Navidrome
Your music, your disk, your streaming server; the licensed catalogue is the part it cannot clone.
Technical Profile & Specs
verified 2026-08-11
- Cost
- $0 / forever (Open Source)
- License
- GPL-3.0
- Hosting Model
- Local or hosted (your machine or their cloud)
- Platforms
- desktopmobilewebself-hosteddocker to self-host
- Installation
- Docker Compose or a prebuilt Windows/macOS/Linux binary; install ffmpeg
- Operational Setup
- You need an always-on host, ffmpeg, and your own secure remote-access/TLS setup unless you pay a managed host
- Where Your Data Lives
- Music remains as audio files in the configured music folder; users, playlists and indexed metadata live in Navidrome's application database under its data folder, with cache files beside it
- The Catch / Trade-off
- It cannot replace Apple Music's licensed catalogue, editorial discovery, Spatial Audio catalogue, or seamless Apple-device service; it only streams music you already own.
Replaces 4 paid apps
up to $48.96/mo ($588/yr) in subscriptions
Navidrome FAQ
Common questions
Is Navidrome free and open source?+
Navidrome is an open-source tool licensed under GPL-3.0 that runs on local or hosted. Your music, your disk, your streaming server; the licensed catalogue is the part it cannot clone.
What paid software does Navidrome replace?+
Navidrome serves as a free replacement for 4 paid SaaS applications: Apple Music, Spotify Premium, TIDAL, YouTube Music Premium, saving up to $48.96/month ($588/year) in subscription bills.
How do you install and set up Navidrome?+
Installation: Docker Compose or a prebuilt Windows/macOS/Linux binary; install ffmpeg. Setup notes: You need an always-on host, ffmpeg, and your own secure remote-access/TLS setup unless you pay a managed host
What is the catch or trade-off with Navidrome?+
It cannot replace Apple Music's licensed catalogue, editorial discovery, Spatial Audio catalogue, or seamless Apple-device service; it only streams music you already own.