6 Best Free Linux Media Centers

Last Updated on March 19, 2022

The majority of Linux distributions come supplied with a wide range of software that lets individuals use their PC to watch movies and television programs, listen to a music collection, and view photos. However, if you are looking for a more harmonious approach, turning your Linux box into a state of the art media center with an integrated easy-to-use interface, media center software will be just the ticket.

In the media center department, Linux has a fairly narrow range to choose from. Fortunately, the software featured in this article ticks all the boxes. We have also chosen to include some distributions which are dedicated media centers, as they significantly simplify the installation process. At the heart of each of these distributions is XMBC.

One media center application that is not included in this article but is worthy of a mention is Boxee. Whilst this application has won many plaudits, it is unfortunately no longer being supported for computers. Instead, the developers of Boxee believe that the future lies with connected televisions and secondary devices.

To provide an insight into the quality of software that is available, we have compiled a list of 6 impressive free Linux media centers. Hopefully, there will be something of interest here for anyone who wants to turn their Linux computer into a multimedia hub.

Now, let’s explore the 6 media centers at hand. For each title we have compiled its own portal page, a full description with an in-depth analysis of its features, a screenshot, together with links to relevant resources and reviews.

Explore our carefully curated directory of recommended free and open source software, covering every major software category. The directory forms part of our extensive collection of articles for Linux enthusiasts. It includes hundreds of detailed reviews, together with free and open source alternatives to proprietary software from companies such as Google, Microsoft, Apple, Adobe, IBM, Cisco, Oracle, and Autodesk. LinuxLinks also covers interesting projects worth exploring, Linux-compatible hardware, free programming books and tutorials, and much more. Know a useful free and open source Linux application that we haven’t covered? Tell us about it using our submission form.