Nicotine+ supports Windows 10 and Windows 11, as well as macOS, Linux, and BSD. On Windows, installation begins with a ZIP download: extract the archive and run the installer inside. On first launch, create a Soulseek username and password, then choose folders for downloads and sharing.
Nicotine+ is an open-source Soulseek client released under the GNU GPL v3 or later. It is written in Python with a GTK interface and is designed to work with the official Soulseek clients. The first connection registers the username and password with the Soulseek server automatically.
Once connected, use Nicotine+ to search files shared by online users, with filters such as file size and bitrate to narrow results. Search outcomes depend on what other users have made available, so the network’s catalog varies with its active participants.
Finding and managing files
Search results can be queued for download from the users who share them. Transfer queues are managed per user, with controls for slots, speed, and queue size; these settings help organize several transfers and manage how much network capacity they use. Nicotine+ also supports uploads from folders you choose to share.
Folder sharing can be configured for everyone or limited to buddies. Choose shared folders deliberately, and share only material you have the right to distribute. You can also browse another user’s full share list, which provides a way to look for related files beyond an initial search result.
Communication on the network
Chat is integrated into the client rather than being a separate workflow. Users can join public chat rooms, send private messages, and maintain buddy lists while searching or managing transfers. This makes it possible to communicate with other Soulseek users within the same application.
The client’s own team says it collects no data, but that does not make network activity anonymous. The default Soulseek server is run by a third party and follows its own rules, while the Soulseek protocol is unencrypted. Other users can see your IP address and the shares you make available, so Nicotine+ is not suitable when encrypted or anonymous file sharing is required.
Practical considerations
Nicotine+ provides access to files that people share through a peer-to-peer network; it is not a legal streaming service. The material available depends on users, and some shared content may be copyrighted. Consider both your rights to download material and the permissions attached to anything you choose to share.
For people already using Soulseek, the application brings network-wide search, transfer queues, folder sharing, user browsing, and chat into a graphical client. Its filtering and queue controls help organize searches and downloads, while its privacy and content considerations follow from the network’s unencrypted, user-shared design.