Rhythmbox 3.5.0 It is now available This is a new version of the veteran music player and manager from the GNOME project. Although its development has slowed in recent years, the application continues to receive improvements aimed at modernizing its functionality and adapting it to the technologies used by current Linux distributions. This update introduces a significant internal change to the playback system, along with improvements to lyrics management, new plugins, and various bug fixes.
Included by default in distributions like Ubuntu and other GNOME-based systems, Rhythmbox remains a go-to application for organizing local music collections, playing internet radio stations, managing podcasts, and syncing certain multimedia devices. Version 3.5.0 continues to evolve in that direction, prioritizing compatibility with modern software and simplifying some of its internal infrastructure.
Rhythmbox 3.5.0 adopts the multistream backend as the default option
The main new feature of Rhythmbox 3.5.0 is the new backend multistream This system is now the default. It replaces the old backend based on transitions between songs, simplifying the application code and taking advantage of the audio mixing capabilities offered by modern audio servers like PipeWire and PulseAudio. As a result, maintenance is easier and compatibility with modern Linux desktops is significantly improved.
The update also introduces improvements to song lyrics management. Rhythmbox can now read external files in [format] .lrc stored alongside the music and adds support for lyrics embedded in Ogg files when the system has GStreamer 1.25.90 or later. Additionally, the lyrics plugin now uses lrclib.net as the default search service, offering greater content availability.
Another important new feature is the addition of a plugin compatible with the API of gPodder.netThis feature allows you to automatically sync your podcast subscriptions and playback status across different devices. This makes it easy to continue listening to episodes on various devices without losing your progress.
Along with these new features, Rhythmbox 3.5.0 includes several bug fixes in the new playback backend and minor adjustments aimed at improving the application's overall stability. While not a complete overhaul of the player, this version demonstrates that the project continues to adapt to current Linux technologies while maintaining the interface and functionality that have made Rhythmbox a staple tool for millions of GNOME desktop users.