A while ago, I saw people suggesting Navidrome for self hosted music streaming.

I don’t understand what’s the relationship between Subsonic and Navidrome. Navidrome makes some use of Subsonic API. What does that mean?

Subsonic looks like a proprietary software. How does Navidrome, an open source (MIT) package, use their API? Is the API licensed for this?

Do I expect any Subsonic app to work perfectly with Navidrome? Or is it partial inter-compatibility?

Extra questions:

  • Recommended android app? I would like to have good offline support to select and sync music that will then be available on my phone without network

  • Podcast/audiobook support? Am currently using audiobookshelf, is this compatible at all? Not sure if any benefit even if theoretically possible.

  • relic4322@lemmy.ml
    2·
    2 days ago

    Navidrome user here as well. I use feishen as my Linux and windows desktop client. Big fan of both.

    As others have said, api is just the standard, so it gives you a lot of options

  • Freakazoid@lemmy.ml
    2·
    2 days ago

    Currently im using Namida which is also great and open-source in contrary to Symfonium.

    Namida supports Local music, Subsonic and Navidrome servers, WebDAV and even YT music if you even need a song that isn’t in your collection yet.

    Another alternative (proprietary) is Symfonium

  • SGH@lemmy.ml
    2·
    2 days ago

    Preface: This is what I learnt about Subsonic and such. The informations below may not be fully correct but the core idea is there.

    An API is not a piece of software.

    It is merely a way to define how to make a software “do” an action, like search for a song title or download the song file for streaming/playback.

    Navidrome does not make use of anything from Subsonic, it merely implements (exposes) a Subsonic-compatible API.

    Knowing this information, anyone can run a web request to Navidrome and search for a song, and download/stream it, like they would already do for any other Subsonic-compatible provider:

    You can find a plethora of software that can leverage any Subsonic-compatible API provider to connect to that music library, from dedicated Web UIs to Android and iOS apps, which know how to download and stream songs and play them back.

    This mechanism gives the user the freedom to choose the backend and frontend, and the developers can just implement the part they prefer: for example, the Navidrome team does not have to build an Android or iOS App, whereas App developers don’t need to write a serverside application to manage the “real” music archive, decode tags, or even implement a search algorithm, as all this data can be asked via the API.

    Technically, Navidrome wouldn’t even need a Web UI.

    Over the years, the Subsonic API has been forked into OpenSubsonic API, which as far as I could tell, merely serves as a way to better define, and to further add new features into, an otherwise closed and possibly reverse-engineered API.

  • Shimitar@downonthestreet.euEnglish
    8·
    2 days ago

    As far as I get it, subsonic has an open API implemented by navidrome and a few other open source servers. All subsonic compatible apps will work.

    For Android the best is by far Symfonium, but it a paid app (well worth it).

    Otherwise tempus is another valid and open source app.

    And no, subsonic (and navidrome) has nothing to do with audiobooks or podcasts. I selfhost both navidrome and audiobook shelf to cover all cases, and I am pretty comfortable.

  • Dessalines@lemmy.ml
    5·
    2 days ago

    Podcast/audiobook support? Am currently using audiobookshelf, is this compatible at all? Not sure if any benefit even if theoretically possible.

    For this I’d just recommend getting the Voice audiobook app from f-droid, and in audiobookshelf, download any books you’re currently reading locally. There’s nothing better than audiobookshelf for audiobooks anyway.

      • Dessalines@lemmy.ml
        3·
        2 days ago

        No. If you only listen with one device tho, no problem. Then just mark it finished it audiobookshelf when you’re done.

      • Telorand@reddthat.com
        3·
        2 days ago

        As far as I can tell, Voice doesn’t integrate with anything. You pick a device folder where the audiobook files are, and it’s all local.

        Anyone who might know better, feel free to correct me.

  • Dessalines@lemmy.ml
    5·
    2 days ago

    dsub2000 is the best android app for navidrome/subsonic. I’ve tried many others (ultrasonic, tempus), but none are as full-featured and clean.

    • fozid@feddit.uk
      3·
      2 days ago

      Totally agree with you! It’s not flashy or modern looking, but everything is where it should be and it all just works exactly as I want it to. I keep others installed on my phone to just to look at if an update improves them, but nothing has yet. Currently installed are ultrasonic, tempo and substream. Non are as good, but all looks better than dsub2000.

      • Dessalines@lemmy.ml
        3·
        2 days ago

        Yep. Dsub is pretty much in feature-complete, maintenance-mode, that is years out of date and hasn’t even updated to material 3 UI’s which the others have.

        I check the others every few months or so, but they’re all still either buggy or missing so many features compared to dsub, that I have to switch back.

      • layzerjeyt@lemmy.dbzer0.comOP
        1·
        2 days ago

        I found a few threads where people were loving it but they were from a few years back.

        I installed it but the configuration was not straightforward. Thats why I was wondering if these things are all compatible, because the other client felt totally different… If its still a good choice I’ll need to go back when I have the concentration to read about what it is wanting for set up.

        • uninvitedguest@piefed.caEnglish
          2·
          2 days ago

          I dont know what the landscape was like more then 2 years ago, which is when I got in to this, but dsub2000 honestly looks like the worst option I’ve come across.

  • T (they/she)@beehaw.org
    3·
    2 days ago

    I use Tempus on my phone for our Navidrome server. You can download your music to be available offline, I use it a lot.

    Edit: On their repo it says they have podcast support but I never used it so I don’t know how well it works.

  • subunit317@lemmy.world
    5·
    2 days ago

    It works with any subsonic compatible app. I use symfonium on android. Its a paid app, but worth the price in my opinion.

    Also pro tip if you use symfonium for caching stuff offline. Setup a smart playlist with rules for what you want to save offline (played in the last 30 days or something like that). Then toggle caching on that playlist. That basically gives you a smart, configurable offline cache.

    Symfonium supposedly supports audiobookshelf, but I haven’t been able to get it to work. I just use the audiobookshelf app.

    Oh yeah, and navidrome can be setup to scrobble to lastfm or listenbrainz if you use that. Convinient so you dont have to worry about scrobbling from your device.

    Been using self hosted navidrome + symfonium for a few months now and love it.