the catalog · 🎬 Audio & video
Navidrome
★ 14kStreams your own music collection to Subsonic-compatible apps from a single tiny binary.
Navidrome does the job of Spotify, self-hosted. It is GPL-3.0-licensed, a copyleft licence, and it installs in about one command. Spotify bills $12 for it. 14k stars on GitHub.
Open-source replacement for Spotify.
- Licence
- GPL-3.0
- Self-hosting
- Easy
- The paid one costs
- $12
- GitHub stars
- 14k
Is it actually a replacement?
We have written a verdict on what it replaces — what you lose, and why people still pay:
How Navidrome runs
Where it runs
Navidrome runs on your machine or their cloud.
Installing it
Docker Compose or a prebuilt Windows/macOS/Linux binary; install ffmpeg.
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.
What setup takes
You need an always-on host, ffmpeg, and your own secure remote-access/TLS setup unless you pay a managed host.
The catch compared with Apple Music
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.
Navidrome questions
Is Navidrome open source?
Yes — it is released under GPL-3.0.
Can Navidrome replace Spotify?
Our verdict on Spotify Premium is YES. Jellyfin (55k stars), Navidrome (23k stars), Koel (17k stars) are mature open-source replacements for Spotify Premium — self-host with docker and stop paying $12.99/mo.
Can I self-host Navidrome?
Yes — we rate it easy to self-host, and it runs on your machine or their cloud. Docker Compose or a prebuilt Windows/macOS/Linux binary; install ffmpeg.