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SkiniTunes Mini Player Adds Lyrics, IM Updates To iTunes

Windows only: SkiniTunes solves some of the deficiencies of iTunes’ mini player, adding album covers, lyrics, instant ratings, and a few other nice features. The $US5 pro edition, however, locks down the global hotkeys.

That’s kind of a bummer, considering it’s one of the things iTunes users on Windows usually have to run one-trick scripts to enable. Still, SkiniPlayer is a pretty nice alternative to iTunes’ somewhat under-powered mini player, and, as you might imagine, there are a number of slick-looking skins available for it. iTunes has to be running alongside it, but you can hide iTunes’ main window and switch to an even smaller, edge-of-the-screen compact player. Right-click on SkiniPlayer and select More Options, and you’ll get a glimpse at what the developers have hidden behind the $US5 pay wall. If you’re a daily listener, that might not be too much to pay, but, then again, you might recreate some or all of SkiniPlayer’s functions with one of many great add-ons.

SkiniPlayer’s free version is for Windows systems only, requires iTunes. Thanks, LauraBabarong! SkiniTunes

Comments (AU Comments | US Comments)

  • nocturnal99

    Not sure I want to use this as a replacement to, say, the minimize-iTunes-to-taskbar feature.

    But Magnetic Fields ftw!

    nocturnal99

  • DreadedKilla

    Anything like it for Mac?

  • Adarsh Nathoo

    Doesn't CD Art Display already do all this stuff?

    Adarsh Nathoo

  • singularity0821

    It's only $0,99 if you use "APRILDEAL" as coupon code.

    singularity0821

  • The Amazing Ant

    @garbanzo-bean: I know there are many other free programs that do the same thing too. I had one of mine on here ages ago that had just the global hotkeys, and have since added this sort of thing in. It's not like it's hard to code, so there's no reason anyone should pay for it.

  • JustEaton

    Hmm, is there some way to use this (or a similar) application to control a shared or streaming (Nicecast, Airfoil) iTunes library from a Mac on the network? I'd love to have this control from the PC in my bedroom.

  • garbanzo-bean

    @Adarsh Nathoo: it sure does. and it's free!

    garbanzo-bean

  • TheFu

    I don't get the whole "media player" concept. What's wrong with a old, free version of winamp before they added all the bloat? I think I'm still using v2.x ... when I'm stuck on Windows.

    On Linux, xmms was a good clone, but alias it isn't part of the ubuntu depots anymore. More and more, I find myself creating a playlist for mplayer with:

    $ find $ROCK_DIR -name "*mp3" | randomLines > pl.t; mplayer `cat pl.t `

    TheFu

  • LawrenceLiverless

    I don't this idea is fully hatched yet.

    LawrenceLiverless

  • slyfoxlp

    If you want global hotkeys for itunes for windows, itunescontrol does the trick. It also does a cool osd when the songs switch. Oh, and did i mention it's free! Check it out at [itunescontrol.com] it's the only thing that's preventing me from switching to something like songbird.

    slyfoxlp

  • Follower46

    Hmmm.
    After looking through their "skins" it seems they all have the exact same layout. Just a re-tooled image files.
    (I guess I'm spoiled by winamp's skinning structure)

  • MelitaAcheron

    Avira AntiVir says it's a DR/Delphi.Gen Dropper.

    MelitaAcheron

  • dekay46

    Stephin Merritt is a goram Genius.

  • BrantPodalirius

    Cd Art Display, all you'll ever need!

    BrantPodalirius

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