While streaming services like Netflix and Hulu are great, physical media offers a tangible experience. Plus, you don’t actually own any of the content on streaming platforms. But the trade-off for DVDs and Blu-rays is that you don’t have a massive content repository available from anywhere at the click of a button or touch of a screen. With a media server, you can make your own Netflix or Spotify style experience. Check out the best Linux media server software options!
What is a Media Server and Why Should You Build One?
A home media server may be thought of as a sort of as a do-it-yourself (DIY) Netflix or Spotify. Rather than an external streaming service hosting all of the content, in this case you provide the digitized movies, TV shows, and music files. Then, using a home server or network-attached storage (NAS) device, you can house your media library in one convenient location. That’s then available on your home network, and outside of it provided that you make a few tweaks.
By using media server programs, you can stream your video and music library to a number of client devices such as phones and tablets, smart TVs, game consoles, set-top boxes, and computers. It’s an ideal set up because you own the content so it’s available at any time and doesn’t vanish at any time. And it’s incredibly beneficial for physical media buffs. Using DVD or Blu-ray ripping software, you can create digital backups of your film and TV show collection, or rip your CDs and vinyl records. And using legal torrent sites, it’s even possible to find loads of free movies, shows, or albums to download. Then, you can point your server software to those files and access them from virtually anywhere. To build a media server, you’ll need some sort of server or computer, whether a dedicated NAS, an old laptop, or even a Raspberry Pi.
1. Best Linux Media Server Software Option Overall – Plex
Plex might not be the only Linux media server platform available, but it’s definitely the most popular. Catering to homelabbing newcomers just as much as seasoned server buffs, Plex is easy to use yet incredibly customizable. While Plex originally debuted as a media server-only platform, features such as free-to-stream ad-supported movies and TV shows, a podcast player, Tidal integration, and the ability to connect an over-the-air (OTA) antenna for live TV and DVR functionality have chiseled it into a cord-cutting paradise.
Client device compatibility is top-notch with apps for everything from Android TV boxes, Rokus, and the Fire TV to smart TVs and Kodi. Personally, I run Plex on my Lenovo ThinkStation TS140. Set up is a breeze and there’s a great feature set. Plex Media Server runs flawlessly on Linux with installers for Ubuntu and other Debian-based distributions (distros), Fedora, CentOS, and SUSE. What’s more, Plex offers Intel and AMD 32-bit or 64-bit installers, plus ARMv8 and v7 options for compatibility with many popular single-board computers. Overall, it’s a fantastic Linux media server software option.
Why you should use Plex for a Linux media server:
- Great for movies, TV shows, music, photos
- Many compatible Plex client devices
- Podcast aggregator
- Tidal integration
- Live TV & DVR functionality
- Web shows
- Free, legal ad-supported streaming movies and TV shows from the likes of Crackle
- Runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, Docker, FreeBSD, and NAS devices
2. Best Home Media Server for Power Users Emby
Power users may appreciate Emby for a Linux home media server. It’s similar to Plex in many ways, but somewhat more customizable. Emby offers a host of features such as the ability to apply custom CSS to the web app for making new themes. And its metadata searching capabilities outstrip Plex’s. Although Plex also touts a live TV and DVR integration, that requires a premium Plex Pass subscription whereas it’s free with Emby.
Granted, most Emby apps are hidden behind paywalls. For instance, the Android mobile app lets you stream for free, but the Android TV Emby app requires payment to use in full. Clent compatibility is robust, though not quite as wide-ranging as Plex’s. I actually have Emby installed on my media server as well and, while I mostly stream from Plex, I do enjoy Emby’s interface quite a bit. If you’re a serious server enthusiast and want to customize your experience plus dig into metadata tweaks, Emby is the way to go. For a more in-depth analysis, compare Plex vs. Emby to see which media server platform better fits your needs.
Why you should use Emby for a Linux media server:
- Great for movies, TV shows, music, photos
- Many compatible Emby client devices
- Runs on Linux, macOS, Docker, FreeBSD, Docker, Windows, and NAS devices
- Live TV & DVR functionality
- Customizable
- Excellent metadata editing capabilities
3. Best Open-source Linux Media Server – Jellyfin
Unsurprisingly since Linux is open-source, *nix heads may prefer a video streaming server that’s open-source. Although Emby originated as an open-source NAS platform, development has since been closed-sourced. Jellyfin is a great open-source media server software alternative to the likes of Plex and Emby. It’s completely free, no freemium model at all. You’ll enjoy live TV and DVR functionality and no data tracking since Jellyfin eschews central servers. Licensed under the GNU GPL license, it’s totally libre and open-source. Jellyfin runs impeccably on Linux and Docker, as well as macOS and Windows. There’s even a portable version that runs on any machine with a .NET core runtime.
Since Jellyfin is relatively new, development is pretty active. There aren’t quite as many compatible client devices. Nevertheless, Jellyfin apps are available for Android, iOS, Amazon Fire TV, Kodi, Roku, and it runs in a browser.
