Why I Started Building My Own Windows Music Player - Auricle

Description and use

Auricle is a lightweight native Windows music player built with Rust and Slint, designed to address high resource usage and poor UI of existing apps.

Problem

Existing Windows music players (Spotify, Apple Music) consume excessive memory and CPU, and lack a focused desktop experience.

Outcome

Auricle provides a lightweight, native Windows music player that addresses the author’s resource and interface concerns, though early builds face antivirus detection issues.

Workflow

• 1. Identified key requirements: low memory/CPU, good UI, autoplay, practical features.
• 2. Evaluated open‑source alternatives and found none met all criteria.
• 3. Decided to build a native app using Rust for performance and Slint for UI.
• 4. Implemented core playback, queue, search, and local library features.
• 5. Added stream extraction and optional add‑ons.
• 6. Packaged the app and tested on Windows, noting antivirus detections on unsigned installer.
• 7. Released early build and gathered feedback.
• 8. Planned future Linux support and further performance evaluation.

Evidence

I just wanted a music player I could leave running while gaming or streaming without wondering how much memory and CPU it was using.

Source

Using native UI rather than an Electron or embedded‑webview approach.

Source

Even distributing an early build brought another complication. The unsigned installer received antivirus detections, while separate scans of the installed and portable application executables reported none.

Source