gonic review: stream your own music at home

gonic is a free, open-source music server for people who already have their songs on a computer and want to play them around the house. A gonic music server speaks the Subsonic API, a shared language that lets many music apps browse and stream a library stored at home.¹ Your files stay in a folder you choose.¹ Version 0.23.0 was released on 22 October 2026.²⁸

Last checked October 28, 2026.

At a glance

What it is: A free, open-source music server that apps talk to with the Subsonic API.¹

Works on: Linux, Windows and macOS as the server, including a Linux ARM build. Docker images cover 64-bit PCs and ARM boards, including a Raspberry Pi. Phones use a separate Subsonic app.¹⁴⁵⁸

Price: Free software.¹

Licence: GNU General Public License version 3.³

Best for: People who want to stream a music folder they already have, from a computer they run.

Official site: github.com/sentriz/gonic

What gonic does (and how it protects your privacy)

gonic reads a music collection from a path you set, then offers it to apps that understand the Subsonic API.¹ You can browse by folder, so the layout on disk stays as you arranged it, or by tags such as artist and album.¹ A tag is the small label inside a music file that holds the artist, album and title. Tag reading covers MP3, Opus, FLAC, APE, M4A and WAV.¹ Each person can have an account, with their own playlists and transcoding choices.¹ Transcoding means converting audio while it streams, so a phone can play a file it would otherwise refuse.

The songs live on hardware you control. gonic is a program you install, published on GitHub by sentriz, and its web page is for setup: users, library scans and optional Last.fm.¹⁵ Listening apps connect to your server.

Last.fm scrobbling and ListenBrainz scrobbling are both included, and artist biographies can come from the Last.fm API.¹ Scrobbling is a record of tracks you played. From version 0.22.0, gonic can also look up artist information on MusicBrainz without a Last.fm key.² Version 0.23.0 sends a gonic user agent, a short program name, when it contacts third-party services.² Last.fm is connected from the setup page.¹

Key features of gonic

Folder or tag browsing: Keep your folder tree, or browse by tags. The album-artist tag keeps compilation guests from filling the artist list.¹
More than one music folder: gonic supports multiple music folders, with optional aliases for the names clients show.¹
Playlists as files: Playlists are stored as m3u files in a folder you choose.¹ An m3u file is a simple list of tracks.
Transcoding and a cache: Convert audio while streaming, then keep the result. ffmpeg is required only for this.¹⁴
Jukebox mode: Play gapless audio on the server instead of streaming it. That option stays off until you enable it, and it needs mpv.¹⁴
Podcasts: Serve podcasts from a directory you set.¹
Setup page and newer sign-in: The web interface manages users and scans. Apps can sign in with the newer salt-and-token method.¹
Subsonic API version: gonic 0.23.0 reports Subsonic API version 1.16.1 to clients.²

gonic pros and cons

Pros

It is free software under the GNU GPL version 3, and release 0.23.0 is dated 22 October 2026.¹³²
Many apps already speak Subsonic. Tested clients include DSub, Symfonium, Strawberry and Soundwaves.¹
Each user gets separate playlists, top tracks and top artists.¹
The project calls it lightweight and suitable for a Raspberry Pi, and the Docker images include ARM builds.¹⁴⁵

Cons

You need a computer that can stay on, and a music folder of your own.
The built-in web page is for configuration, such as users, scans and Last.fm.¹
The first login is admin / admin. The installation notes say to change it soon after you sign in.¹⁴
The program listens on every network interface, on port 4747, unless you change the address. HTTPS stays off until you add a certificate, or you place gonic behind a proxy that already provides HTTPS.¹⁶
ffmpeg is only required if you want to transcode, and mpv is only required for jukebox mode.⁴
Folder browsing expects one album per folder: every file in a folder should belong to the same album.¹

Is gonic safe and private?

Library state sits in a database file you place. The sample configuration puts it at /var/lib/gonic/gonic.db.⁶ Music stays on the music path, and playlists are m3u files in a folder you choose.¹

HTTP request logging is on by default, and you can turn it off.¹ A debug address, /debug/vars, which can show database statistics, stays off unless you enable it.¹ Artist similarities and biographies come from the Last.fm API.¹

The sample configuration says TLS, the padlock used for HTTPS, is disabled by default, and it recommends a certificate unless gonic sits behind a proxy that already provides HTTPS.⁶ The program’s default listen address is 0.0.0.0:4747, so other devices on the network can connect.¹ The sample config file sets 127.0.0.1:4747, which accepts connections only from the same computer until you change it.⁶ The project is published by sentriz under GPL-3.0.³⁵

How to get started with gonic

Download gonic 0.23.0 from the GitHub release.⁷ The files cover Windows, macOS and Linux, including a Linux ARM build.⁸ Or use the Docker image sentriz/gonic:v0.23.0, including the ARM builds.⁵
Choose the folder that holds your music and set it as the music path.¹ The official Docker example maps that folder into the container and publishes host port 4747.⁴ Multi-value tags stay off unless you turn that option on. MusicBrainz Picard and beets can write several genres or album artists on one track.¹
On the server computer, open the admin page at http://localhost:4747.⁴
Sign in as admin / admin, then change the password from the web interface.¹⁴
Start a library scan from that page. Automatic scanning stays off until you set an interval in minutes.¹
Install a tested Subsonic app. The documentation links DSub to F-Droid and Soundwaves to the Apple App Store.¹ Enter the server address, username and new password.
If you want Last.fm scrobbling, connect it from the setup page.¹ If the server should be reachable from the internet, add a TLS certificate or place gonic behind an HTTPS proxy.⁶

Who should use gonic (and who might prefer something else)

gonic suits someone who already owns a music folder and can leave a small computer running. A household can share one server and still keep separate playlists.¹ The project describes it as suitable for a Raspberry Pi.¹

For another server for a music collection you keep yourself, see the Academy’s guide to Navidrome. If the library is mainly audiobooks and podcasts, the guide to Audiobookshelf is the closer match. gonic can also use a podcasts directory.¹

Frequently asked questions

Is gonic free?

Yes. The project describes gonic as free software under the GNU GPL version 3.¹³ Release 0.23.0 is a download from GitHub, and the same version is a Docker image you run yourself.⁵⁷

Is gonic safe?

The files stay on the music path you configure, and the server keeps its state in a database file.¹⁶ Change the admin / admin password shortly after you sign in, and turn on HTTPS if people connect from outside your home.⁴⁶ gonic can resolve artist info from MusicBrainz without a Last.fm key, and biographies come from the Last.fm API.¹²

Does gonic work on iPhone?

gonic itself is the server. The 0.23.0 downloads are for Windows, macOS and Linux.⁸ On the phone, use a Subsonic app. The project lists Soundwaves (Apple App Store) and DSub (F-Droid) among the clients it has tested.¹

Does gonic need a streaming subscription?

It plays the files in the music folder you set.¹ On your home network, the phone talks to that computer on port 4747.¹ Away from home, playback works when the phone can reach the computer.