How to Listen to SNES Chiptune Files

Crucial to our mission is being able to tell that our chiptuning work is done correctly. You might also want to be able to listen to SNES soundtracks in their original form (check out the database on Zophar's Domain). How do we play back an .spc or .smc file?

The standard tool used for playing back .spc files is named SPCPlay, and you can download it here. SPCPlay is still updated sometimes, so check back every now and then for new versions. In addition to accurate playback, SPCPlay has a lot of useful features built in, such as the ability to mute specific channels and to adjust the speed of playback (which you might appreciate if trying to transcribe .spc tunes, modern or old).

Several other options for .spc playback are listed on SNESMusic.org, including foobar2000 and Winamp media player plugins as well as multiplatform options (Audio Overload is a popular one). The (paid) VST chipsynth SFC contains an .spc player as well.

For .smc files (or .sfc, which is usable interchangeably), just about any SNES emulator will do, since they are just Super Nintendo ROMs that play back a song when opened. A popular, accurate multiplatform option is bsnes, and a popular Windows option is Snes9x. The only emulator that is for sure not recommended is ZSNES, an out-of-date emulator with serious security flaws when opening ROMs.