Audacious is a lightweight, versatile, and feature-rich audio player, made for Linux and its various distributions. Based on XMMS, the software can run on a number of UNIX operating systems. It is an open-source project that combines the simplicity of an audio player with tons of advanced features. Talking about Linux, you can run it on Ubuntu, Fedora, Arch, Debian, and almost any distributions, based on the method of installation. The following guide has listed a number of these methods that you can choose from to enjoy your music without any complications.
What Is Audacious?
As we have said, Audacious is an open-source audio player designed primarily for UNIX systems. However, you can run it on Windows and Mac as well. The audio player is loved for its unique, user-friendly UI and a huge catalog of plugins. You can even build your own plugins or download them from a community-supported library. The audio player offers two distinct UIs, a GTK-based layout and a classic one that is much closer to something like Winamp.
If you are someone who loves a straightforward audio player that works as advertised, then Audacious is the app for you. The software doesn’t compromise on features or audio quality despite being lightweight. It is a simple and clean audio player for music lovers and casual listeners.
Features Of Audacious
Before we delve into the different installation methods for Audacious, let us talk more about what the app has to offer:
Supports Multiple Audio Formats
The audio player, despite its simplicity, is powerful enough to support a host of formats, from the likes of MP3, OGG, and FLAC to formats like AAC, MIDI, and MOD. Thus, you won’t have to worry about finding a different player every time you happen to come across some niche audio file format. The app doesn’t require you to install any additional software or files to run these formats. Furthermore, you can use it to stream online audio files or access internet radio.
Highly Customizable
The app is highly customizable, that allows users to get a more personalized option. The interface has two distinct layouts, a modern one that is based on GTK and a classic look that is reminiscent of Winamp. Moreover, there are a number of themes, plugins, and other features available for the users to mix and match according to their tastes.
Audio Equalization
You can experiment and engineer your audio files with Audacious. It is not a simple music listener, rather, it comes with a robust equalizer that allows for the fine-tuning of any audio files you are listening to. You can make the files suitable to your audio equipment and add certain effects after processing the files. There are tools such as voice removal, cross-fade, and stereo widening also available.
Huge Plugin Library
Lastly, the software comes with multiple plugins you can download and install. These plugins can help you transform the app from a simple music player to much more. You can add additional audio effects, some visualization, or even something for post-production. The plugin library is community-supported and thus also free to use.
Installing Audacious On Linux
Talking about installing Audacious, the simplest method is to rely on your native package managers, as the app comes pre-build in your native repositories. However, you can also use other methods, such as:
Method 1. Compile Audacious From Source
Although this method is most suitable for advanced users, you can still use it to build Audacious from scratch:
Step 1. First, install the various dependencies for the app:
sudo apt install build-essential cmake git libgtk-3-dev \
libglib2.0-dev libxml2-dev libvorbis-dev \
libflac-dev libogg-dev libmpg123-dev \
libsqlite3-dev libasound2-dev libpulse-dev \
libdbus-1-devStep 2. Now, clone the Source Code from Git:
git clone https://github.com/audacious-media-player/audacious.git
cd audaciousStep 3. After that, compile the code and install it:
mkdir build
cd build
cmake ..
make
sudo make installMethod 2. Install Audacious On Linux Using A Tar Package
The official Audacious website offers a tar package, you can download and unpack to enjoy the app without much hassle. All you have to do is:
Step 1. First, download the source code tarball from the official Audacious website.
Step 1.1- You can also get the file from Git:
wget https://distfiles.audacious-media-player.org/audacious-<version>.tar.bz2Step 2. After downloading the tar file, you need to extract it.
tar -xvjf audacious-<version>.tar.bz2Step 3. Then, run the following command to install the relevant dependencies:
sudo apt install build-essential cmake git libgtk-3-dev \
libglib2.0-dev libxml2-dev libvorbis-dev libflac-dev \
libogg-dev libmpg123-dev libsqlite3-dev libasound2-dev \
libpulse-dev libdbus-1-devStep 4. Now, navigate to the extracted folder and use ./configure:
cd audacious-<version>
./configureStep 5. Wait while ./configure the script checks your system for the necessary libraries and prepare the makefile.
Step 6. Then, (If instructed) use cmake, to compile the file:
mkdir build
cd build
cmake ..Step 7. Now, use the make command:
makeStep 8. Finally, install the app:
sudo make installStep 9. Once installed, you can launch Audacious by:
audaciousMethod 3. Installing Audacious Using Native Package Managers
As discussed earlier, you can make use of the native package managers on different Linux distributions to easily install Audacious:
Debian/Ubuntu
sudo apt update
sudo apt install audaciousFedora
sudo dnf install audaciousArch Linux/Manjaro/EndeavourOS
sudo pacman -S audaciousOpenSUSE
sudo zypper install audaciousCentOS/RHEL
Step 1. You need to enable the EPEL repository:
sudo yum install epel-releaseStep 2. Then, install Audacious:
sudo yum install audaciousMethod 4. Using Snap To Install Audacious
Snap is a universal package manager that can run on almost any Linux distro.
Step 1. First, install Snap:
Debian/Ubuntu
sudo apt install snapdOn Fedora
sudo dnf install snapd
sudo ln -s /var/lib/snapd/snap /snapOn Arch Linux
sudo pacman -S snapd
sudo systemctl enable --now snapd.socketFor OpenSUSE
sudo zypper install snapd
sudo systemctl enable --now snapdStep 2. Then, use Snap to Install Audacious:
sudo snap install audaciousMethod 5. Install Audacious On Linux via Flatpak
Flatpak is similar to Snap, as in, it is a universal package manager:
Step 1. Start by installing Flatpak:
For Debian/Ubuntu
sudo apt install flatpakOn Fedora
sudo dnf install flatpakFor Arch Linux
sudo pacman -S flatpakStep 2. Then, add the Flathub repository:
flatpak remote-add --if-not-exists flathub https://flathub.org/repo/flathub.flatpakrepoStep 3. Finally, install Audacious using Flatpak:
flatpak install flathub org.atheme.audaciousMethod 6. Installing Audacious Using AppImage
Step 1. First, get the Audacious AppImage from Github:
Step 2. Then, make the AppImage executable:
chmod +x Audacious-*.AppImageStep 3. Finally, Run Audacious:
./Audacious-*.AppImageMethod 7. Using A PPA To Install Audacious
If you are using Ubuntu or Debian (or any distro based on Ubuntu) you can use a PPA to install Audacious:
Step 1. First, add the PPA:
sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ubuntuhandbook1/appsStep 2. Then, update the package list:
sudo apt updateStep 3. Finally, install Audacious:
sudo apt install audacious