Audirvāna

Audirvāna is music playback software for local libraries and network playback, with Studio adding streaming music, radio, and podcasts. It supports Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, and Android, and handles formats including FLAC, Ogg FLAC, ALAC, AIFF, WAV, APE, WavPack, AAC, MP3, DSF, DFF, ISO, CUE, and MQA. Studio combines local and streaming tracks in playlists and favorites, with search, sorting, and filters across sources. Its audio tools include upsampling algorithms and Audio Scan to check file resolution; Studio also includes a 10-band parametric EQ, convolution engine, adjustable crossfeed for stereo audio, and output balance. Playback can connect to DACs over USB or use UPnP/DLNA and Chromecast wirelessly. The free Remote app for iOS and Android controls the computer's Core Player, where playback processing runs. Origin is a one-time license for local library playback and does not include streaming. Audirvāna offers a 30-day trial without payment information and has no free plan.

Audirvāna offers distinct paths for local-library playback and Studio features that include streaming. Consider the plan differences: Origin is a one-time local-playback license, while Studio Access carries a 12-month commitment.

Audirvāna may suit listeners who want to manage and play a local music library, or Studio subscribers who also want streaming services and audio-processing tools. Origin is for local library playback without a streaming service.

Audirvāna is high-end audio playback software for listeners with digital music libraries, with Studio adding streaming, radio and podcast access. It is strongest for people who want to organize and process playback across a computer-based audio setup.

Overview

Audirvāna brings local-library playback and network playback together, while Studio also combines local and streaming tracks in playlists and favorites. Its broad format support—from FLAC, ALAC and MP3 to DSF, DFF, ISO, CUE and MQA—makes it a practical fit for collections assembled in different formats. Origin is more narrowly focused: it plays a local library but does not include a streaming service.

Founded in 2011 and headquartered in Paris, Audirvāna is paid software with no free plan. A 30-day trial requires no payment information and includes all features plus 30 AudioScan analyses, a useful window to evaluate the software before committing.

Key features

• Library and streaming browsing: Studio lets listeners filter, sort and search local and streaming tracks together, then keep them in shared playlists and favorites. That unified view suits people who move between a personal collection and streaming services; Origin does not provide the streaming side.
• Playback processing: Audirvāna offers upsampling algorithms and Audio Scan to check file resolution. Studio adds a 10-band parametric EQ, convolution engine, adjustable crossfeed intended for stereo audio, and output balance. These controls offer meaningful ways to shape playback, but the processing features are tied to Studio or its separate suite rather than basic Origin playback.
• Connections and control: USB connections to DACs, UPnP/DLNA and Chromecast support wired and wireless playback paths. The free iOS and Android Remote app controls the computer’s Core Player; processing remains on the computer, so it is a control surface rather than a mobile playback engine.
• Certified devices: Plāys with Audirvāna certifies equipment for interoperability over supported connection modes such as UPnP, USB and Chromecast. That is most relevant to listeners matching Audirvāna with compatible audio hardware.

Pricing

Studio Classic costs $7.99 a month, billed monthly, with full Studio features, integrated streaming content services and the free smartphone Remote app, with no time commitment. It is the more flexible subscription for listeners who want streaming but do not want a 12-month obligation.

Studio Access costs $79.99 a year, billed yearly, with a 12 months commitment. It includes the same Studio features, streaming services and Remote app, plus an extended free trial for Qobuz. Choose it if the annual commitment and Qobuz trial suit your listening plans; otherwise Classic avoids locking in a year. The trial is 30 days and includes 30 AudioScan analyses.

Origin is $149.99, paid once for a license without a time limit. It covers local music library playback, has no library size limitation and includes the free smartphone Remote app, but gives up Studio’s integrated streaming services and features. It fits listeners who want a one-time license for a large local collection rather than an ongoing subscription.

The Signal Processing Suite has custom pricing and includes a 10-band EQ, convolution engine, crossfeed, and output balance with gain and delay. The Bundle Offer costs $219.99, paid once and pairs an Origin license with the Signal Processing Suite. A separate License Origin is priced at $14,999, paid once and includes local playback, no library size limitation, multiple installs with non-simultaneous use, and a minimum of two years of OS compatibility updates. These one-time options favor local-library use; the bundle is the clearest fit for buyers who also want the listed processing tools.

Platforms

Audirvāna supports Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS and Android. The Remote app on iOS and Android controls playback running on a computer, so mobile support does not mean the Core Player’s processing runs on the phone.

Who it's for

Audirvāna is a good match for listeners with varied local collections, DACs or network audio equipment who value broad format support and playback controls. Choose Studio if integrated streaming and unified browsing matter; choose Origin if local playback and a license without a time limit are the priority. It is a weaker fit for anyone seeking a free plan or mobile-device-based processing.

Pros and cons

• Pro: Broad support for formats including FLAC, WAV, MP3, DSF, DFF, ISO, CUE and MQA suits mixed-format libraries.
• Pro: Studio combines local and streaming tracks in playlists, favorites and searchable browsing.
• Pro: USB, UPnP/DLNA and Chromecast accommodate several audio connection paths, with a Remote app for phone control.
• Con: Streaming services are excluded from Origin, so local-library buyers must choose Studio for streaming access.
• Con: Studio Access requires a 12-month commitment, while Studio Classic is monthly but costs $7.99 a month.
• Con: The Remote app controls a computer-based Core Player; it does not move playback processing onto the phone.

Alternatives

For a broader comparison of dedicated listening software, browse Audio Player Software or Media Player Software.

• AIMP is a free option for listeners who want software across Android, Linux and Windows.
• foobar2000 is a free alternative spanning Android, iOS, Linux, macOS and Windows.
• Music Player Daemon is free and supports Android, Linux, macOS and Windows.
• Elisa is a free alternative for Android, Linux and Windows.
• BBC Sounds is a free Android, iOS and web option, but it is available exclusively to UK listeners; UK residents can use it abroad for around a month.
• Winamp for Artists is a freemium web and mobile service with artist-profile plans, rather than a direct local-library playback choice.
• Apple Music Playlist Playground is a paid Android and iOS alternative with a free trial; its Individual plan costs $11.99 a month and its verified-student plan costs $6.99 a month.
• JRiver Media Center is a paid alternative for Linux, macOS and Windows, with a Master License at $124.98 a month for one major version and a Windows-only option at $99.98, paid once.

Verdict

Audirvāna is best for listeners who want flexible local-library playback, extensive format support and, in Studio, integrated streaming with useful signal processing. Its main advantage is the choice between a local-only one-time license and a full Studio subscription; look elsewhere if a free player or playback processing directly on a phone is essential.