Ampache

Ampache is an open-source web-based media streaming server that transforms personal music and video collections into a private streaming service accessible from any internet-connected device. Originally released in 2001 and continuously developed under the AGPL license, Ampache provides individuals and families with a self-hosted alternative to commercial streaming platforms, ensuring complete ownership of media libraries without subscription fees, content removal risks, or algorithmic recommendations that prioritize platform interests over user preferences. Built with PHP and supporting MySQL, PostgreSQL, and MariaDB backends, Ampache delivers enterprise-grade media management capabilities including multi-user support, transcoding for format compatibility, and RESTful API access that integrates with numerous third-party music players and home automation platforms.

Common Use Cases

Music enthusiasts with extensive personal libraries deploy Ampache to stream lossless FLAC collections to mobile devices while commuting, with on-the-fly transcoding that converts high-bitrate files to lower bitrates appropriate for cellular networks without consuming excessive data allowances or requiring duplicate compressed versions stored locally. The smart playlist features enable automated organization of thousands of albums by genre, decade, or play count, recreating the discovery experience of streaming services while maintaining complete control over available content. Families use Ampache to share music collections across household members, with individual user accounts that track listening history, maintain separate playlists, and provide age-appropriate content filtering for children's accounts without exposing the master media library to modification risks. Multi-user support enables each family member to rate songs, create playlists, and receive personalized recommendations based on listening patterns while the centralized library ensures storage efficiency compared to duplicating collections across multiple personal devices. DJs and musicians install Ampache to maintain searchable archives of music production libraries, reference tracks, and sample collections accessible from studio computers, home setups, and mobile devices during performances, with tagging systems that categorize tracks by tempo, key, genre, and custom metadata fields relevant to professional workflows. Audio collectors preserving rare recordings, live concert bootlegs, and out-of-print albums use Ampache to organize and preserve digital archives, with metadata management tools that document recording details, source information, and quality assessments that ensure valuable recordings remain accessible and properly cataloged across storage migrations and format transitions. Remote workers and digital nomads deploy Ampache on home servers with dynamic DNS, creating personal streaming services that provide consistent access to music libraries regardless of location, with secure authentication preventing unauthorized access while VPN integration ensures encrypted connections when streaming over public Wi-Fi networks.

Key Features

• Web-based streaming with HTML5 audio and video player support
• Multi-user support with granular permission controls and user profiles
• Automatic metadata tagging from MusicBrainz and other sources
• Smart playlists with dynamic content based on genres, ratings, and criteria
• On-the-fly transcoding for format conversion and bitrate adjustment
• Subsonic API compatibility for integration with mobile apps
• Support for music, videos, podcasts, and internet radio streams
• Advanced search and filtering across entire media library
• User ratings, favorites, and listening history tracking
• Scrobbling support for Last.fm and Libre.fm integration
• Democratic playlist voting for collaborative listening sessions
• RESTful API for custom integrations and automation

Why deploy Ampache on Hostinger VPS

Deploying Ampache on Hostinger VPS provides sufficient storage capacity and network bandwidth for hosting extensive music libraries that would quickly exceed the storage quotas and monthly transfer limits imposed by consumer NAS devices or home internet service providers with asymmetric upload speeds. With dedicated server resources, you ensure smooth streaming for multiple simultaneous users without the buffering and quality degradation common when streaming from residential connections with limited upload bandwidth shared across household activities. The VPS environment delivers consistent transcoding performance for converting lossless formats to mobile-friendly bitrates, with dedicated CPU allocation that prevents transcoding delays which cause playback interruptions when underpowered hardware struggles with real-time format conversion. Self-hosting ensures privacy for listening habits and music tastes that commercial streaming platforms aggregate for advertising profiles and sell to data brokers, with complete control over access logs, user data retention, and metadata collection practices. With full server access, you can implement automated backup strategies for irreplaceable music collections, schedule library scanning during off-peak hours to minimize performance impact, and maintain extensive music archives spanning decades without the artificial library size limits imposed by cloud storage platforms. The persistent network presence enables external access without dynamic DNS complications or port forwarding challenges common in residential network configurations, with static IP addresses and reverse proxy capabilities that simplify secure remote access configuration for streaming on mobile devices from any location.