Subsonic
Subsonic: A flexible personal media server with broad playback support, but limited station-hosting depth. Ranked #27 of 32 in Streaming Audio Hosting by our editors (6.5/10); pricing: Free plan · 30-day trial; best for personal music libraries with internet radio support.
At a glance
- Editor score6.5 / 10
- PricingFree plan · 30-day trial
- Best forPersonal music libraries with internet radio support
- Free planYes
- Paid from$1/mo
- Facts checked21 Sep 2026
Where it wins
- Streams music and video through web, desktop, and mobile clients
- Supports transcoding, playlists, podcasts, jukebox playback, and radio management
- Connects with Sonos, Chromecast, DLNA/UPnP, LDAP, and Active Directory
Where it doesn't
- Primarily targets personal media libraries rather than live-audio hosting
- No scheduling feature is included in the published feature set
- Some playback and device features require a Premium subscription
Our verdict on Subsonic
Subsonic is a self-hosted media streaming server for people who want to access music and video stored on their own computer. It supports Windows, macOS, Linux, web browsers, iOS, Android, and API-based client applications. The product is best suited to personal music libraries that need remote playback, internet radio management, playlists, podcast support, and connections to household playback devices. Its browser-based interface includes search, ratings, comments, favorites, and play queues, while server-side jukebox playback can send audio through connected server hardware.
The feature set is broad for personal media playback. On-the-fly transcoding and bitrate resampling can adapt streams, and users can create, import, export, and share playlists. Premium adds mobile and desktop app support, video streaming, Chromecast and Sonos streaming, DLNA/UPnP playback, and a podcast receiver. The platform also offers LDAP and Active Directory authentication, plus an open REST API for client applications. These integrations make Subsonic a practical fit for mixed-device households or users who want to connect an existing media library to several playback environments.
Pricing is available as a free plan, with a 30-day free trial also listed. Premium recurring pricing is USD 1 per month when billed annually, while Premium prepaid covers periods from 1 to 8 years at USD 1 per month. Premium lifetime costs USD 99 as a one-time payment, includes lifetime validity, and provides free upgrades to future releases. Subsonic should appeal to users comfortable managing their own server and prioritizing personal-library playback. A dedicated live-audio operator may prefer another product, because Subsonic is focused on self-hosted media access and does not include scheduling in its published feature set.
Your product? Our editors can test Subsonic in depth and publish a review, labelled as paid · from $149/mo →
Subsonic pricing
All 3 Subsonic plans and prices →
Subsonic fact sheet
| Free plan | Yes |
|---|---|
| Paid from | $1/mo |
| Listener limit | Not verified |
| Live streaming | Not verified |
| Scheduled automation | Not verified |
| Audio quality | Lossless |
| Stream protocols | Shoutcast |
| Listener analytics | Yes |
| Recording archive | Not verified |
| Free trial | 30 days |
| Deployment | Self-hosted |
| Platforms | Web, Windows, macOS, Linux, iOS, Android |
| Support | Email, Community, Docs |
| Built for | Solo, Small business (editorial estimate) |
| Integrations | 6 integrations: Chromecast, Sonos, DLNA/UPnP, Last.fm, LDAP, Active Directory |
| Pricing | Free plan · 30-day trial (source) |
| Website | subsonic.org |
| Facts checked | 21 Sep 2026 |
Subsonic integrations
Subsonic lists 6 integrations on its own site.
- Chromecast
- Sonos
- DLNA/UPnP
- Last.fm
- LDAP
- Active Directory
Alternatives to Subsonic
- AzuraCastA capable open-source radio suite for technical teams comfortable managing their own hosting.9.4
- Caster.fmA broad radio platform with a free tier and paid tools for growing stations.9.2
- RadioBOSS CloudAffordable hosted radio automation with scheduling, streaming, storage, and analytics.9.0
See all Subsonic alternatives →
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Reviewed by iTechGuides Editors · Editorial team · Updated Oct 2026
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