rmpc-config

Overview

This repository contains my personal configuration for rmpc, a terminal-based music player built on top of MPD. The configuration is focused on minimalism, keyboard-driven usage, and reducing friction during everyday listening.

It is not meant to be a showcase or a heavily themed setup. The goal is to make rmpc feel quiet, predictable, and easy to use inside a terminal-first workflow.

Why rmpc

Most graphical music players introduce unnecessary complexity for a task that should stay simple. rmpc fits naturally into a CLI-based workflow and works well when you prefer keeping your hands on the keyboard.

While the default configuration is usable, small changes to layout, keybindings, and defaults make a noticeable difference in daily use.

Prerequisites

Before using this configuration, make sure you have the following:

A Linux or Unix-like system
MPD (Music Player Daemon) installed and running
rmpc installed
A terminal emulator with UTF-8 support
(my suggestion kitty)

Installation

Install MPD using your system package manager.

sudo pacman -S mpd

Create a config folder inside your .config folder.

mkdir -p ~/.config/mpd

Create a config file inside your .config/mpd

nano mpd.conf

Open that config file via nano editor.

nano ~/.config/mpd/mpd.conf

Paste this file ctrl+shift+v
After pasting ctrl+o then enter then ctrl+x

music_directory     "~/Music"

auto_update "yes"

playlist_directory  "~/.local/share/mpd/playlists"
db_file             "~/.local/share/mpd/database"
log_file            "~/.local/share/mpd/log"
pid_file            "~/.local/share/mpd/pid"
state_file          "~/.local/share/mpd/state"

bind_to_address     "127.0.0.1"
port                "6600"

bind_to_address "/run/user/1000/mpd/socket"

audio_output {
    type "pipewire"
    name "PipeWire"
}

Quick check that MPD is running or not

mpd

Install rmpc using your system package manager.

sudo pacman -S rmpc

Clone this repository:

git clone https://github.com/anirbanfaith/rmpc-config.git

Create the rmpc configuration directory if it does not exist:

mkdir -p ~/.config/rmpc

Copy the configuration file:

cp rmpc-config/config.ron ~/.config/rmpc/config.ron

Adjust the filename if your local setup differs.

Usage

Make sure MPD is running, then start rmpc:

rmpc

Player

Layout

The configuration is intended to work out of the box. Changes should be made gradually, based on real usage rather than experimentation for its own sake.

Design Principles

Minimal interface
Keyboard-first navigation
Reduced visual noise
Predictable behavior
Small, intentional defaults

Notes

This configuration reflects my personal workflow. You are encouraged to fork it and adapt it to your own habits. Small changes often have more impact than large rewrites.

Out of the box keybindings

1, 2, 3, 4 or Tab - For switching tabs
p - For play and pause the music
A - To add all songs to queue
g - To go to of the list
G - To go bottom of the list
q - For quiting the app

Now where to get Hi-res flac files?

Tech explored

nano CLI tools config files