025 | — | 64-bit ZIP |
| 1.2.1 | October 31, 2024 | — | 64-bit ZIP |
Install from the command line
Silent install ›winget install --id hrkfdn.ncspot -escoop install main/ncspotRelated guide: How to use winget: install and update apps
Also for other systems
brew install ncspotflatpak install flathub io.github.hrkfdn.ncspotInformation
- Publisher
- Henrik Friedrichsen
- Category
- Music players
- Licence
- BSD-2-Clause
- Price
- Free
- Source code
- github.com/hrkfdn/ncspot
- Written in
- Rust
- Content rating
- All ages
- Requires
- Windows 11 / 10
- Architecture
- 64-bit
- Installer
- Portable
- Other platforms
- Linux
- Version
- 1.5.0
- Released
- October 1, 2026
- Added to the catalogue
- June 5, 2023
- Versions listed
- 11
- Updates / year
- 3.3
- GitHub stars
- 6,798
- GitHub forks
- 282
- Website
- github.com
- winget ID
- hrkfdn.ncspot
- Scoop package
- main/ncspot
Ratings and reviews
No reviews yet. Be the first to rate it.
Alternatives to ncspot
See all ›-
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 ↓ -
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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 ↓ -
Free409.5K ↓ -
Open source13.5K ↓
Frequently asked questions
Is ncspot free?
Yes. ncspot is open-source software under the BSD-2-Clause licence.
Is ncspot 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 ncspot 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 ncspot 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 ncspot?
The versions page lists all 11 versions with links to their official installer files, back to June 5, 2023.
Can I use ncspot without administrator rights?
Yes, it is portable: unpack and run it.
What are alternatives to ncspot?
Spotify, iTunes, Mixxx, FLAC and Clementine. The alternatives page compares them.
