ampache

Ampache turns a folder of music and video files into your own private streaming service. Point it at your library and you get web playback, user accounts for family and friends, and an API that a long list of mobile apps can talk to. It has been doing this since before streaming was an industry, and every feature is free under AGPL.

It's a classic PHP application: PHP 8.2 or newer, MySQL or MariaDB, and a web server, with Node required for the frontend build in recent versions. If you have ever hosted WordPress, nothing here will scare you. Metadata comes from your file tags, so a messy library means a messy Ampache.

For music-only streaming, Navidrome is the more modern pick: lighter, faster to set up, nicer interface. Jellyfin handles video better. Ampache's edge is covering both in one app with two decades of API compatibility behind it. It's a personal server, so there's no team pricing math to do.

The catch: the age shows. The interface feels dated next to the newer servers, and you'll spend your first weekend on metadata cleanup instead of listening.