Banshee is a media player that includes the following features: listen to music, watch videos, rip and burn CDs, displays cover art, tons of plugins, controllable via keyboard shortcuts, smart playlists, the ability to rate your music and manage your iPod and/or MP3 player. Banshee recently hit version 1.0, and this guide will walk you through installing it in Ubuntu linux.

- To get started, click System -> Administration and then select Software Sources. Enter your password if prompted.
- Select the Third-Party Software tab.
- Click the + Add… button. If you’re using Ubuntu 8.04 (Hardy Heron) - which is the version I’m using in these screenshots, add the line:
deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/banshee-team/ubuntu hardy main
If you’re using Ubuntu 7.10 (Gutsy Gibson) add the line:
deb http://ppa.launchpad.net/banshee-team/ubuntu gutsy main
When you’re done, click the + Add Source button.
- Back at the Third-Party Software tab, click the Close button. You’ll be prompted to update your software sources. Do so now by clicking the Reload button.
- Once the software sources have been updated, open a Terminal (select Applications -> Accessories -> Terminal) and enter:
sudo apt-get install banshee-1
You’ll probably be prompted to enter your password - do so.
- Banshee will determine all of the other software that needs to be installed on your system in order for it to work, and ask you if you want to install it all. Hit the y key on your keyboard to install it all.
- If you’re “warned” about some packages not being able to be authenticated, click y again.
- And now Banshee and all of it’s dependencies will download and install themselves. When it’s done, you’ll be returned to a blinking prompt. Close down the Terminal now.
- Select Applications -> Sound & Video and then Banshee Media Player. Banshee will launch now.
- From here you can start exploring Banshee and all of its options. Add some media and give it a listen/watch.
- If you have a Last.FM account, sign in to it through Banshee and you can access all kinds of goodies.
- Hover your cursor over the Banshee icon in your menu and a pop-up will appear showing the current track playing, album art, and a slider to Fast Forward or Rewind the track.
- Up next - how to use Banshee 1.0 to manage your iPod.




























{ 16 comments… read them below or add one }
Thanks for the simple guide.

thank you
In your screenshot you have “sudo apt-get install banshee-1″ (which is correct) but in text you have “sudo apt-get install banshee1″ (which is incorrect). Make sure to add that dash in!
great catch b - thanks! fixed.
Very useful - should try and get a link to this page on he Banshee FAQ/help pages!
THANKS! awesome
i got this error mesej
E: Could not get lock /var/lib/dpkg/lock - open (11 Resource temporarily unavailable)
E: Unable to lock the administration directory (/var/lib/dpkg/), is another process using it?
scorps@scorps-laptop:~$
Thak you - simple, accurate and no scary technobabble…
Woo Hoo!
Thanks a million!
excellent guide thanks man
Wow, really useful!!
Thanks very much
Ok. That was great - Banshee installed on my computer, but when I click to open, Banshee begins to start and then shuts down. What am I doing wrong??
Thanks for the help
Excellent installation instructions, but now Banshee will not start. Has anyone seen this? I uninstalled and reinstalled, but with the same result.
thank you so much!
Hi my ISP doesnt cover Ubuntu so I downloaded Banshee from my windows pc (banshee-1-1.2.1.tar.bz2)!!!!! how do i install this file?
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