# Install kew with Homebrew, apk, apt, Nix, pacman, zypper Command-line music player. Version 4.1.7 via Homebrew; verified 2026-07-03. ## Install ```sh sudo av install brew:kew ``` Additional install commands: ### macOS - Homebrew (100%): ```sh brew install kew ``` Evidence: local Homebrew formula metadata ### Linux - apk (92%): ```sh sudo apk add kew ``` Evidence: Alpine Linux edge package indexes: kew from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz - Debian apt (92%): ```sh sudo apt install kew ``` Evidence: Debian stable package indexes: kew from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz - Nix (92%): ```sh nix profile install nixpkgs#kew ``` Evidence: nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/ke/kew/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - pacman (92%): ```sh sudo pacman -S kew ``` Evidence: Arch Linux sync databases: kew from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz - zypper (92%): ```sh sudo zypper install kew ``` Evidence: openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: kew from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst ## Package facts - **Package key:** brew:kew - **Package manager:** Homebrew - **Package manager page:** - **Version:** 4.1.7 - **Source summary:** Command-line music player - **Homepage:** - **Repository:** - **Upstream docs:** - **License:** GPL-2.0-or-later - **Source archive:** - **Last updated:** 2026-07-03T03:58:02Z - **Generated:** 2026-07-08T07:18:31+00:00 ## Executables - kew (cli) - kew (alias) ## Dependencies - chafa - faad2 - fftw - gdk-pixbuf - gettext - glib - libogg - libvorbis - opus - opusfile - taglib ## Build dependencies - pkgconf ## Uses from macOS - curl ## Install behavior - Post-install hook: not defined - Bottle: available on arm64_linux, arm64_sequoia, arm64_sonoma, arm64_tahoe, sonoma, x86_64_linux ## Freshness - Page generated: 2026-07-08 - Package-manager version: 4.1.7 - Package-manager updated: 2026-07-03 - Local data: ok - Upstream repository: https://github.com/ravachol/kew - Upstream latest detected: v4.1.7 (current) ## Project history and usage kew is a terminal music player centered on local music libraries, fast fuzzy-ish command invocation, and privacy-oriented offline playback. Its appeal is deliberately old-school: play albums and folders from a shell, but with modern terminal luxuries such as covers, visualizers, themes, desktop integration, and playlist editing. ### Project history The project was developed by ravachol and documented on GitHub as a terminal music player. Its README emphasizes auto-generated playlists from artist, album, or song words, no telemetry by default, gapless playback, sixel-capable cover art, spectrum visualization, MPRIS-style desktop integration, and broad Unix-like platform support. Release discussions show a rapid evolution from a small Linux terminal player into a broader shell music app. The v3.0 release-candidate discussion called out macOS support and dependency changes; later release notes for 4.0 described a redesigned audio module, ASCII visualizations, Discord integration, macOS media-key support, AIFF support, and Arch Linux packaging. ### Adoption history kew moved from a niche terminal-audio project into distribution packaging quickly enough to appear in Homebrew and Linux distribution package sets. That adoption pattern fits terminal music tools: a small upstream repo becomes much easier to try once package managers hide the codec and desktop-integration dependencies. ### How it is used Users run kew with words from an artist, album, song, directory, or playlist name; kew builds a queue from the first matching library location. It is used by people who want local-library playback without a heavyweight GUI or recommendation service. ### Why package nerds care kew sits in the lineage of terminal music players, but it is notable for combining shell-first invocation with visual terminal features that became more practical as sixel-capable and GPU-accelerated terminals spread. For packagers, the interesting part is dependency stitching across audio codecs, metadata libraries, cover rendering, notifications, and OS-specific media controls. ### Timeline - 2024: Public discussion introduced kew to a wider terminal/Linux audience as a small local-library music player. - 2025: v3.0 release-candidate notes documented macOS support and larger dependency changes. - 2026: Homebrew packaged kew as a command-line music player, while the upstream README directed active development and issue tracking to Codeberg. ### Related projects - kew belongs near other terminal music players and local-library tools rather than streaming clients. Its README also points packagers toward Repology and downstream package repositories as part of the project workflow. ### Sources - - - - - ## Security Notes narrow executable package without higher-risk signals. - **Geiger risk:** green / low - narrow executable package without higher-risk signals ## Configuration and credential file locations These source-backed paths show where this package keeps local settings or durable credentials. Automic Vault can use them as review targets for secret scanning, migration, and command approval. ## Configuration files - Linux: ~/.config/kew/kewrc, ~/.config/kew/kewstaterc - macOS: ~/Library/Preferences/kew/kewrc, ~/Library/Preferences/kew/kewstaterc ## Source Database Details - **Source Database:** Homebrew formula API - **Tap:** homebrew/core - **Full Name:** kew - **Version Scheme:** 0 - **Revision:** 0 - **Head Version:** HEAD - **Bottle Stable Root URL:** - **Deprecated:** no - **Disabled:** no - **Keg Only:** no - **URL Keys:** head, stable ## Other