How to Install MusicBrainz Picard on Ubuntu 22.04 or 20.04

MusicBrainz Picard, a gem from the MusicBrainz community, is an open-source music tagger tailored to bring order to your chaotic music library. For those looking to install MusicBrainz Picard on Ubuntu 22.04 Jammy Jellyfish or its older stable release Ubuntu 20.04 Focal Fossa, this tool offers a comprehensive solution to identify, tag, and neatly organize your digital music tracks. It’s not just a software; it’s a transformative experience for your music collection.

Key Attributes of MusicBrainz Picard:

• Precision Tagging: Leveraging the expansive MusicBrainz database, Picard ensures meticulous tagging by referencing a vast encyclopedia detailing artists, albums, and individual tracks.
• Broad File Compatibility: From mainstream formats like MP3 and FLAC to niche ones like OGG and APE, Picard’s versatility shines through its extensive file support.
• AcoustID Integration: With the power of AcoustID audio fingerprints, Picard can discern even those untagged or mislabeled tracks, ensuring accurate identification.
• User Empowerment: Picard stands out by offering users the autonomy to review and approve changes and, if desired, manually adjust tags or filenames.
• Scripting Flexibility: Its built-in scripting engine facilitates automated tagging tasks, allowing for a tailored experience.
• Community-Driven: Being open-source, Picard thrives on the collective contributions of a global community, ensuring continuous refinement and enhancement.

Additional Advantages for Ubuntu Users:

• Elevated Music Journey: A structured music library simplifies track retrieval and rekindles your bond with forgotten melodies.
• Efficiency Boost: For professionals like DJs or music editors, Picard’s organized approach can be a game-changer, optimizing track selection and saving precious time.
• Cross-Platform Synergy: Tags curated by Picard are recognized universally, ensuring a consistent music experience across various players and platforms.

Embracing MusicBrainz Picard is more than a step towards an organized music library. It’s a commitment to a community-driven project that champions precision, user-centricity, and collaborative growth. Dive into the subsequent guide, which elucidates the steps to install MusicBrainz Picard on Ubuntu using apt or flatpak, and embark on a journey to musical clarity.

Install MusicBrainz Picard on Ubuntu 22.04 or 20.04 via APT

Step 1: Update Ubuntu System Packages Before MusicBrainz Picard Installation

The first step in any installation process is to ensure that your Ubuntu system is up-to-date. This is crucial because an up-to-date system reduces the risk of running into conflicts during the installation process 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, sudo apt upgrade upgrades all the installed packages to their latest versions.

Step 2: Install Initial Packages for MusicBrainz Picard on Ubuntu

In this step, we are checking if the required packages for installing MusicBrainz Picard are already installed on your system. If not, they will be installed.

Run the following command in your terminal:

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

Step 3: Add MusicBrainz Developers PPA on Ubuntu

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 either 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.

Step 4: Refreshing Your Package List After MusicBrainz Picard PPA Import

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

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

sudo apt update

Step 5: Install MusicBrainz Picard on Ubuntu 22.04 or 20.04 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.

Install MusicBrainz Picard on Ubuntu 22.04 or 20.04 via Flatpak and Flathub

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.

In this section, we will explore an alternative method to install MusicBrainz Picard using Flatpak. Flatpak is a universal package manager for Linux that allows you to install applications in an isolated environment, enhancing the stability and security of your system. 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 that you can ensure that you’re running the latest version, regardless of your distribution’s release cycle.

Step 1: Enable the Flathub Repository For MusicBrainz Picard on Ubuntu

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 a vast collection of 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.

Step 2: Install MusicBrainz Picard on Ubuntu 22.04 or 20.04 via Flatpak Command

Now that Flathub is enabled, you’re ready to 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 is used to automatically respond ‘yes’ to the prompt that will appear asking for confirmation to install the software.

Launching MusicBrainz Picard on Ubuntu 22.04 or 20.04

With MusicBrainz Picard now installed on your Ubuntu system, let’s go over the different methods you can use to launch this advanced music tagging software.

