How to Install MusicBrainz Picard on Ubuntu 24.04/22.04/20.04

MusicBrainz Picard is a powerful and user-friendly music tagger that helps organize and manage your music library by identifying and tagging your music files using the extensive MusicBrainz database. It supports various audio formats and provides features like acoustic fingerprinting, album-oriented tagging, and plugin support, making it an essential tool for music enthusiasts and collectors.

To install MusicBrainz Picard on Ubuntu 24.04, 22.04, and 20.04 using the command-line terminal, you have two options. You can use the Launchpad PPA maintained by the MusicBrainz developers, which offers the latest stable or daily build version, or opt for the Flatpak method with the Flathub repository. Both methods ensure you have the latest features and updates for an optimal music tagging experience.

Method 1: Install MusicBrainz Picard via PPA

Update Ubuntu System Packages Before MusicBrainz Picard Installation

The first step in installation is ensuring your Ubuntu system is up-to-date. This is crucial because an up-to-date system reduces the risk of conflicts during installation due to outdated packages.

To update your system, execute the following command in the terminal:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

This command performs two functions. The sudo apt update command refreshes your system’s package list, ensuring it is aware of the latest versions of all packages. Meanwhile, the sudo apt upgrade upgrades all the installed packages to their latest versions.

Install Initial Packages for MusicBrainz Picard

In this step, we check if the required MusicBrainz Picard installation packages have already been installed on your system. If not, they will be installed by running the following command in your terminal:

sudo apt install software-properties-common apt-transport-https -y

Add MusicBrainz Developers PPA

Now, we need to import the Personal Package Archive (PPA) provided by the MusicBrainz Developers. PPAs are a convenient way to install software that may not be in the official Ubuntu repositories. In this case, we will add the stable or the daily build PPA.

The stable build is recommended for most users as it is tested and less likely to have bugs. On the other hand, the daily build offers the latest features and updates but may be less stable.

To add the stable build PPA, run the following command:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:musicbrainz-developers/stable -y

Alternatively, if you want to use the daily build, use this command:

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:musicbrainz-developers/daily -y

Please note that you can only have one version installed at a time. If you wish to switch from one to the other, you’ll need to uninstall MusicBrainz Picard, then re-add the desired PPA and reinstall the software.

Refresh Package List After MusicBrainz Picard PPA Import

After adding the new PPA to your system, it’s essential to update your package list to reflect the new addition. This allows the system to recognize and fetch packages from the new repository.

Run the following command in the terminal to update your package list:

sudo apt update

Install MusicBrainz Picard on Ubuntu via APT Command

Finally, we can install MusicBrainz Picard on your system. Use the following command to initiate the installation process:

sudo apt install picard -y

This command tells APT, the package handling utility, to install the picard package. The -y option confirms that you wish to proceed with the installation without prompting.

Method 2: Install MusicBrainz Picard via Flatpak and Flathub

This section will explore an alternative method for installing MusicBrainz Picard using Flatpak. Flatpak is a universal package manager for Linux that allows you to install applications in an isolated environment, enhancing your system’s stability and security. It’s similar to Snap but has the advantage of a more streamlined design and more widespread adoption in various Linux distributions. One of the key benefits of installing MusicBrainz Picard via Flatpak is ensuring that you’re running the latest version, regardless of your distribution’s release cycle.

Note: If your system does not have Flatpak installed, please refer to our comprehensive guide, “How to Install Flatpak on Ubuntu” for step-by-step instructions on installing the most recent supported version of Flatpak.

Enable the Flathub Repository For MusicBrainz Picard

Before you can install MusicBrainz Picard using Flatpak, you’ll need to enable the Flathub repository. Flathub is the primary source for Flatpak applications and hosts many applications, including MusicBrainz Picard.

To enable Flathub, execute the following command in your terminal:

sudo flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepo

This command will add the Flathub repository to your Flatpak configuration. If Flathub is already added, the –if-not-exists option prevents an error from being displayed.

Install MusicBrainz Picard via Flatpak Command

Now that Flathub is enabled, you can install MusicBrainz Picard using the flatpak install command. Run the following command in your terminal:

flatpak install flathub org.musicbrainz.Picard

This command installs MusicBrainz Picard from the Flathub repository. The -y option automatically responds ‘yes’ to the prompt that will appear, asking for confirmation to install the software.

Launching MusicBrainz Picard

With MusicBrainz Picard now installed on your Ubuntu system, let’s review the different methods for launching this advanced music tagging software.

CLI Method to Launch MusicBrainz Picard

If you’re comfortable using the terminal, launching MusicBrainz Picard can be as simple as typing a single command:

picard

This command will start MusicBrainz Picard, and its interface will appear on your screen.

For users who’ve installed MusicBrainz Picard using Flatpak, the command to launch the application from the terminal is slightly different:

flatpak run org.musicbrainz.Picard

The flatpak run command is followed by the application’s identifier, org.musicbrainz.Picard. This command tells Flatpak to run MusicBrainz Picard.

GUI Method to Launch MusicBrainz Picard

You can easily launch MusicBrainz Picard from your desktop if you prefer not to use the terminal. Here’s how you can do it:

1. Click on Activities at the top left of your screen.
2. Click on Show Applications at the bottom left of your screen.
3. In the applications menu, search for MusicBrainz Picard.

Once you see the MusicBrainz Picard icon, click it to start the application.

Additional Commands For MusicBrainz Picard

Update MusicBrainz Picard

MusicBrainz Picard should typically be updated automatically as part of your system packages if installed using the APT package manager. However, there may be times when you want to check for updates manually.

Open your terminal and execute the following command:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

This command will refresh your system’s package list (sudo apt update) and then upgrade all upgradable packages, including MusicBrainz Picard (sudo apt upgrade).

Alternatively, Flatpak installations can run the following command that will blanket-check all installations that are installed via Flatpak on Ubuntu:

flatpak update

Remove MusicBrainz Picard

If, for any reason, you wish to remove MusicBrainz Picard from your Ubuntu system, you can do so quite simply. However, remember that when MusicBrainz Picard is installed, it has several dependencies. To keep your system clean and uncluttered, it’s recommended to use the autoremove command.

APT Remove Command Method

To remove MusicBrainz Picard installed via APT, use the following command:

sudo apt remove picard

If you’ve installed MusicBrainz Picard via a PPA and don’t intend to reinstall the software later, you might also want to remove the PPA. Use the following commands to remove the Stable and Daily Build PPA, respectively:

sudo add-apt-repository --remove ppa:musicbrainz-developers/stable -y

sudo add-apt-repository --remove ppa:musicbrainz-developers/daily -y

Flatpak Remove Command Method

To remove the Flatpak installation of MusicBrainz Picard, use the following command:

flatpak uninstall org.musicbrainz.Picard

Closing Thoughts

By following the methods outlined above, you can easily install MusicBrainz Picard on Ubuntu 24.04, 22.04, and 20.04 using the command-line terminal. Whether you choose the Launchpad PPA for the latest stable or daily builds or opt for the Flatpak method with Flathub, you can access the most current features and improvements. This ensures that your music tagging and management experience is efficient and up-to-date, allowing you to maintain a well-organized music library with ease.