Ubuntu Studio
Official Ubuntu flavour preloaded with free audio, video, graphics and publishing apps.
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About Ubuntu Studio
Ubuntu Studio is an official Ubuntu flavour aimed at musicians, video editors, photographers, illustrators and publishers. It installs with a curated set of creative software such as Ardour, Blender, Krita, GIMP, Kdenlive, OBS Studio, Scribus and Darktable, on the KDE Plasma desktop. Its main difference from plain Ubuntu is audio setup: PipeWire is configured for low latency with JACK compatibility, and an Audio Configuration tool adjusts buffer size and kernel options, so recording works without much tuning. It shares Ubuntu's repositories, security updates and release schedule, with long-term support releases every two years and interim releases every six months. The ISO runs live from USB so you can try it first, and an Ubuntu Studio Installer adds the same tools to other Ubuntu flavours if you'd rather keep another desktop. It is free and open source, and runs on standard 64-bit PCs.
Best for: Musicians and media creators who want a Linux desktop ready for recording and editing.
Pros and cons
What works
- Low-latency audio set up out of the box
- Many creative apps preinstalled and tested together
- Same repositories and security updates as Ubuntu
- Can be tried live from a USB stick
Why people leave
- Large install with many apps you may not need
- LTS releases get three years of flavour support, not five
- Professional tools like Adobe apps don't run on it natively
Top Ubuntu Studio alternatives
See all 5- 1
Ubuntu68.8The standard flavour with longer support; add creative apps yourself if you don't need the audio tuning.
- 2
Fedora Linux64.8Up-to-date packages and PipeWire by default, with Fedora Jam and Design labs aimed at creators.
- 3
Kubuntu59.6Same KDE Plasma desktop on Ubuntu without the bundle of creative apps.
- 4
Linux Mint59.4Simpler, more Windows-like desktop for people who only need a few creative apps.
- 5
macOS57.5If you need Logic Pro, Final Cut or Adobe apps, a Mac runs them natively.
Why people left Ubuntu Studio
In reviewers' own words, from reviews of the apps they moved to. These are their opinions, not ours.
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Ubuntu Studio: common questions
Is Ubuntu Studio free?
Yes. Ubuntu Studio is free, open-source software.
Is Ubuntu Studio open source?
Yes.
What platforms does Ubuntu Studio run on?
Ubuntu Studio is available for Linux.
What are the best alternatives to Ubuntu Studio?
The highest-ranked Ubuntu Studio alternatives right now are Ubuntu, Fedora Linux and Kubuntu. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.