A desktop client for your server
A music server keeps your collection in one place, on a NAS or a small server at home. It needs a player on the other end. RustMusic connects to it as a source, alongside your local folders, with its libraries, playlists, liked tracks and history.
| Type | Servers | Connection |
|---|---|---|
| Subsonic | Navidrome, Gonic, Airsonic…: any Subsonic-compatible server | Username and password, or API key |
| Jellyfin | Jellyfin’s music libraries | Username and password, or API key |
| DLNA | MiniDLNA, a NAS media server | No account: found on the local network, or by its address |
Beta feature. RustMusic is free and open source (GPL v3 license), with no account on its side. Your password is never stored: only a fingerprint, the session token Jellyfin hands out, or the API key.
Connecting the server
- 1
Open Settings → Storage & data
In the “Servers” group, click “Add a server”.
- 2
Choose the type
“Subsonic · Navidrome”, “Jellyfin” or “DLNA”.
- 3
Enter the address and your credentials
For example https://music.example.com, or http://nas.local:8096 for a Jellyfin server on the local network. “Use an API key” replaces the password with a key created on the server. A DLNA server is found with “Search”.
- 4
Tick the libraries
Each one becomes a RustMusic library, marked with the cloud icon. The catalog is synced, then only what’s new is read again.
Original quality, bit-perfect included
The track plays as it arrives: playback starts right away, seeking stays fast and the next track is prepared in advance. Each Subsonic or Jellyfin server has its own “Playback quality”:
| Quality | Who it’s for |
|---|---|
| Original file | The file as it is, FLAC, hi-res and DSD included. With a DAC in exclusive mode, playback stays bit-perfect. |
| MP3 320, 192 or 128 kbps | The server compresses the track: lighter for a slow connection. |
Keeping your music offline
On the move with a laptop? Right-click a server track, album, artist, genre or playlist, then “Keep offline”: those tracks are downloaded and stay playable with the server switched off. A cloud marks them, and the server’s card, in the settings, shows the space they take.
What stays in sync
- Likes, ratings, plays and the track now playing are sent back to the server. If the server is unreachable, they are sent later.
- The server’s playlists are imported and can be edited both ways; a new playlist is created on the server or in RustMusic only.
- The server’s lyrics take priority over the online lookup.
- Compilations with no “album artist” tag, which a server splits into one album per artist, are brought back together as a single “Various Artists” album.
Local and server, or everything together
The “Source” button, at the top of the sidebar, switches from “This computer” to each server, or to “All sources”. Switching source doesn’t stop playback. In “All sources”, an album that is both local and on the server only appears once, in the version you prefer.
Frequently asked questions
Is RustMusic a free Navidrome client?
Yes. RustMusic is free and open source software, for Windows, macOS and Linux. It connects to Navidrome as it does to any Subsonic-compatible server.
Does my server need to be open to the Internet?
No. A local network address is enough, for example http://nas.local:8096. If your server can be reached from elsewhere, its address works too.
Can I play DSD or hi-res from the server?
Yes, with “Original file”: the file arrives as it is, and RustMusic plays it like a local file, bit-perfect if your DAC is in exclusive mode.
Is my password stored?
No. RustMusic only keeps a fingerprint (Subsonic), the session token Jellyfin hands out, or the API key you created.
What about a DLNA server in Docker?
It doesn’t announce itself on the network: add it by its address, for example http://127.0.0.1:8200.
Your server, in a free and open source player
Navidrome, Jellyfin or a DLNA NAS: original quality, offline listening and synced playlists. Free, open source, no account.