Software developer Plex has released a major update to its streaming music app Plexamp that, for the first time, brings the experience natively to desktop and laptop computers.
The release is Plexamp’s first in more than a year, according to Plex Co-Founder and longtime Chief Technology Officer Elan Feingold.
Rather than rebuilding the app entirely, Plex upgraded its dependencies, moved its mobile apps onto the open-source tech framework Expo, replaced Electron on desktop with Tauri and rebuilt the native bridges that connect Plexamp to each operating system, Feingold said in a developer’s note released at the end of August.
“A brand new desktop app” is one of the most visible changes. Plexamp on macOS, Windows and Linux now uses the system’s native web engine instead of Electron, which Feingold said results in a smaller download, lower memory use and improved native window handling.
Desktop users can install the new version as a regular release. The mobile version is initially being distributed as an open beta on iOS and Android.
The update also substantially expands offline playback: Plexamp now has a dedicated offline mode with its own Library, Home and search functions, while play queues are built locally rather than requiring a server connection.
Plex also removed the previous three-day download limit, allowing users to download full playlists and artist discographies regardless of length. Background downloads can continue after users leave the app and can refresh overnight.
Another new feature, Keep Played Music, automatically retains recently played tracks locally up to a user-defined storage limit.
Plexamp can now perform loudness analysis directly on a device when a Plex server has not already analyzed a track, allowing loudness leveling and Sweet Fades to work more consistently. CarPlay and Android Auto receive fuller offline access, including Home, Library, Charts and downloaded content.
The new Plexamp app for desktop and laptop computers is available now for Windows (x64 and ARM64), Apple Silicon and Apple Intel machines. Builds are also available for Linux, and a beta version of Plexamp’s new mobile app experience is now available for iOS TestFlight users and Android devices.
Plex is temporarily collecting detailed download analytics while it validates the rebuilt download system. Feingold said the data includes downloaded titles, internal IDs, track and byte counts, failures, database timings and account names, but not filenames, URLs, tokens or playback activity. The data is deleted after 14 days.
Plexamp also removed Sonic Sage, AI-generated playlist covers and related provider settings. Feingold said the features were dropped because they were not consistent or useful enough to justify keeping them.
The relaunched Plexamp app is part of Plex’s larger roadmap that started in late 2024: A refresh of its core streaming apps as the company reworks its business model with a focus on free, ad-supported streaming TV content, social and interactive features and subscriptions for certain power users.
