Installing rhythmbox 3.0 plugins … the easy way!

Rhythmbox 3.0 is the version available in Ubuntu 14.04 (Trusty)

As you may know Rhythmbox 3.0 is a radical change in terms of external plugins.  Python3 support breaks many of the old RB2.99 and earlier plugins.

As distro’s move towards using RB3, I’ve no doubt, enterprising python developers will take the opportunity to dust off their skills and update the plugins – well I’m hopeful 🙂

Keep checking out this page on a regular basis – I’ll update it as and when new RB3 packages become available

As always – and especially true for this Trusty release – development and testing of these debian packages does take ALOT of time.  If you do use these, please show your appreciation by:

1. Sharing & blogging – share the joy of open-source (please provide a link back to this page please 🙂 )
2. upvoting & favouriting on Ask Ubuntu – heck I love Gold badges
3. Throw a few cents my way via the wonderful Flattr
4. Buy me a beer via paypal

• First add my PPA

sudo add-apt-repository ppa:fossfreedom/rhythmbox-plugins


• Then run the following to refresh your sources

sudo apt-get update

If you want to install all plugins list below you can do this using the following, otherwise, just install the individual plugin packages you need.  The links to the project page are presented.  If you have any issues/suggestions/bugs, please raise an issue on the projects issues page.

sudo apt-get install rhythmbox-plugin-complete

• Alternative Toolbar – rhythmbox-plugin-alternative-toolbar

Rhythmbox with a slim-compact toolbar with more functionality…

or with client-side decorations especially for Gnome-Shell users…

More information here

• Android Remote – rhythmbox-plugin-android-remote

more information here

• Art Display – rhythmbox-plugin-artdisplay

• Close On Hide – rhythmbox-plugin-close-on-hide

rhythmbox plugin for Ubuntu to really close the application when the close button (x) is clicked

Standard Ubuntu functionality is to hide rhythmbox when something is playing.  This plugin gives back the true Gnome experience allowing rhythmbox to close like any other application.

• Countdown Playlist – rhythmbox-plugin-countdown-playlist

• CoverArt Browser – rhythmbox-plugin-coverart-browser

– CoverArt Search Providers – rhythmbox-plugin-coverart-search

– Desktop Art – rhythmbox-plugin-desktopart

– Equalizer – rhythmbox-plugin-equalizer

– Fileorganizer – rhythmbox-plugin-fileorganizer

When the plugin is enabled, you will notice an option in the right-click menu of music items (like songs) that will read ‘Organize selection’. Clicking this will organize the selected files following a defined structure for both folders and filenames. Thats all there is to it.

• Fullscreen – rhythmbox-plugin-fullscreen

• Hide / Minimize on Start – rhythmbox-plugin-hide

Allows rhythmbox to either hide or minimize on launch.  This is very useful to allow rhythmbox to start from Startup Applications without the main rhythmbox window from appearing

• JumpToWindow – rhythmbox-plugin-jumptowindow

This applet allows you to play, search, enqueue using the keyboard. You never need to have rhythmbox in focus anymore!

It’s very similar to the ‘Jump to File’ feature in Winamp, including
the ability to enqueue a song.

It doesnt matter if Rhythmbox has focus or not – the global hotkey you define launches a window allowing you to add songs to the play queue.

Just play any song – hit your hotkey and the JumpToWindow will display allowing you to enqueue similar songs.

Set-up your hotkey using the instructions in the JumpToWindow preferences window

• Looper – rhythmbox-plugin-looper

Loop parts of your favourite song over and over again!

• Lyrics – rhythmbox-plugin-llyrics

• NowPlaying – rhythmbox-plugin-now-playing

Winamp style Now Playing sidebar plugin for Rhythmbox.

• Open Containing Folder – rhythmbox-plugin-opencontainingfolder

• ParametricEQ – rhythmbox-plugin-playlist-parametriceq

A parametric equalizer plug-in for rhythmbox with up to 64 freely configurable bands.

use this parametric EQ to improve your room response (especially for small rooms) and frequencies below 100 Hz.

This is described in detail here

• Playlist Import/Export – rhythmbox-plugin-playlist-import-export

A Rhythmbox plugin to export all of your playlists with one click or to import them back again in one click. This allows for synchronizing across computers (with any sync program), and backing up.

Define your backup folder through the plugin preferences. Then use the Tools – Export option to save your playlists. Copy the playlists to your new computer and then use the Tools – Import option to reimport the playlists.

Do not use the import option without having exported first otherwise your playlists will be removed!

• Podcast-Pos – rhythmbox-plugin-playlist-podcast-pos

Save and restore podcast playing position

Saves the playing position of all downloaded podcasts.  Rhythmbox will resume from where you last played.  A must for all podcasters!

• Radio-Browser – rhythmbox-plugin-radio-browser

For the uninitiated, this is a lovely plugin allowing you to explore thousands of radio-stations available on the internet. It even allows you to record those stations (check your countries copyright laws please!).

• Random Album Player – rhythmbox-plugin-randomalbumplayer

Do you prefer listening to whole albums but aren’t sure which one
you’re in the mood for? This plugin for Rhythmbox queues a random
album and plays it immediately.

Press Alt+Z or select from the Tools Menu RandomAlbum

Remember to use the plugin preferences to change the number of random albums to queue as well as filtering the albums to be selected.

• Rating-Filters – rhythmbox-plugin-rating-filters

• Remember the Rhythmbox – rhythmbox-plugin-remembertherhythm

A plugin for rhythbox to remember last playing song and playback time.

• Repeat One Song – rhythmbox-plugin-repeat-one-song

• Rhythmweb – rhythmbox-plugin-rhythmweb

• Screensaver – rhythmbox-plugin-screensaver

Pause Rhythmbox when the GNOME screensaver is activated

• Small Window – rhythmbox-plugin-smallwindow

• Spectrum – rhythmbox-plugin-spectrum

• Suspend – rhythmbox-plugin-suspend

Enable Rhythmbox to suspend/shutdown your computer at the end of playing from the queue or playlist

• Tray-Icon – rhythmbox-plugin-tray-icon

Control rhythmbox by a very useful system tray icon – note: This plugin is only for non-Unity based desktops such as xubuntu

• Wikipedia – rhythmbox-plugin-wikipedia

EDIT – last update 19/10/2015 – added rhythmbox-plugin-now-playing