Navidrome
Your own music library, streamed to your phone from your server.
Instead of Spotify
Screenshot from www.navidrome.org, taken 2026-10-23, shown to help you recognise the tool. It belongs to its maker. Ask us to remove it.
Plenty of people still have a box of CDs in the attic and a drive of ripped music that streaming never asked about. Navidrome serves your own music files to apps on any device, with playlists and search, from a small program on a computer you own. It speaks a common protocol, so many apps work with it.
Navidrome scores a 5 on lock-in, self-direction and power, a 4 on footprint and longevity and a 3 on delivery.
You need the music, which means buying or ripping it, and setup takes some comfort with servers, so Delivery is a 3.
Having it means your own collection in your pocket, played by whichever app you prefer, from a server in your own house.
- Streams your own music from a small server
- Works with many apps
- You supply the music
What stands out
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Side by side. Navidrome vs Spotify
For comparison, we also reviewed Spotify (14/30) as a benchmark.
Other tools for “play music i own”
StrawberryA music player and library organiser for large collections of files.
MopidyA music server you can control from your phone, with extensions for many sources.- AmpacheA web app that streams your own music collection to any device.
FunkwhaleA federated audio platform where communities host their own music.