mStream - Self-Hosted Music Streaming Server

If you're a music lover like me, you know how important it is to have access to your music collection anytime, anywhere. That's why I want to introduce you to mStream, a music streaming server that lets you store and stream your music collection from the cloud.

One of the coolest things about mStream is its gapless playback feature, which means you can listen to albums as they were meant to be heard, with no interruptions or delays between tracks. It's amazing how much of a difference this makes to the overall listening experience.

Another feature I really love is the Milkdrop visualizer, which lets you see your music in a whole new way with stunning visuals. It's a great way to add a new layer of depth and engagement to your listening experience.

If you're someone who loves sharing music with friends and family, you'll appreciate mStream's playlist sharing feature. It's super easy to collaborate and discover new music with this feature.

Adding new music to your library is also a breeze with mStream's drag and drop file uploading feature. You can simply drag and drop new music files into your library and have them ready to listen to in no time.

One of the best things about mStream is that it works on any browser, so you can access your music collection from any device with an internet connection. And if you're on the go, you'll be happy to know that mStream has mobile apps for iOS and Android, so you can enjoy your music collection anywhere.

mStream is also designed to be lightweight, which means it can run on lower-spec machines without any lag or performance issues. It's been tested on multi-terabyte libraries, so you can store as much music as you want without worrying about space.

Install mStream using the LinuxServer Docker Compose

version: "2.1"
services:
  mstream:
    image: lscr.io/linuxserver/mstream:latest
    container_name: mstream
    environment:
      - PUID=1000
      - PGID=1000
      - TZ=Etc/UTC
    volumes:
      - /path/to/data:/config
      - /path/to/music:/music
    ports:
      - 3000:3000
    restart: unless-stopped

There are plenty of other self-hosted music streaming servers out there. mStream seems to be the most simple one I could find so there are some pros and cons of using mStream over the alternatives.

Pros:

• Gapless playback for seamless transitions between tracks
• Milkdrop visualizer for added engagement and enjoyment
• Playlist sharing for easy collaboration and discovery
• Drag and drop file uploading for quick and effortless music collection building
• Multi-platform compatibility and mobile apps for access on any device with an internet connection
• Designed to be light on memory and CPU, making it run well on lower-spec machines
• Open-source code for potential contribution and improvement from developers

Cons:

• User interface may not be as polished or intuitive as other options
• Some users may prefer more advanced customization options for their music streaming server
• While mStream offers a lot of features, some users may find that it lacks some of the more advanced features of other self-hosted music server options.

Final Notes and Thoughts

mStream is a simple yet effective self-hosted solution for streaming your music collection. It's cross-platform and can be used on Windows, OSX, Linux, and FreeBSD, as well as ARM boards like the Raspberry Pi.

If you find mStream useful, be sure to drop in on the mStream Github page and give it a star! You can also sponsor the developer monetarily!