Why you should use Jellyfin for a Linux media server:
- Great for Movies, TV shows, music
- Live TV & DVR
- Completely free
- Open-source, under the GNU GPL license
- Runs on Linux, macOS, Docker, Docker, and a portable app
- Many Jellyfin client devices with more in development
4. Best Linux Media Server for Music – Subsonic
Although Subsonic supports video playback, its core remains music streaming. You’ll find Sonos integration and the ability to comment on or rate albums. It’s simple to create and share playlists. There’s compatibility with AAC, MP3, OGG, WMA, APE, and FLAC. On-the-fly resampling to lower bitrates further makes Subsonic an excellent Linux media server for music. The music server jukebox is a nifty choice. Aside from Linux, Subsonic works on macOS, Windows, and Synology NAS devices. Although many Subsonic client apps are available, the selection is more limited than the likes of Plex, Emby, or even Jellyfin. And the free tier is rather constricted, so paying for premium is definitely worth it. Still, Sonos integration, fantastic transcoding with lossless or lossy tracks, and on-the-fly resampling makes Subsonic a wonderful music jukebox platform.
Why you should use Subsonic for a Linux media server:
- Great for music, movies, TV shows
- Excellent transcoding engine for converting lossless and lossy formats to MP3
- On-the-fly resampling for low bandwidth situations
- Runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, Synology NAS devices
5. Best Linux Music Jukebox – Madsonic
Madsonic is a fork of Subsonic. The two are fairly similar, even appearing almost like clones. It’s tough to really distinguish the two, and you’ll find a lot of the same options. Sonos integration, Chromecast and Dreambox support, plus wonderful transcoding and on-the-fly resampling make Madsonic a worthy consideration for a music server. There’s video support for streaming movies and television shows, yet it’s definitely a program designed with a music-first mentality.
Why you should use Madsonic:
- Great for music, movies, TV shows
- Excellent transcoding engine for converting lossless and lossy formats to MP3
- On-the-fly resampling for low bandwidth situations
- Runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, Node
- REST API
- Sonos integration
6. Best Open-source Linux Media Server for Music – Airsonic
Airsonic is a neat open-source alternative to Madsonic and Subsonic. As the sonic in its name suggests, it’s a fork of Madsonic licensed under the GNU GPL license. There’s active development, a well-documented GitHub, and compatibility with Linux as well as Docker, Windows, and macOS. Unlike the closed-source Subsonic and Madsonic, Airsonic is community-drive and a worthy consideration for setting up a Linux media server.
Why you should use Airsonic:
- Great for music, movies, TV shows
- Excellent transcoding engine for converting lossless and lossy formats to MP3
- On-the-fly resampling for low bandwidth situations
- Runs on Linux, macOS, Windows, Docker
- Free, open-source under the GNU GPL license
7. Serviio
Feature-packed and robust, Serviio is a spectacular Linux home media server platform. It includes DLNA for home network streaming, Trakt integration, and an Alexa skill. Serviio client apps are available for a smattering of devices such as game consoles, smart TVs, Blu-ray players, and mobile devices. But with its DLNA, you can stream to other DLNA-enabled devices without the need for an app. In addition to serving up your digital media files, Serviio features the ability to stream from online sources like RSS feeds and web pages. Versatile and powerful, Serviio is a unique Linux server ecosystem.
Why you should use Serviio:
- Great for Movies, TV shows, music
- Runs on Linux, Windows, macOS
- Lots of Serviio client apps
- Trakt integration
- Alexa skill available
- DLNA built-in
- Streams from online sources i.e. RSS feeds, live A/V streams, web pages
8. Best UPnP Linux Media Server Software – Gerbera
Based on MediaTomb, Gerbera is a unique Linux media server platform. It’s totally free to use, and you can stream your library of music, movies, and TV shows to set-top boxes, game consoles, smart TVs, and mobile devices. However, Gerbera uses UPnP, or universal plug and play, as a networking protocol for accessing files over a network. Therefore, there’s no remote streaming to outside of your network. Technically it’s possible by using a VPN (virtual private network) to set your location when away to look like it’s on your home Internet network. But if you need remote access, you’re better off with a solution that allows for outside of network streaming instead.
Why you should use Gerbera for a Linux media server:
- UPnP
- Easy to use
- Great in-home streaming
- Runs on Linux, Windows, macOS
- Open-source under GNU GPL license
- Free
9. OpenFlixr
Although OpenFlixr isn’t a standalone media server application, it’s pretty useful for configuring a Linux media server. Basically, OpenFlixr lets you easily install server programs like Plex or Mopidy as well as download automation programs such as CouchPotato, Radarr, Sonarr, Headphones, Lidarr, and SlickChill. OpenFlixr streamlines the process for setting up a server and downloading software.
Why you should use OpenFlixr:
- Comprehensive repository for installing media server apps like Plex and Mopidy
- Features torrent and Usenet automation software like CouchPotato, Lidarr, Headphones, Radarr, Sonarr, SlickChill
- Home Assistant and Pi-hole built-in
- Comprehensive server software aggregation tool
- Streamlines the process of setting up a media server
Best Linux Media Server Software – Final Thoughts
Linux remains a popular operating system (OS) for servers, desktop environments, and a variety of uses. When it comes to homelabbing, Linux is a fantastic choice as a server OS with a variety of different flavors, from Debian and Ubuntu to Elementary and Arch Linux. And for a media server, you’ve got plenty of different server software solutions. For the average user, Plex is the best choice. Enthusiasts will enjoy Emby and its flexibility. The Sonic software trio of Madsonic, Subsonic, and Libresonic satiates audiophiles. Jellyfin is a fantastic rival to Plex and Emby. Ultimately, there are plenty of options for creating your own Linux media server.
Your turn: Which Linux media server software options do YOU recommend?
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