How to Install DeaDBeeF on Linux Mint

Looking to install DeaDBeeF on Linux Mint? This lightweight audio player handles FLAC, MP3, and high-resolution audio formats with minimal resource usage. Common use cases include managing large music collections, playing lossless audio on older hardware, and building custom playback setups through plugins. By the end of this guide, you will have DeaDBeeF installed from a maintained PPA, configured with optional plugins, and ready for playback on Linux Mint Cinnamon, Xfce, or MATE editions.

The installation uses a third-party PPA that tracks Mint’s Ubuntu base, so packages stay compatible across supported releases. If you prefer a different audio player, the Strawberry Music Player on Linux Mint guide covers an alternative with podcast support and CUE sheet handling.

What Is DeaDBeeF Audio Player?

DeaDBeeF is a GTK-based music player that prioritizes efficiency and control over flashy interfaces. Unlike heavyweight players that bundle streaming services and cloud sync, DeaDBeeF focuses on local playback with precise control over your music library. The player also supports command-line arguments for automation and scripting, which makes it useful for power users who want to integrate playback into custom workflows.

At its core, DeaDBeeF is designed around three key principles:

• Lightweight performance: Uses minimal system resources, making it ideal for older machines or low-power devices
• Plugin architecture: Extends functionality only when you need it, avoiding unnecessary bloat
• Format versatility: Handles nearly every audio format (FLAC, MP3, OGG, AAC, APE, WavPack, and more) without external codec hunting

This focus makes DeaDBeeF particularly appealing if you maintain a large local music collection, run Linux on modest hardware, or prefer customizing your playback environment to your exact needs.

The project ships with a classic GTK interface that feels instantly familiar if you have used Winamp or Foobar2000, yet it includes modern conveniences like tabbed playlists, gapless playback, and high-resolution audio decoding. DeaDBeeF also exposes deep customization through its layout editor and plugin system, so you can keep things minimal or build a fully tailored audio workstation.

Check if DeaDBeeF Is Already Installed

Before adding repositories, first confirm that Linux Mint does not already have DeaDBeeF installed:

apt list --installed deadbeef

If the package is not installed, you will see empty output or a warning like:

WARNING: apt does not have a stable CLI interface. Use with caution in scripts.

If the output shows [installed] after the package name, skip to the launch or configuration section.

Update Your Linux Mint System Before Installation

Update your package lists and apply pending upgrades before installing new software. This prevents dependency conflicts and ensures you have current security patches:

Next, open a terminal and run:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

Add the DeaDBeeF PPA and Install

Since DeaDBeeF is not available in the default Linux Mint repositories, you need a third-party PPA. The PPA maintained by Pavel (spvkgn) on Launchpad provides the latest stable and development builds compiled for Ubuntu-based systems. Additionally, DeaDBeeF is not available on Flathub, making the PPA the primary installation method.

Option 1: Add the Stable PPA (Recommended)

For most users, the stable version provides the best balance of reliability and features. First, add the PPA with:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:spvkgn/deadbeef -y

The -y flag auto-confirms the addition and runs apt update to refresh package lists. Next, install the application:

sudo apt install deadbeef -y

Option 2: Add the Development PPA (Optional)

Alternatively, the development PPA provides experimental features and the latest commits. If you already enabled the stable PPA, remove it first:

sudo add-apt-repository --remove ppa:spvkgn/deadbeef -y

Then add the development PPA and install:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:spvkgn/deadbeef-devel -y
sudo apt install deadbeef -y

Development versions may include untested features and are less stable than the stable release. Only use this PPA if you want to test experimental functionality or help with bug reporting. Mixing the stable and development PPAs can lead to conflicting packages.

Verify the Installation

Once the installation completes, verify it by checking the version:

deadbeef --version

You should see output similar to the following:

DeaDBeeF 1.10.0 Copyright © 2009-2021 Oleksiy Yakovenko

This confirms the installation completed successfully and the application is ready to use.

Launch DeaDBeeF

After installation, launch DeaDBeeF using either the command line or the graphical application menu.

Launch from Terminal

To start DeaDBeeF from the terminal, run:

deadbeef

This command starts the music player in its default configuration. You can also pass audio files directly as arguments to add them to the playlist on launch.

Launch from Applications Menu

Alternatively, access DeaDBeeF from the graphical application menu:

1. Open the Menu: Click the Menu button in your taskbar, typically located in the bottom-left corner.
2. Search for DeaDBeeF: Type DeaDBeeF in the search bar or navigate to the Sound & Video category.
3. Launch the Application: Click on the DeaDBeeF icon to open the player.

Once launched, the DeaDBeeF interface appears, ready for customization and playback.

Set Up DeaDBeeF Plugins

Plugins add functionality like Last.fm scrobbling, advanced equalization, and file browser panels. The PPA includes several popular plugins (MPRIS2 for desktop integration, Qt5 GUI, and headerbar plugin), but third-party plugins can be installed manually.

Not all plugins are official or maintained by the DeaDBeeF team, so only download plugins from trusted sources. Review the plugin documentation or community feedback to ensure compatibility with your DeaDBeeF version.

Create the Plugins Directory

DeaDBeeF does not create a user plugins directory automatically. Create it with:

mkdir -p ~/.local/lib/deadbeef/

The ~/.local/lib/deadbeef/ directory is where DeaDBeeF looks for user-installed plugins. Linux Mint ships 64-bit editions only, but DeaDBeeF uses lib rather than lib64, so this path works on all supported flavors.