CLI Method to Launch MusicBrainz Picard on Ubuntu

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 pop up 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, which in this case is org.musicbrainz.Picard. This command tells Flatpak to run MusicBrainz Picard.

GUI Method to Launch MusicBrainz Picard on Ubuntu

If you prefer not to use the terminal, you can easily launch MusicBrainz Picard from your desktop. 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 on it to start the application.

Tips for Getting Started with MusicBrainz Picard on 22.04 or 20.04

Starting with any new software can be a bit daunting. MusicBrainz Picard, with its extensive features and options, might seem overwhelming initially. But don’t worry! Here are some tips to help you get started with this powerful music tagging tool on Ubuntu Linux.

Explore the User Interface with MusicBrainz Picard on Ubuntu

Take some time to familiarize yourself with the user interface. MusicBrainz Picard has a well-organized and intuitive GUI, which makes tagging your music files a breeze. Here are some key areas to focus on:

• Left Panel: This is where your music files or folders appear once you add them to Picard.
• Right Panel: This panel shows the music information fetched from the MusicBrainz database. You can compare it with your current tags.
• Bottom Panel: Here, you can view and edit the details of a selected track.

Customize Your Preferences with MusicBrainz Picard on Ubuntu

MusicBrainz Picard offers a wide range of customization options. To access these, navigate to Options > Options in the main menu. Here are some notable categories:

• Metadata: Customize how Picard fetches and writes metadata.
• Cover Art: Configure Picard’s cover art fetching settings.
• File Naming: Customize the naming and structure of your music files.

Remember, any changes in the preferences require a restart of Picard to take effect.

Use the ‘Cluster’ Function with MusicBrainz Picard on Ubuntu

Before you begin tagging, it’s a good idea to use the ‘Cluster’ function. This feature groups your music files based on the album they belong to, making it easier to manage and tag files. You can access this by selecting your files and clicking on Cluster in the toolbar.

Utilize the ‘Scan’ Function with MusicBrainz Picard on Ubuntu

The ‘Scan’ function is a powerful feature in Picard that can analyze your music files’ audio fingerprints and fetch accurate tags, even for files without any previous metadata. To use this feature, select your music files and click on Scan in the toolbar.

Save Your Changes with MusicBrainz Picard on Ubuntu

After you have made all your desired changes to the tags, remember to save them. You can do this by selecting your files and clicking on Save in the toolbar.

Additional Commands For MusicBrainz Picard on Ubuntu 22.04 or 20.04

As with any software, managing MusicBrainz Picard on your Ubuntu Linux system involves several tasks. You may need to update the software to access new features or improvements, or you might decide to remove it entirely. Here, we will guide you through these administrative procedures.

Update MusicBrainz Picard on Ubuntu 22.04 or 20.04

MusicBrainz Picard should typically be updated automatically as part of your system packages if you’ve installed it using the APT package manager. However, there may be times when you want to manually check for updates. Here’s how you can do it:

Open your terminal and execute the following command:

sudo apt update && sudo apt upgrade

This command will first 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 From Ubuntu 22.04 or 20.04

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 comes with several dependencies. To keep your system clean and uncluttered, it’s recommended to use the autoremove command.

APT Remove Command Method for Ubuntu

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 PPAs 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 for Ubuntu

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

flatpak uninstall org.musicbrainz.Picard

Closing Thoughts

In this guide, we’ve navigated the process of installing and managing MusicBrainz Picard on an Ubuntu Linux system. By leveraging the power of APT and Flatpak package managers, we’ve easily accessed this powerful music tagging software. We’ve discussed the installation process, the initial setup, and basic usage, as well as updating and uninstalling the application.

This journey with MusicBrainz Picard should empower you to bring order to your digital music collection. MusicBrainz Picard equips you with the tools to clean and organize your music library, from fetching album art to renaming files based on tags.