SHSelfHostIndex

Lyrion Music Server vs Tempo

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 TE Tempo Material You Subsonic music client for Android
FeatureLyrion Music ServerTempo
Deploy effortUnder-an-hour setupRead-the-docs project
Health score81 · Excellent20 · At risk
CategoryMedia ServersMedia Servers
LicenseGPL-2.0GPL-3.0
LanguagePerlJava
Setup difficultyMediumEasy
Min. RAM256 MB128 MB
Deploymentdocker, bare-metalbinary, source
GitHub stars★ 1,780★ 2,240
First released20022022
ReplacesSonos, SpotifySpotify, Plexamp

What are Lyrion Music Server and Tempo?

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 →

Tempo

Tempo is a free and open-source music streaming client for Subsonic-compatible servers such as Navidrome and Airsonic. It features a Material You interface, offline downloads, and Android Auto support.

  • Subsonic API support
  • Material You theming
  • Android Auto
  • Offline downloads

Read the full Tempo guide →

Lyrion Music Server vs Tempo: key differences

Lyrion Music Server is written in Perl, while Tempo is built with Java. Licensing differs — GPL-2.0 for Lyrion Music Server versus GPL-3.0 for Tempo. Tempo is the lighter option, starting around 128 MB of RAM against 256 MB for Lyrion Music Server. Lyrion Music Server is the more established project (first released 2002), while Tempo arrived in 2022. Lyrion Music Server lists first-class Docker deployment; Tempo does not.

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 Tempo if…

  • Modern Android design
  • Works with multiple servers

Watch out for

  • Android only
  • No video support
Tempo details

Frequently asked questions

Is Lyrion Music Server or Tempo better?

Tempo 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 Tempo free and open-source?

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

Can I run Lyrion Music Server and Tempo with Docker?

Lyrion Music Server: yes. Tempo: check the project docs for container support.

Which is lighter on resources, Lyrion Music Server or Tempo?

Tempo has the smaller minimum footprint at 128 MB of RAM, compared to about 256 MB for Lyrion Music Server. Real-world usage depends on library size, user count, and enabled features.

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