Download and Install Plugins

1. Visit the DeaDBeeF GitHub Wiki to find links to available plugins and their documentation.
2. Download the plugin(s) you want to install. These are typically provided as compressed files (.zip or .tar.gz). If you need help with extraction techniques, check our comprehensive unzip command guide.
3. Extract the plugin files. Most plugins contain .so shared library files (the actual plugin binaries that DeaDBeeF loads) inside compressed archives. Shared libraries are the Linux equivalent of Windows DLL files, containing executable code that programs load at runtime.

If you downloaded a .zip archive:

unzip plugin-name.zip -d ~/Downloads/plugin-temp/

If you downloaded a .tar.gz archive:

tar -xf plugin-name.tar.gz -C ~/Downloads/plugin-temp/

Then locate the .so file(s) inside the extracted directory and move them to the DeaDBeeF plugins folder:

find ~/Downloads/plugin-temp/ -type f -name "*.so" -exec mv "{}" ~/.local/lib/deadbeef/ \;

Replace plugin-name.zip or plugin-name.tar.gz with the actual downloaded file name. The find command searches for all .so files and moves them into the correct path, regardless of the archive’s internal structure. This ensures each plugin lands directly at ~/.local/lib/deadbeef/*.so without nested subdirectories.

Enable Installed Plugins

Activate plugins in DeaDBeeF:

1. Launch DeaDBeeF (or restart it if already running).
2. Navigate to Edit > Preferences in the menu bar.
3. Select the Plugins tab.
4. Locate the newly installed plugin(s) in the list and enable them if necessary by checking the corresponding box.

Your plugins are now installed and ready to use. Some plugins may require additional configuration within the Preferences dialog.

Update DeaDBeeF

PPA-installed packages receive updates through APT. Regular updates provide new features, bug fixes, and security patches.

Update DeaDBeeF Only

Upgrade DeaDBeeF without affecting other packages:

sudo apt update && sudo apt install --only-upgrade deadbeef

This command refreshes package lists and upgrades only DeaDBeeF to the latest PPA version.

Update All System Packages

Alternatively, upgrade your entire system, including DeaDBeeF:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade -y

As a result, all installed packages on your system update to their latest versions.

Remove DeaDBeeF from Linux Mint

If you no longer need DeaDBeeF, you can remove it along with the PPA and any user data. Follow these steps for a clean and complete uninstallation.

Uninstall the Application

First, open a terminal and run the following command to remove DeaDBeeF:

sudo apt remove deadbeef -y

This command removes the application but retains system-level configuration files. To remove those as well, proceed to the next step.

Purge Configuration Files

For a complete removal including system configuration files, run:

sudo apt purge deadbeef -y

Remove the DeaDBeeF PPA

Next, if you added the DeaDBeeF PPA during installation, remove it so you no longer receive updates from that source. Choose the command that matches the PPA you added:

For the stable PPA:

sudo add-apt-repository --remove ppa:spvkgn/deadbeef -y

For the development PPA (if applicable):

sudo add-apt-repository --remove ppa:spvkgn/deadbeef-devel -y

Delete User Data and Plugins

However, the APT removal process does not delete user-specific configuration, playlists, or plugins stored in your home directory. If you want to remove these as well, delete the following directories:

Warning: The following commands permanently delete your DeaDBeeF configuration, playlists, and any manually installed plugins. If you want to preserve these files, back them up first with cp -r ~/.config/deadbeef ~/deadbeef-config-backup.

rm -rf ~/.config/deadbeef/
rm -rf ~/.local/lib/deadbeef/

Clean Up Orphaned Dependencies

Finally, clean up orphaned dependencies and refresh package lists:

sudo apt update && sudo apt autoremove -y

Troubleshooting Common Issues

If you encounter problems while installing or using DeaDBeeF on Linux Mint, try these solutions to common issues:

• DeaDBeeF will not launch or crashes immediately: Open a terminal and run deadbeef to see any error messages. Missing libraries or dependencies are a common cause. Try reinstalling with sudo apt install --reinstall deadbeef or check for missing packages in the output.
• No sound output: Ensure your system audio is not muted and that DeaDBeeF is using the correct output device. Check Edit > Preferences > Sound in DeaDBeeF. Linux Mint uses PipeWire by default on newer releases, so verify the PipeWire service is running with systemctl --user status pipewire.
• PPA errors during update or install: If you see errors related to the PPA, you may need to remove and re-add it. Use sudo add-apt-repository --remove ppa:spvkgn/deadbeef -y and then re-enable your preferred channel with sudo add-apt-repository ppa:spvkgn/deadbeef -y. Also check your network connection and run sudo apt update to refresh package lists.
• Plugins not showing up or not working: Double-check that plugins are placed in the correct directory (~/.local/lib/deadbeef/) and have the right permissions. Only use plugins compatible with your DeaDBeeF version. Restart DeaDBeeF after adding new plugins. You can verify plugins are loaded by checking the Plugins tab under Edit > Preferences.

For additional help, visit the DeaDBeeF FAQ or the GitHub Issues page to search for solutions or report bugs.

Useful Links

Here are official resources to help you get the most out of DeaDBeeF on Linux Mint:

• DeaDBeeF Stable PPA – Access the stable version of DeaDBeeF through the Launchpad PPA.
• DeaDBeeF Development PPA – Explore experimental features through the development PPA.
• Official DeaDBeeF Website – Learn more about DeaDBeeF features and download options.
• DeaDBeeF GitHub Repository – Access the source code, contribute, or report issues on GitHub.
• DeaDBeeF FAQ – Find answers to common questions and troubleshooting tips.

Conclusion

DeaDBeeF provides a lightweight, customizable audio experience for Linux users who value performance and simplicity. With support for nearly every audio format, an extensible plugin system, and minimal resource usage, it handles everything from casual playback to audiophile-grade listening without the overhead of heavier applications.