How to Install Cantata Music Player on Ubuntu 20.04

Music can be enjoyed on Linux in many ways. The Cantata Music Player is a fully featured Music Player client for Music Player Daemon (MPD). The Cantata uses the MPD as a background application for playing music. Moreover, you can enjoy online radio through Cantata.

As of the time, the latest version of the Cantata music player is 2.4.2. This post explicates how to install Cantata Music Player on Ubuntu 20.04. The Cantata can be installed on Ubuntu 20.04 through standard package repositories and the Personal Package Archive (PPA) repository.

Installing Cantata from Ubuntu 20.04 standard repository

Cantata is available in Ubuntu 20.04 standard repository and can be installed easily by apt command. Update the system apt-cache before installing the Cantata Music Player using the command:

$ sudo apt update

Next, execute the below-given command on the terminal to install Cantata:

$ sudo apt install cantata

The Cantata requires some extra disk space to be installed. Type ‘y’ on the terminal and press the ‘Enter’ key to continue the Cantata’s installation.

The Cantata will be successfully installed.

As Cantata is a client for MPD, therefore, we need to install MPD on Ubuntu 20.04 using

$ sudo apt-get install mpd

Note: You can ignore installing MPD in case it is previously installed.

Launch Cantata and perform the initial configuration

Once the Cantata Music Player is successfully installed, open the Cantata Application by writing:

$ cantata

The Cantata can also be launched from Application Menu. Click on Application Menu and type Cantata in the search box.

Upon Cantata’s first run, the welcome screen will be displayed. Select an option from the Cantata connection options as per your choice and click on ‘Next’.

Write the Host value, Password value, select the Music folder, and click on ‘Connect’.

Once the connection is established, click on ‘Next’.

The Cantata can download the missing covers and store them these in the music folder or music cache folder. Select the appropriate options according to your choice and click on ‘Next’.

The configuration is finished. Click on ‘Finish’ to get started with Cantata.

The Cantata dashboard screen will appear. From here, you can select any option and enjoy using Cantata Music Player.

For instance, to enjoy SoundCloud, click on ‘Internet’, and select ‘SoundCloud’.

Now, search for your favorite songs from SoundCloud and enjoy!

Check installed version of Cantata Music Player

To check the installed version of Cantata Music Player, type the below-given command:

$ cantata --version

The Cantata 2.4.1 is installed on my Ubuntu 20.04.

Remove Cantata

Write the following command on the terminal to remove the Cantata:

$ sudo apt remove --autoremove cantata

Installing Cantata on Ubuntu 20.04 from the PPA repository

More often, the standard package repositories do not maintain the latest version of applications and packages for installation. The authentic way to install the latest version of any application is through the PPA repository. If you are interested in installing the latest version of Cantata Music player, then complete the below-given steps to install Cantata through the PPA repository:

Step 1: Add PPA repository

Add the Cantata’s PPA repository by writing the command:

$ sudo add-apt-repository ppa:ubuntuhandbook1/cantata-qt

Step 2: Refresh system repository cache

After the successful addition of the PPA repository, it is suggested to update or refresh the system repository using:

$ sudo apt update

Step 3: Install Cantata

Next, to install Cantata, use the command:

$ sudo apt install cantata

Step 4: Check installed version of Cantata

Type the command given below to check the installed version of Cantata:

$ cantata --version

The Cantata latest version (2.4.2) is installed through the PPA repository.

Uninstall the Cantata from Ubuntu 20.04

The procedure to uninstall or remove the Cantata from Ubuntu 20.04 is the same for both methods. Use the given command to uninstall Cantata from Ubuntu 20.04: