14 DAY TRIAL // There are numerous applications you can use to listen to music, whether you prefer playing local files or streaming your songs. With that in mind, a simple, unobtrusive desktop player capable of controlling multiple apps may come in very handy.
Silicio is a lightweight OS X application consisting of a desktop mini-player and a Notification Center widget, both of which allow you to control songs being played using iTunes, Apple Music, iTunes Radio, Beats 1, Spotify, Deezer or Vox, the latter also offering support for SoundCloud.
Simple, easy-to-use app that supports a wide range of music players and streaming services
One of the best things about Silicio is just how easy it is to set up, as it requires no configurations and is ready to use as soon as it is installed. All you need to do is launch it and play a track in any of the supported music players.
Once you do that, Silicio will automatically detect the song being played and will interface with the respective app, enabling you to control playback from the desktop mini-player.
Silicio also offers support for a wide range of popular streaming services, though a few important omissions should be mentioned, such as Pandora, Google Play Music and Tidal. In all fairness, the most popular platforms are covered, but it helps to cater to as many users as possible, as some may prefer a service that isn’t currently supported.
Lightweight app that offers Dock and menu bar integration, and supports a wide range of layout variations
When it comes to controlling your music, you can either use the desktop mini-player or the optional Notification Center widget, both of which offer more or less the same functionality, although the latter does not allow you to choose the audio source manually.
Silicio can also be integrated into the Dock or menu bar, giving you an alternative method of switching between various music playing apps. Of course, if you want to avoid cluttering your Dock or status bar, you can just use the desktop player or the Today widget.
If you are concerned about the strain an additional app may place on your Mac's resources, you need not worry, as Silicio's impact is almost negligible.
Minimalistic, customizable desktop mini-player that displays album art and song information
By default, the mini-player stays true to its name, as it takes up very little space on your desktop to ensure it does not get in the way. However, there are two other sizes to choose from, which is great for those who have plenty of screen space to spare and want to view album art more clearly.
One issue we can mention is that when the smallest player size is selected, the metadata is not always displayed fully, and you cannot change its layout or choose a smaller font. Also, it would be nice if the playback buttons and song info also increased in size when using the larger player variations.
The mini-player displays the album cover of the current song, but switches to the playback controls and track info whenever you hover over it with the mouse pointer. Alternatively, you can choose to have it display the controls at all times.
Smart Mac app that allows you to control playback and track songs even when performing other tasks
The mini-player can be configured to always remain on top of all other windows, and you can also lock its position on the screen to prevent it from being moved accidentally. Also, when all supported music apps are shut down, Silicio can hide the player automatically.
While these features may not add much to the app’s functionality by themselves, together they enable each user to personalize the player until everything looks and feels just right.
The Good
Seeing as competition between the numerous available music streaming services is so fierce, it helps to have a simple, versatile player that supports multiple platforms, as you never know when you may wish to switch to a new one.
Silicio offers a broad range of options for customization, enabling you to personalize its looks and display it in the menu bar, Dock, Notification Center or just on your desktop.
The Bad
The display method for the playback controls and song information could be improved, as their scale does not change when selecting other mini-player sizes.
The Truth
The app makes it remarkably simple to control playback from numerous music applications, and displays album art and song information right on your desktop in an unobtrusive manner. As a music player controller, Silicio is versatile, lightweight and easy to use, while also looking like a built-in OS X app.
