Summary
"Rune" is an unofficial Zune alternative mixing old and new. v1.0 features easier playlist creation and music-based wallpapers. The app is open-source with future improvements like lyrics and streaming integration.
We really do miss our old Windows portable systems here at XDA. We often report on people bringing back Windows Phone in some way or another (including all the features that should make a return), but we haven't seen people bringing back the old Zune nostalgia. Fortunately, if you want to go back to Microsoft's doomed media player, this third-party alternative should act as an early Christmas present.
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Posts
"Rune" is an unofficial Zune look-alike for those who love Microsoft's older products
This cool idea comes to us via u/magicalDon on Reddit, who posted an update of their project to the Windows 11 subreddit. It's called "Rune," and it mixes both the old and the new into an app that feels nostalgic yet capitalizes on modern-day innovations for the perfect blend.
Today marks the v1.0 release of Rune, and it comes with some nice features right out of the gate. It makes creating playlists easier, gives you suggestions based on what you listen to, and even lets you generate wallpapers based on your music choice. The developer is already working on adding lyrics support for karaoke sessions and implementations with Last.fm, ListenBrainz, and Libre.fm.
If you want to give the app a shot, you can do so here:
Steam: https://store.steampowered.com/app/3343500/Rune/ Microsoft Store: https://apps.microsoft.com/detail/9n52tw1f5348 App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/rune-player/id6738841909
If you're unsure about the app, or you're just curious as to how it works, you'll be happy to know that it's all open-source. Head on over to its GitHub page to see all the code this project uses.