It's even possible to navigate online source too, like Last.FM, Jamendo, or Spotify. For example, the Search option can be used to search in the local library, but it also comes with the possibility of searching a large number of online sources as well. By default, users will see eight different vertical tabs on the left: Search, Library, Files, Playlists, Internet, Devices, Song Info, and Artist Info.Įach new tab opens up in an adjacent pane, and there are comprehensive options for all of them. The layout of Clementine is pretty simple and self-explanatory, so you won't have to dig around the interface to find how a certain function works.
There are also Windows and Mac OS versions as well, along with source for compilation purposes. If you have another major distro, like Fedora or Debian, you will find dedicated packages on the official website.
Sudo add-apt-repository ppa:me-davidsansome/clementine sudo apt-get update sudo apt-get install clementine Just open a terminal and enter the following commands: If you have an older version of Ubuntu, like 14.04 LTS for example, you can add the official PPA to the system. Yes, I know, it's weird to see the latest iteration of an application in the Ubuntu repos, but it happens from time to time. You can install it from the official repositories, which have the latest version.
I tested Clementine in Ubuntu 15.10, and it works without any major problems. Now it's annoyingly colorful and modern, which is just the opposite of Clementine. There was a time when Amarok was a truly powerful app that didn't want to be much more than just that: a simple player. They cite Amarok 1.4 as the source of their inspiration and it's easy to see why. It might not look futuristic, but it's doing the simple job of playing music.Ĭlementine's developers say that they have been inspired by a really old music player named Amarok, but not in its modern version. It's a classic design that puts more emphasis on functionality than on form, and that is always a good idea. In fact, Clementine will appeal very much to those who are used to old-school apps. There are of course some exceptions to this rule, but Clementine is not one. There are only so many ways in which you can arrange the interface, and if you've seen one music player, you've seen them all. Just a few windows panes with various info about the songs, and that's pretty much it. The biggest problem of music players on the Linux platform is that they look very much alike, and they don't stand out. Fortunately, Clementine comes to the rescue. Once you’re ready, hit “OK” and your music files will be copied into your music library named exactly how you want them to be named and organized how you want them to be organized.There are a billion music players on the Linux platform and it's getting difficult to find a really good one that can bring something new. You also have a bunch of other options, like deleting the files after they are copied, changing the naming conventions, etc. You also have the option of changing the destination (which doesn’t make much sense since you want the music in your primary music folder). In the window that comes up next, you’ll have the option to change how the files are organized, both at the folder level and with the renaming of files.
In the context menu that comes up, click on “Copy to library.” I usually put the music I want to add to my collection on my desktop, so I navigate there, find the folder, and then right-click on it.
Next, to add music to your folder, go to the left side of Clementine and look for where it says “Files”:Ĭlick on that and you’ll be able to browse to any folder on your computer. In the window that opens, click on “Music Library” and then add the folder where you want to store your music: You’ll then need to set your music directory in Clementine which is where you want to store your music files. So, I figured I’d outline the process below.įirst, you obviously need to install Clementine. It’s just not the most intuitive process. Clementine does have the ability to add songs to your music library and organize them (into folders and renaming the files). The one issue I had with it over the years is that I didn’t think I could use it to add music to my music library and organize it at the same time. I’ve grown to really like the basic interface of Clementine and it does a good job with pretty much everything I need. From Amarok to Banshee to Rhythmbox and at least a few more. In the almost 15 years I’ve been using Linux I have gone through a number of music playing apps.