SHSelfHostIndex

Lyrion Music Server vs mStream

A side-by-side comparison of two self-hosted media servers options — licensing, setup difficulty, resource needs, and what each one replaces.

Not the right match-up?
Lyrion Music Server Open-source music server for Squeezebox and software players VS MS mStream Personal music streaming server with mobile apps
FeatureLyrion Music ServermStream
Deploy effortUnder-an-hour setupUnder-an-hour setup
Health score81 · Excellent86 · Excellent
CategoryMedia ServersMedia Servers
LicenseGPL-2.0GPL-3.0
LanguagePerlJavaScript
Setup difficultyMediumEasy
Min. RAM256 MB256 MB
Deploymentdocker, bare-metaldocker, bare-metal, binary
GitHub stars★ 1,780★ 2,397
First released20022016
ReplacesSonos, SpotifySpotify

What are Lyrion Music Server and mStream?

Lyrion Music Server

Lyrion Music Server, formerly Logitech Media Server, is an open-source streaming audio server for Squeezebox hardware and software players. It supports synchronized multi-room audio and a large plugin ecosystem.

  • Multi-room synchronized audio
  • Squeezebox player support
  • Large plugin library
  • Internet radio

Read the full Lyrion Music Server guide →

mStream

mStream is a personal music streaming server that you can run on any computer to access your music from anywhere. It includes mobile apps for offline downloads and playlist syncing.

  • Cross-platform mobile apps
  • Offline song downloads
  • Playlist sync
  • Lightweight server

Read the full mStream guide →

Lyrion Music Server vs mStream: key differences

Lyrion Music Server is written in Perl, while mStream is built with JavaScript. Licensing differs — GPL-2.0 for Lyrion Music Server versus GPL-3.0 for mStream. Lyrion Music Server is the more established project (first released 2002), while mStream arrived in 2016.

Why pick each one

Choose Lyrion Music Server if…

  • Very mature project
  • Active community

Watch out for

  • Dated web interface
  • Perl-based stack
Lyrion Music Server details

Choose mStream if…

  • Easy to install
  • Good mobile experience

Watch out for

  • Basic web UI
  • Slower release cadence
mStream details

Frequently asked questions

Is Lyrion Music Server or mStream better?

mStream is the stronger all-round pick: it has both the larger community and the simpler easy setup. Consider Lyrion Music Server if its specific feature set fits your needs better.

Are Lyrion Music Server and mStream free and open-source?

Yes. Lyrion Music Server is licensed under GPL-2.0 and mStream under GPL-3.0. Both can be self-hosted at no software cost.

Can I run Lyrion Music Server and mStream with Docker?

Lyrion Music Server: yes. mStream: yes.

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