Where Does DeaDBeeF Store Config and Playlists?
Where DeaDBeeF keeps its main config file, .dbpl playlists, and plugin state on Linux and Windows.
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DeaDBeeF keeps its world in one config folder: ~/.config/deadbeef on Linux, %APPDATA%\deadbeef on Windows. Playlists, the config database, plugin state, and converter presets all live inside.
The folder is small and portable, which makes migration a straight copy with the player closed. Music stays outside it and relinks by path, so moved libraries need a playlist search and replace rather than a rescan. Stale plugin binaries cause more breakage than any setting. Design mode edits persist in the same folder.
Where DeaDBeeF stores this, by platform
~/.config/deadbeef
config file plus *.dbpl playlists and plugin state here. Honors $XDG_CONFIG_HOME. Delete the config (not the playlists) to reset the UI while keeping libraries.
%APPDATA%\deadbeef
Same filenames as Linux under Roaming. Paste the path into Explorer. Portable builds keep the same tree beside the exe instead, which suits USB carry setups.
Frequently asked questions
how do i migrate deadbeef settings
Copy ~/.config/deadbeef (Linux) or the %APPDATA%\deadbeef folder (Windows) to the same path with the player closed. Playlists, columns UI layout, and plugin settings travel together. Music files stay where they are and relink by path.
where are deadbeef playlists stored
As .dbpl files in the config folder. They are plain text playlist dumps, so hand editing works for search and replace path fixes. The player rewrites them on exit, so edit while closed.
where are deadbeef plugins and presets
In config plus the plugin .so files beside it (Linux) or the install folder (Windows). Title formatting strings and converter presets live in the same tree. A broken upgrade usually means a stale plugin binary, not a bad config.
Notice an outdated path? Let us know.