try this out...
do you want to quit spotify/apple music/etc and save money? do you want to access your PC's music while you're out n' about? I just started self-hosting a server for my music, and I made the quickest possible setup guide so I can get all my friends on it, too!
you will need a PC to host your music server, meaning it has to stay powered on/connected to internet (you can also use another device like a raspberry pi). however by the end, you will be able to download your music offline on your phone, too :)
note: this guide is for navidrome (based on subsonic) just cuz I like its mobile apps the most! there are a ton of options, such as plex, jellyfin, emby, swing music, or other subsonic-based projects - I recommend looking at their websites or discords if you want to use those.
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how to set up navidrome:
- install navidrome! the quickest way for Windows is using the MSI file with default settings
- open the navidrome config file (C:\Program Files\Navidrome\navidrome.ini) in notepad, and copy/paste your music's file location (ex: MusicFolder='C:\Users\YourUsername\Music')
to make navidrone run automatically when you start your PC, install shawl and run as admin: shawl add --name Navidrome -- "C:\Services\navidrome\navidrome.exe" -c "C:\Services\navidrome\navidrome.toml"- restart your pc! now test that it is working by going to http://127.0.0.1:4533/ on your browser, making a username/password, and playing some tunes :)
- to connect your phone to your PC securely/without the firewall blocking you, install tailscale on both devices (you'll need to make an account)
- test it on your phone by finding your PC's new IP address on tailscale, copy/pasting it into your phone browser, and adding :4533 to the end (ex: http://100.69.420.420:4533). the page should look the same as it does on step 4
- now on your phone, you can install your favorite client! there are tons of options; try navidrone's list, /r/navidrome, or the app store. when you log in, your server URL is the same as step 6 (http://your-PC's-IP-address:4533)
my personal iphone recs: narjo (via testflight)!!!, arpeggi (via testflight), amperfy (ios 26+), nautiline (paid), musa (paid, ios 26+), or if all else fails then amcfy or substreamer
note: I have step #3 grayed out since I'm not sure if using the MSI lets you skip that step! if you install that way, I would appreciate if you could test it for me and let me know. just do steps #1, 2, 4 and see if http://127.0.0.1:4533/ still works after restarting your pc :)
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how to get music!!!!:
- I definitely recommend legal methods for purchasing music, like bandcamp or itunes. I'd neverrr condone pirating music via soulseek or slsk-based apps (nicotine+, soulbeet, seeker for android, etc)
- I think it's really nice to build out a music library from scratch, but if you just want all your music off spotify/yt right now, I would try spotify downloader or slsk batch download. (tip: on the spotify desktop app, you can Ctrl+A and copy/paste all your liked songs into a playlist)
- if you want a free app to listen to music you don't have downloaded', but don't want to deal with spotify/youtube ads, try lyra instead! (it might ruin the magic to know, but it's just youtube music with an adblocker and with a spotify makeover)
- if you want to discover music without any algo, might I recommend rateyourmusic/albumoftheyear, every noise at once (hover to see the track, and press » to go deeper), or even radiogarden/your local college radio. (credit to ikoxun for most of these!)
- and if you want super-cool listening statistics (à la wrapped), sign up for last.fm and make sure the app you pick supports it! if you want manual tracking and reviews (à la letterboxd), see above for rateyourmusic/albumoftheyear
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I can help with setup/issues/etc if you contact me!