Navidrome review: stream your own music at home

Navidrome is a free open-source music server for people who already own their songs and want them on a phone or a browser.¹ It runs on a computer you look after. You listen in its web player, or in an app that speaks the Subsonic API, a shared language music apps use to browse a library.¹² The songs stay in a folder you choose.⁷ Version 0.64.2 was published on 24 September 2026.⁸

Last checked October 28, 2026.

At a glance

What it is: A free open-source music server with a web player and Subsonic apps.¹

Works on: Linux, Windows, macOS and FreeBSD, plus Docker. Release 0.64.2 also includes Apple Silicon. Phones use the web player or a separate app.²³⁸

Price: Free of charge. The installation guide names hosts if you do not run the computer yourself.¹³

Licence: GNU GPL v3.¹

Best for: Streaming a music collection you already have, from a computer you control.

Official site: navidrome.org

What Navidrome does (and how it protects your privacy)

Navidrome is a program you install. It reads a music folder you set, which can be read-only, and stores its database in a data folder.⁷ You play in the built-in web page, or in a Subsonic-compatible app.² The project says a test library held about 900,000 songs, and that it runs on a Raspberry Pi Zero.¹²

On a home network the phone talks to your computer, on port 4533 unless you change it.⁷ Navidrome can still contact other sites. Anonymous usage statistics are on by default, and Last.fm, ListenBrainz and Deezer start enabled. The Last.fm API key field starts empty.⁶⁷ Set EnableExternalServices to false to turn off those integrations, the statistics, and the pictures on the login page.⁷

Each person can have an account, with their own play counts, playlists and favourites. Libraries can be split, and you choose who may open each one.¹² Navidrome watches the folder and imports new files.² The folder list in apps is rebuilt from tags, the labels inside a file that hold the artist and album, in the shape Album Artist / Album / track.²

Key features of Navidrome

Web player and phone apps: A browser player is included, plus Subsonic, Madsonic and Airsonic clients for iPhone, Android, CarPlay and Android Auto.¹²
People and libraries: Each user keeps their own playlists, favourites and play counts. Access to a library can be limited.²
Transcoding: Audio can be converted while it streams, including to Opus, per person or player. That means a lighter file for a phone.¹²
Playlists and compilations: It imports .m3u files, supports smart playlists, and handles various-artists albums and multi-disc sets.²
Lyrics and scrobbling: Lyrics can come from tags or a text file beside the song. Plays can be sent to Last.fm, ListenBrainz and Maloja.²
A library that updates: New files are picked up as the folder changes. The interface is translated into 34 languages.²
Jellyfin, off at first: An experimental Jellyfin music API stays off until you set Jellyfin.Enabled.⁷

Navidrome pros and cons

Pros

Free under the GNU GPL v3. Release 0.64.2 is dated 24 September 2026.¹⁸
A web player is included, with apps for iOS and Android.¹²
One household server can keep playlists and libraries separate.²
External services, including anonymous statistics, switch off with one setting.⁷

Cons

You need a computer that stays on, and music you are allowed to play.
The installation guide says ffmpeg is required. ffmpeg is the program that converts audio.³
Apps do not show the real folders on disk. The folder view is rebuilt from tags.²
Anonymous statistics, Last.fm, ListenBrainz and Deezer stay on until you change the settings.⁶⁷
Passwords sit in the database, encrypted with a shared key the security guide calls obfuscation, because that key is in the source code.⁵
The server listens on every network address unless you change it, so a home setup still wants HTTPS if people connect from outside.⁵⁷

Is Navidrome safe and private?

The music folder only needs to be readable. The data folder holds the database and must be writable.⁵⁷ Do not run it as root. The security guide suggests its own user and EnforceNonRootUser.⁵

Navidrome stores passwords so Subsonic apps can sign in. The security guide says the default key is shared and easy to find in the code, used “just for the sake of obfuscation”. You can replace that key once. After that it cannot be changed, or sign-in fails.⁵

Navidrome listens on every network interface, port 4533.⁷ The security guide suggests a reverse proxy (Caddy, Nginx, Traefik or Apache) with SSL, and Address set to localhost.⁵ The first account created at http://localhost:4533 is the admin, so create it yourself.⁴⁵ Sharing links are enabled. New shares last 8,760 hours (one year) and are not downloadable unless you change that.²⁷

Usage statistics are on by default. Reports leave out email addresses, usernames, IP addresses, song names and a detailed play history.⁶ They include a random ID, the version, the operating system, the disk type (not the path), library counts and which features are on. Reports go out daily, stay 30 days, then are deleted.⁶ The page is signed by Deluan, Navidrome’s developer.⁶ Release 0.64.2 stops a crafted name from renaming a download, and stops writing the admin password to the log if the first admin account cannot be created.⁸

How to get started with Navidrome

Download 0.64.2 from the GitHub release.⁸ Builds cover Linux (Intel and ARM), Windows and Intel macOS, plus navidrome_0.64.2_darwin_arm64.tar.gz for Apple Silicon.³⁸ Install ffmpeg. For Docker, use the page linked from the installation guide.³
Set MusicFolder to your songs (the default folder is named music) and DataFolder for the database (default data).⁷ Tag files with MusicBrainz Picard or beets so the folder view matches the albums.²
Start Navidrome and open http://localhost:4533. It listens on port 4533.⁴⁷
Fill in a username and password and click Create Admin. That first account is the administrator.⁴⁵
Wait for the scan. Under 1,000 songs usually take under a minute. Types include MP3, FLAC, AAC, OGG, Opus, WMA, APE and WavPack.⁴
On a phone, use the browser or a Subsonic app. Enter the server address, username and password.¹
Set EnableExternalServices to false if the server should not contact other sites.⁷ For access beyond your home, use HTTPS and consider binding Navidrome to localhost.⁵

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

Navidrome suits someone with a music folder and a computer that can stay on. A family can share the server and still keep separate playlists.²

For another Subsonic server you run yourself, see the Academy’s guide to gonic. If the library is mainly audiobooks and podcasts, Audiobookshelf is built for that. Navidrome can still keep audiobooks in their own library, and it supports bookmarks for audiobooks.¹²

Frequently asked questions

Is Navidrome free?

Yes. It is distributed free of charge under the GNU GPL v3.¹ Version 0.64.2 is a download from GitHub.⁸ The installation guide names PikaPods, Zenith Hosting and ElfHosted if you would rather not run the computer.³

Is Navidrome safe?

Songs stay in your music folder, and the database stays in the data folder.⁷ Create the admin account yourself, and use HTTPS if the page is reachable beyond your home.⁴⁵ Statistics are on until you disable them. The project says those reports omit song titles, email addresses and IP addresses.⁶

Does Navidrome work on iPhone?

The server builds are for Linux, Windows and macOS.³ On an iPhone, use the web player or a third-party app. Compatible apps are listed for iOS, Android and CarPlay.¹²

Does Navidrome need a streaming subscription?

It plays the files in the folder you set, and the software is free of charge.¹⁷ Away from home, use the server’s IP address so the phone can reach it.⁴