Ubuntu 26.04 uses PipeWire as the default audio/video server, providing excellent support for multimedia playback and device management. This article covers how to smoothly play various audio and video content on Ubuntu, and how to configure and test your webcam.

Installing Multimedia Codecs

Due to licensing reasons, Ubuntu 26.04 does not include certain proprietary media codecs by default. Install the following packages for full multimedia format support:

# Install Ubuntu restricted extras (includes common codecs)
sudo apt install ubuntu-restricted-extras
 
# Install additional GStreamer codecs
sudo apt install gstreamer1.0-plugins-bad gstreamer1.0-plugins-ugly gstreamer1.0-libav
 
# Install DVD playback support
sudo apt install libdvd-pkg
sudo dpkg-reconfigure libdvd-pkg

When installing ubuntu-restricted-extras, you will need to accept a font license agreement. In the terminal, use the Tab key to select “OK” and press Enter.

Audio Playback & Management

PipeWire Audio System

Ubuntu 26.04 uses PipeWire to replace the older PulseAudio audio server. PipeWire provides lower latency, better Bluetooth audio support, and professional audio capabilities.

Checking Audio Status

# Check PipeWire status
systemctl --user status pipewire pipewire-pulse wireplumber
 
# View audio devices and nodes
wpctl status
 
# View detailed device information
pw-cli list-objects

Volume Control

# Check current volume
wpctl get-volume @DEFAULT_AUDIO_SINK@
 
# Set volume to 50%
wpctl set-volume @DEFAULT_AUDIO_SINK@ 0.5
 
# Increase volume by 5%
wpctl set-volume @DEFAULT_AUDIO_SINK@ 5%+
 
# Decrease volume by 5%
wpctl set-volume @DEFAULT_AUDIO_SINK@ 5%-
 
# Toggle mute
wpctl set-mute @DEFAULT_AUDIO_SINK@ toggle

In the graphical interface, click the system status area in the upper-right corner of the top bar to quickly adjust volume and select output devices.

Switching Audio Devices

In “Settings > Sound” you can:

• Select an audio output device (speakers, headphones, Bluetooth speaker, etc.)
• Select an audio input device (built-in microphone, external microphone, etc.)
• Adjust volume and balance
• Test speaker output

Music Players

Rhythmbox (Default)

Ubuntu 26.04’s default music player is Rhythmbox, installed out of the box. It is full-featured, manages a local music library, plays internet radio and podcasts, and automatically scans audio files in the “Music” folder.

Other Recommended Players

# Lollypop - modern GNOME music player
sudo apt install lollypop
 
# Audacious - lightweight audio player
sudo apt install audacious

Audio Editing

# Audacity - professional audio editor
sudo apt install audacity

Audacity supports:

• Multi-track audio editing
• Recording
• Noise reduction, equalizer, compression, and other effects
• Export to MP3, WAV, OGG, FLAC, and more

Video Playback

VLC Media Player (Recommended)

VLC is the most popular cross-platform media player, capable of playing virtually all audio and video formats.

sudo apt install vlc

VLC Feature Highlights

• Supports nearly all audio/video formats without additional codecs
• Plays network streams (HTTP, RTSP, MMS, etc.)
• Subtitle loading and adjustment (SRT, ASS, SSA, etc.)
• Video and audio effects adjustment
• Video frame capture
• Basic media transcoding

VLC Keyboard Shortcuts

Playing Network Video in VLC

# Open a network stream in VLC
Media > Open Network Stream > Enter URL

You can also play network video from the command line:

vlc https://example.com/video.mp4

mpv Player

mpv is a lightweight but powerful video player, especially suited for keyboard-oriented users.

sudo apt install mpv

mpv Features

• Minimalist interface focused on the playback experience
• Hardware decoding acceleration support
• Highly configurable (via configuration files)
• Lua script extension support
• Excellent subtitle rendering quality

Basic mpv Usage

# Play a video
mpv video.mp4
 
# Specify a subtitle file
mpv video.mp4 --sub-file=subtitle.srt
 
# Hardware decoding
mpv --hwdec=auto video.mp4
 
# Playlist
mpv --playlist=list.txt

Showtime

Ubuntu 26.04 uses Showtime as the default video player, replacing GNOME Videos (Totem), suitable for light playback and quick previews.

