The guide explains how to install MusicBrainz Picard on RHEL, CentOS and Rocky Linux, starting with a quick check of the distribution version so you know which repositories are available. It then shows how to enable AppStream (or its equivalent), run “dnf install picard”, and verify the installation with a simple version command. For those using older stacks it outlines an alternate path that involves downloading the source RPM, manually resolving dependencies like glibc‑devel or libtag‑devel, and building the package yourself, plus an optional step to create a desktop shortcut for GNOME or KDE. Finally, the article cautions about common pitfalls such as broken libtag dependencies on RHEL 7 and reminds readers that keeping Picard up‑to‑date is just a matter of running “dnf update picard” (or “yum update picard” on legacy systems).

How To Install MusicBrainz Picard on RHEL, CentOS and Rocky Linux

If you’re a fan of tag‑cleaning your music library but haven’t tried Picard yet, now’s the time. On most Fedora‑style distributions it ships in the default repos; on the older RHEL‑based stacks you’ll need to dig a little deeper.

1 – Check Your Distribution Version

rpm --eval '%{?rhel}'          # RHEL/CentOS
cat /etc/os-release | grep PRETTY_NAME   # Rocky Linux

Why bother? Picard’s RPM packages are built against specific glibc and libtag versions. Installing a mismatched package can bite you later when the library loads.

2 – Enable the “AppStream” (or equivalent) Repository

On CentOS 8 or Rocky 8, the AppStream stream contains most of the modern software you’ll need:

sudo dnf config-manager --set-enabled appstream

If you’re on RHEL 9, AppStream is already enabled by default.

3 – Install Picard From the Official RPM

sudo dnf install picard

That’s it. The package pulls in all dependencies automatically. If dnf complains about missing packages, make sure you’re pointing at a recent mirror or enable EPEL:

sudo dnf install epel-release

4 – Verify the Installation

picard --version

You should see something like Picard 3.7.0. If you get an “command not found” error, double‑check that /usr/bin/picard is on your $PATH.

– (Optional) Install a Desktop Shortcut

If you’re using GNOME or KDE:

cat <<'EOF' | sudo tee /usr/share/applications/picard.desktop
[Desktop Entry]
Name=MusicBrainz Picard
Comment=Tag and organize music files
Exec=picard %U
Icon=org.musicbrainz.Picard
Terminal=false
Type=Application
Categories=Audio;Utility;
EOF

Now the launcher will show up in your app list.

6 – What If Your OS Doesn’t Have a Package Yet?

Some older RHEL/CentOS releases pre‑2020 may not ship Picard in any repo. In that case:

1. Download the source RPM from the official site or GitHub release page.

2. Resolve dependencies manually – you’ll likely need glibc-devel, libtag-devel, and a few others.

3. Build it yourself:

sudo dnf install rpm-build
rpmbuild -ba picard-*.src.rpm

That’s a lot more work than the simple dnf install route, but it works if you’re fighting legacy systems.

7 – Common Pitfall: Broken Dependencies on RHEL 7

I’ve seen this happen after an accidental “yum update –all” that pulled in a newer libtag. The package fails to start because Picard was compiled against an older API. Fix it by pinning the libtag version or installing the older libtag-0.4.0 RPM manually.

8 – Keeping It Updated

On RHEL/CentOS 8 and Rocky 8, keep Picard current with:

sudo dnf update picard

If you’re on a system that still uses YUM, the same command works – just swap dnf for yum.

That’s all there is to it. No wizardry, no Docker containers, just a few commands and a happy, tag‑clean music library.