Showboard
Showboard: A free Mac player that organizes live recordings and searches local files and music services. Ranked #34 of 75 in Media Player Software by our editors (5.6/10); pricing: Free plan; best for mac listeners organizing and playing live concert recordings.
At a glance
- Editor score5.6 / 10
- PricingFree plan
- Best forMac listeners organizing and playing live concert recordings
- Free planYes
- Paid fromFree
- Network playbackYes
- Facts checked23 Sep 2026
Where it wins
- Searches local music and six named services in one place
- Groups shows and displays source labels, set breaks, and taper notes
- Free playback includes broad format support and bit-perfect output
Where it doesn't
- Available for macOS only, requiring macOS 14 or later
- Focused on music and live concerts, not documented video playback
- Concert diary sync is limited to iCloud across Macs
Our verdict on Showboard
Showboard is a native macOS music player for people who collect and play live concert recordings. It brings local files together with nugs.net, TIDAL, Qobuz, Archive.org, and Phish.in, so listeners can search across those sources from one app. Its concert-specific organization—grouping recordings of the same show and labeling sources such as SBD, AUD, and Matrix—makes it more tailored to live-show libraries than a general-purpose player. It is a desktop download for macOS 14 or later.
Playback and library features are unusually centered on concert listening. Showboard supports FLAC, DSD, ALAC, WAV, AIFF, WavPack, MP3, AAC, and OGG, with CoreAudio exclusive mode and automatic sample-rate switching for bit-perfect playback. It can scan local folders, including mounted network shares, and supports AirPlay and BluOS output. Set breaks and taper notes add context to recordings, while the concert diary provides ratings and notes with iCloud sync across Macs. Buyers should note that the published feature set is for music playback; video playback is not documented.
The Free plan costs nothing one time and includes all features, with no subscription, account, or license key. That simple pricing suits solo listeners and small collections without a paid-tier decision. The trade-off is its narrow platform and purpose: it is only for macOS and is specifically shaped around music and live-show collections. Mac listeners who want one place for concert recordings and their accompanying notes are the clearest fit. Those seeking a broader desktop platform or a general-purpose video player should look elsewhere.
Your product? Our editors can test Showboard in depth and publish a review, labelled as paid · from $149/mo →
Showboard pricing
All 1 Showboard plans and prices →
Showboard fact sheet
| Free plan | Yes |
|---|---|
| Paid from | Free |
| Supported platforms | macOS |
| Network playback | Yes |
| Subtitle support | Not verified |
| Format support | FLAC, DSD, ALAC, WAV, AIFF, WavPack, MP3, AAC, OGG |
| Hardware acceleration | Not verified |
| 4K playback | Not verified |
| License model | Free |
| Deployment | Desktop |
| Platforms | macOS |
| Support | |
| Built for | Solo, Small business (editorial estimate) |
| Integrations | 8 integrations: nugs.net, TIDAL, Qobuz, Archive.org, Phish.in, iCloud … |
| Pricing | Free plan (source) |
| Website | showboard.app |
| Facts checked | 23 Sep 2026 |
Showboard integrations
Showboard lists 8 integrations on its own site.
- nugs.net
- TIDAL
- Qobuz
- Archive.org
- Phish.in
- iCloud
- AirPlay
- BluOS
Alternatives to Showboard
- VLC media playerA broad, capable free player for local, network, and streamed media across major platforms.9.4
- mpvA flexible, scriptable player for users who prefer control over convenience.9.1
- KMPlayerA broad media player with strong format, network, cloud, and casting support.9.0
See all Showboard alternatives →
Used Showboard? Be the first to review it
The editor score above is our own research. What this page doesn't have yet is a reader's view — what you used Showboard for, what worked and what didn't. No stars are seeded and no review is paid for; an editor reads every one before it appears.
Write a reviewTwo minutes · verified accounts only · read by an editor before it appears
Featured on iTechGuides
Showboard is listed in our Media Player Software directory. Add the badge to your site — it links back to this page.
<a href="https://www.itechguides.com/products/showboard/"><img src="https://www.itechguides.com/best/badge/showboard.svg" alt="Featured on iTechGuides" width="230" height="46"></a>
Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
Advertiser disclosure: iTechGuides is reader-supported. Vendors can pay for top positions in our rankings and for a place on other products' pages, and we may earn a commission when you click some links. Bought places stand at the number bought; this page and our disclosure say so. Paying vendors may get a fuller, more detailed review from our editors, and that review can change their score. How we rank.
Last updated · How we research and update