Package-Manager Records - Debian apt - kew - 3.2.0+ds-1: normalized package name match | Debian stable package indexes: kew from https://deb.debian.org/debian/dists/stable/main/binary-amd64/Packages.xz | play music from the commandline | https://github.com/ravachol/kew - Nix - kew: normalized package name match | nixpkgs package indexes: pkgs/by-name/ke/kew/package.nix from https://api.github.com/repos/NixOS/nixpkgs/git/trees/master?recursive=1 - Ubuntu apt - kew - 2.4.2+ds-1build1: normalized package name match | Ubuntu 24.04 LTS package indexes: kew from https://archive.ubuntu.com/ubuntu/dists/noble/universe/binary-amd64/Packages.gz | play music from the commandline | https://github.com/ravachol/kew - apk - kew - 3.7.3-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: kew from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | A terminal music player with album art & visualizer | https://codeberg.org/ravachol/kew - apk - kew-doc - 3.7.3-r0: normalized package name match | Alpine Linux edge package indexes: kew-doc from https://dl-cdn.alpinelinux.org/alpine/edge/testing/x86_64/APKINDEX.tar.gz | A terminal music player with album art & visualizer (documentation) | https://codeberg.org/ravachol/kew - pacman - kew - 4.0.0-1: normalized package name match | Arch Linux sync databases: kew from https://geo.mirror.pkgbuild.com/extra/os/x86_64/extra.db.tar.gz | Music for the Shell | https://codeberg.org/ravachol/kew - zypper - kew - 3.7.3-1.4: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: kew from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst | A command-line music player | https://github.com/ravachol/kew - zypper - kew-lang - 3.7.3-1.4: normalized package name match | openSUSE Tumbleweed package metadata: kew-lang from https://download.opensuse.org/tumbleweed/repo/oss/repodata/be8d3611d25469107f32075a1697e69ec57a2b850b42348a658cc671ad5ec2b50760d02c3e59524d50da9a11d5be799bdaffba2e166e8ca8858512e3c0bd665d-primary.xml.zst | Translations for package kew | https://github.com/ravachol/kew ## Related links - [Source-control packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/source-control-tools/) - Belongs to a source-control command family. - [Terminal utility packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/terminal-utilities/) - Matched terminal and command-line workflow metadata. - [Networking and protocol packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/networking-protocol-tools/) - Matched network, protocol, or remote-service metadata. - [Media and graphics packages](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/media-graphics-tools/) - Matched media, image, audio, video, or graphics metadata. - [chafa](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/chafa/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [faad2](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/faad2/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [fftw](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/fftw/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [gdk-pixbuf](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/gdk-pixbuf/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [gettext](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/gettext/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [glib](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/glib/) - Runtime dependency declared by Homebrew. - [pkgconf](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/pkgconf/) - Build dependency declared by Homebrew. - [moc](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/moc/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: audio, cli, media, music-player, terminal. - [vimpc](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/vimpc/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: audio, cli, media, music-player. - [cmus](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/cmus/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: audio, cli, media, music-player, terminal. - [mp3blaster](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/mp3blaster/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: audio, audio-player, cli, media, terminal. - [pianobar](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/pianobar/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: cli, media, music-player, terminal. - [adplay](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/adplay/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: audio, cli, media, music-player. - [cava](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/cava/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: audio, cli, media, terminal. - [flac123](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/flac123/) - Shares av.db curated category or tags: audio, audio-player, cli, media. - [audacious](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/audacious/) - Both packages work with overlapping file formats or content types. Shared terms: audio, cli, faad2, gdk, gdk-pixbuf. - [termusic](https://www.automicvault.com/pkg/brew/termusic/) - Both packages work with overlapping file formats or content types. Shared terms: audio, cli, media, music, music-player. ## Combined YAML source View the package source record on GitHub. [combined/kew.yml](https://github.com/automic-vault/db/blob/main/combined/kew.yml) ## Sources - Nucleus package database - Geiger risk classifier - package-page enrichment - curated configuration and credential file locations - curated package history - package version freshness - av.db category and tag curation - package relationship graph - external package-manager database matches - cross-ecosystem install command graph