How to turn Ubuntu Mate into Ubuntu Mate Studio

I like Ubuntu Studio. I don’t like the XFCE desktop that comes with it. I do like Ubuntu Mate. So, I figured out how to install all of the relevant meta-packages from Ubuntu Studio, including the low latency kernel (many of the Ubuntu Studio apps won’t work without it).

Simply copy and paste the command below, in its entirety, into a terminal and press the “enter” key on your keyboard. Then follow and carry out any instructions given:

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sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade && sudo apt-get install linux-lowlatency && sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get upgrade && sudo apt-get install ubuntustudio-audio ubuntustudio-audio-plugins ubuntustudio-graphics ubuntustudio-video

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About halfway through the installation, you will be asked if you want to “enable real time process priority”. Make sure you answer “yes” to this question. Please note, that you can alternate between “yes” and no” in the terminal by using the “Tab” key on your keyboard.

When you are done, reboot, and everything should be working fine.

The only issue you will have is an aesthetic one. That is to say, the sound & video menu will be ludicrously long, given all the audio apps that will have been installed. Thus, you might be advised to edit your applications menu and put some further sub-folders into the sound and video sub-menu and then move your various sound apps into the respective sub-folders.

If it helps, the sub-folders (including where I placed all my sound apps) I have added to the sound and video menu are:

(also, please ignore if there are any apps I have included in the following list that are not actually in your sound and video menu. These will be apps I have personally installed after installing the ubuntu studio meta package. I just can’t remember precisely which ones they are!)

Sound and Video
    Sound
        Audio processors
            ATI
            Calf Plugin
            Gladish
            Guitarix
            HDA JackRestask
            Jack Rack
            Jamin
            Ladi control Centre
            Ladi Log File
            Ladi Player
            LV2Rack
            Meterbridge
            Patchage
            QjackCTL
            Rakarrack
            Zita-mu1
            Zita-rev1
            Zynjacku
        Midi Utilities
            Gmidimonitor
            Hydrogen
            Jack Keyboard
            Musescore
            Qmidiarp
            Qmidinet
            Qmidiroute
            Qtractor
            Virtual Midi Keybaord
        Mixers and Card Control
            audio mixer
            echo mixer
            ffado mixer
            hdspconf
            hdspmixer
            mudita24
            pulse audio volume control
            quasconfig
            quathctl
            quasmixer
            rmedigicontrol
            sound    
        Sound Generators
            drumkv1
            fooyc20
            hexter
            phasex
            qsynth
            samplev1
            sooperlooper
            specimin
            synthv1
            yoshimi            
    Video
        put all of your video production apps here
    Media Playback
        put all of your sound and video playback apps here
    Miscellaneous Sound and Video Apps
        What's left, if anything, goes here

UPDATE!!! There has been a major change in Ubuntu Studio.

It is now available as an installer Ubuntu Studio Installer 25. This will work for all supported Ubuntu flavors, including Ubuntu MATE.

Please read the notes before installing. You will need to enable the Ubuntu Studio Backports PPA 9 if installing on anything before 19.04.

Install it with the following command:

sudo apt install ubuntustudio-installer

Please note their warning:

NOTE: FOR DESKTOPS OTHER THAN UBUNTU’S DEFAULT GNOME, DO NOT INSTALL ubuntustudio-gnome-branding AS THIS WILL PULL-IN ALL PACKAGES FOR THE GNOME DESKTOP ENVIRONMENT!