Subsonic
The original personal music and video streaming server, with a cheap Premium upgrade.
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About Subsonic
Subsonic is the long-running personal media streamer whose API became the de facto standard for self-hosted music servers. You install the Java server where your files live, then play music and movies in a browser or through apps for Android, iPhone and other platforms. It includes podcast receiving, Chromecast and Sonos streaming, a jukebox mode, on-the-fly downsampling and transcoding, DLNA support, tags, lyrics and album art, and it runs on Windows, Mac and Linux. The basic version is free with ads in the web interface; Subsonic Premium costs a small yearly fee and adds app access, video streaming, a personal subsonic.org address, removal of ads and casting, with a 30-day trial of premium features. The project is no longer open source and development has slowed, which is why forks such as Airsonic and newer servers like Navidrome took over much of its audience. Its web interface looks dated.
Best for: Existing Subsonic users or anyone wanting a simple, inexpensive all-in-one music streamer.
Pros and cons
What works
- Its API is supported by a huge range of apps
- Premium is inexpensive
- Handles music, video and podcasts
Why people leave
- Closed source with slow development
- Dated web interface
- Many features locked behind Premium
Top Subsonic alternatives
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Why people left Subsonic
In reviewers' own words, from reviews of the apps they moved to. These are their opinions, not ours.
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Reviews
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Subsonic: common questions
Is Subsonic free?
Subsonic has a free plan and paid plans. Free version: Yes, basic version (checked on Subsonic's own site).
Is Subsonic open source?
No, Subsonic is not open source. Open-source alternatives include Navidrome, gonic and Ampache.
What platforms does Subsonic run on?
Subsonic is available for Windows, macOS, Linux, Self-hosted and Web.
What are the best alternatives to Subsonic?
The highest-ranked Subsonic alternatives right now are Navidrome, gonic and Ampache. See the full ranked list for pricing, platforms and verified facts.