Cider 4.0.0 rebuilds its Apple Music client with new audio engine, Automix & Atmos support
If you're looking for an alternative to Apple Music client on Mac, Cider’s next major release may be worth a look. The third-party Apple Music desktop client has announced version 4.0.0, led by MKLite, a custom-built audio engine that replaces standard playback libraries. The update gives Cider more control over playback and adds Automix for beat-aware transitions, Spectral Crossfading for smoother song changes, and full support for Dolby Atmos and Spatial Audio. It also introduces Smart Volume normalization and audio warmup, helping tracks play at a more consistent volume and start faster.
The queue system has also been rebuilt to better handle large playlists and improve navigation. Collection Divisioning now shows where each queued track comes from, while updated sorting logic, better drag-and-drop behavior, and a new Recently Played History section make queue management more reliable and easier to follow.
On the interface side, Cider 4.0.0 introduces the Sugar design language with a faster-feeling UI, type-ahead navigation, improved artwork transitions, and lower memory usage. Windows users get a more capable Tray Player with better multi-monitor support, while broader performance improvements come from WebAssembly-powered audio processing, newer Vite and Vue foundations, and the removal of MusicKit.js. The release also adds the Lakshmi installer and lays early groundwork for future local file playback and plugin-based music source support.
