rmpc is a terminal-based MPD client that brings modern interface design and album art rendering to command-line music control.
The tool solves the problem of controlling Music Player Daemon from the terminal while displaying album artwork, which traditional text-only MPD clients cannot do. It achieves this by supporting multiple terminal image protocols for rendering album art, allowing users to see cover images alongside playback controls and library browsing in a single terminal window. The client is built with configurability as a core principle, enabling users to customize behavior and appearance to match their workflow.
The project suits developers and power users who work primarily in the terminal and want a modern music control interface without leaving their shell environment. It is particularly valuable for those using terminal emulators that support image protocols like Sixel, Kitty, or iTerm2. Anyone choosing this tool should verify their terminal emulator supports at least one of the image protocols the client can use, as album art display depends on this capability. The tool is designed as a direct replacement for text-based MPD clients, offering a richer visual experience while maintaining the efficiency of terminal-based interaction.
Development activity shows consistent engagement with the codebase through regular commits addressing both features and maintenance. The project maintains active responsiveness to user-reported issues, indicating the maintainer monitors feedback and prioritizes problems affecting users. Pull requests receive timely review and integration, suggesting a streamlined contribution process. The tool receives periodic updates that extend functionality and improve compatibility with different terminal environments. Documentation is actively maintained alongside code changes, keeping the homepage and configuration guides current with the tool's capabilities.