Subtitles

Most video players support external subtitle files. Place the subtitle file (.srt, .ass) in the same directory as the video file with the same name, and the player will usually load it automatically.

If subtitles display garbled characters, you can set the subtitle encoding in VLC:

1. Open “Tools > Preferences > Subtitles/OSD”
2. Set “Default encoding” to the appropriate character set (e.g., UTF-8)

Webcam Usage

Testing Your Webcam

Snapshot (Pre-installed)

Ubuntu 26.04 ships with the GNOME Snapshot camera app pre-installed. Open it and, if the webcam is working, it will immediately show the camera feed. It supports taking photos and recording videos, making it the most convenient way to test a webcam.

Cheese

Cheese is the traditional GNOME webcam application and can also be used to test your webcam:

sudo apt install cheese

After opening Cheese, if the webcam is working, it will immediately show the camera feed. Cheese also supports taking photos and recording videos.

Command-Line Detection

# View recognized webcam devices
ls /dev/video*
 
# View detailed webcam information
v4l2-ctl --list-devices
 
# View supported resolutions and formats
v4l2-ctl --list-formats-ext -d /dev/video0
 
# Preview webcam with mpv
mpv av://v4l2:/dev/video0

Webcam Settings Adjustment

# Install v4l2 tools
sudo apt install v4l-utils
 
# View adjustable parameters
v4l2-ctl -d /dev/video0 --list-ctrls
 
# Adjust brightness
v4l2-ctl -d /dev/video0 --set-ctrl brightness=128
 
# Adjust contrast
v4l2-ctl -d /dev/video0 --set-ctrl contrast=128

Webcam Permission Management

If an application cannot access the webcam:

1. Check whether the application has been granted access in “Settings > Privacy > Camera”
2. For Snap applications, confirm the camera interface is connected:

sudo snap connect app-name:camera

3. For Flatpak applications, check permission settings:

flatpak permission-show app-id

Virtual Webcam

If you need to use a virtual webcam in video calls (e.g., play a pre-recorded video), you can use v4l2loopback:

sudo apt install v4l2loopback-dkms
 
# Load the virtual webcam module
sudo modprobe v4l2loopback
 
# Push video to the virtual webcam using FFmpeg
ffmpeg -re -i video.mp4 -f v4l2 /dev/video2

Common Troubleshooting

No Sound

# Check if PipeWire is running
systemctl --user status pipewire
 
# Restart PipeWire
systemctl --user restart pipewire pipewire-pulse wireplumber
 
# Check if muted
wpctl get-volume @DEFAULT_AUDIO_SINK@
 
# View default output device
wpctl status | head -30

Video Playback Stuttering

• Confirm hardware acceleration drivers are installed (NVIDIA, AMD, or Intel)
• Enable hardware decoding in VLC: Tools > Preferences > Input/Codecs > Hardware-accelerated decoding
• Use mpv --hwdec=auto to enable hardware decoding

No Sound from Bluetooth Headphones

# Restart Bluetooth and PipeWire
sudo systemctl restart bluetooth
systemctl --user restart pipewire pipewire-pulse wireplumber
 
# Manually select the Bluetooth device as output in Sound settings

Summary

Ubuntu 26.04’s PipeWire-based audio system and comprehensive multimedia support provide an excellent audio/video experience. After installing ubuntu-restricted-extras, you can play virtually all common formats. VLC is the most recommended all-in-one player, while the built-in system tools meet light usage needs. For webcams, most USB webcams work plug-and-play, and the pre-installed Snapshot provides a quick way to test them.