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Browse & discover
Find your next favourite.
In your own library.
Explore artists, albums, genres, countries and languages. Follow a familiar artist into their albums, or let personalised mixes lead the way.
Your server. Your collection.
Your music.
On your terms.
Your self-hosted music server.
Music, podcasts and audiobooks, beautifully together - at home and on the go.
Self-hosted server · Web player · Native Android apps
Own your libraryMusic, podcasts & audiobooksPhone, TV & Wear OS
Explore mvbar in your browser
Your first listen starts here.
Play music, explore artists and albums, build playlists, change the theme and share songs with sample friends on our live mvbar server.
One collection. Plenty of ways to listen.
WebAndroidAndroid AutoTVWear OS
More than a folder of files
A collection worth
getting lost in.
From the first track of the day to the album you haven’t heard in years. Make more of the music you already have.
Find your next favourite.
♡
Last.fm
Your listening,
remembered.
Connect your Last.fm account to scrobble your listening and sync loved tracks. Explore an artist’s all-time top tracks when the integration is enabled.
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Android offline
Take a little home
with you.
Download music in the Android app and browse your downloaded collection when you’re away from a connection.
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Music. Podcasts. Audiobooks.
Whatever you’re
in the mood for.
Your albums, your next episode and your next chapter, together in one place.
A home for your music
Set up. Settle in.
mvbar runs on your hardware. Install the server once, point it at your library, then choose how you want to listen.
- 01
Choose your home.
Run the server on Linux or Windows, or deploy the Docker image.
- 02
Bring your collection.
Connect your music folders, create your account and let mvbar scan your library.
- 03
Press play, anywhere.
Open the web player or connect an Android app to your server. Set up HTTPS for access away from home.
Not sure what to install?
Choose your setup.
Tell mvbar where your server will live and where you want to listen. We’ll point you at the right download and instructions.
Make it yours
Find your download.
Start with a server, then add the companion apps. Every published binary is verified before it appears here; SHA-256 values are available beside the downloads.
Stable releases for everyday listening. This selection changes downloads only, not your installed server.
The server
Hosts your library and web player
Linux x64
x64 · Standalone executable
Install with one terminal command, or download the executable.
Checking release…Download Linux Linux installation guide →Linux ARM64
ARM64 · Standalone executable
For Raspberry Pi 5 and other 64-bit ARM Linux servers.
Checking release…Download ARM64 Linux installation guide →
Windows
x64 · ZIP installer
Your own music server, right on your Windows machine.
Checking release…Download Windows Windows installation guide →
Docker
amd64 & arm64 · mvbar.co.uk
One container with persistent data and your media mounted in.
Compose configuration includedDocker quick startLINUX QUICK INSTALL
One command. Your own music server.
Debian / Ubuntu · x64 or ARM64 · Latest stable release · Run as your regular user
curl -fsSL https://mvbar.co.uk/install.sh | shYour players
Connect to your mvbar server
Android
For ARM64 phones and tablets.
Checking release…
Android TV
Give your music the big screen.
Checking release…
Wear OS
Your music, close at hand.
Checking release…Already have a server? Install the APK for your device, then sign in with your mvbar server address and account. Android installation guide →
Know what fits
Will it fit your setup?
The server is the home of your library. Every player connects back to it; you only need to install the players you actually use.
| Component | Current stable | Platform | What you need |
|---|---|---|---|
| mvbar Server | Checking… | Windows / Linux / Docker | Windows x64, Linux x64 / ARM64, or Docker Engine + Compose |
| Android | Checking… | Phone / tablet / Android Auto | Android 8.0+ · APK release targets ARM64 |
| Android TV | Checking… | Android TV / Google TV | Connects to your mvbar server |
| Wear OS | Checking… | Wear OS | Companion client for your server |
Phone, TV and Wear clients are released together from the mvbar Android project.
For the container crowd
Docker setup.
Basic or advanced.
Start with the basic example for your library. Choose the advanced example for a reverse proxy, integrations, metadata backfills or LDAP.
Download basic compose.yml ↓Download basic env.example ↓Download advanced Compose ↓Download advanced env.example ↓Advanced setup guide →
Requires Docker Engine and the Compose plugin. Once started, open http://your-server:8080 in your browser.
Basic / quick start
mkdir -p mvbar
cd mvbar
curl -fSLO https://mvbar.co.uk/docker/compose.yml
curl -fSLO https://mvbar.co.uk/docker/env.example
cp -n env.example .env
# Edit .env: library paths, account and secrets
# Validate, then start your server:
docker compose config --quiet
docker compose up -dSet MUSIC_PATH, ADMIN_EMAIL, ADMIN_PASSWORD,
JWT_SECRET and MEILI_MASTER_KEY in .env first.
Room to grow
More from your library.
The catalogue below comes from the mvbar plugin registry, so versions and package checksums stay in sync with published plugins.
Missing Music
Find missing albums and songs, manage requests and stage exact provider items.
Loading current plugin metadata…- Sign in to your own mvbar server as an administrator.
- Open Admin → Plugins and choose an official plugin.
- Review its requested permissions, install it, configure it and enable it.
Good to know
A little help
getting started.
Does mvbar come with music?
mvbar is a home for your own collection. Add your music folders to the server; the web player and companion apps connect to that library. External integrations and plugins need their own configuration.
How do I install the Linux server?
On Debian or Ubuntu x64 or ARM64 (including Raspberry Pi OS 64-bit), open a terminal as your regular user and run:
curl -fsSL https://mvbar.co.uk/install.sh | shThe installer detects your architecture, downloads the matching latest stable release, verifies its SHA-256 checksum, and opens the setup wizard to configure your libraries and install an automatically starting service. It requests sudo for system dependencies. Existing configuration and data are retained. Internet access and systemd are required.
View installer script. For a development build or manual installation, download and rename the selected executable to mvbar, then run:
chmod +x ./mvbar
./mvbar install-serviceHow do I install on Windows?
Extract all files from the downloaded ZIP, then run the EXE inside. The launcher downloads and verifies dependencies, prepares the local server and opens mvbar. Choose your media folders in its Settings menu.
How do I connect the Android apps?
Download Android for an ARM64 phone or tablet, Android TV for your television, or Wear OS for your watch. Transfer the matching APK to that device and open it to install. Android may ask you to allow “Install unknown apps” for the browser or file manager you use.
Open mvbar and enter your own server address and mvbar account details. The website at mvbar.co.uk is the download site, not your music server. Your device needs to reach your server over your home network, HTTPS address or VPN.
Should I choose Stable or Development?
Choose Stable for everyday use. Development contains work in progress and may introduce bugs. Back up your database and configuration before installing it, preferably on a separate test server.
The selector changes the files and Docker instructions on this website only. It does not change an installed server’s update channel. The current Linux admin updater checks stable releases; switching channels requires installing the desired binary manually. Returning to an older stable version may be incompatible with database changes in a dev build.
Can I listen away from home?
Yes, when your mvbar server is reachable from your device. Set up a secure HTTPS address or your own VPN for remote access. On Android, you can also download music in advance for offline listening.
How do updates work?
Supported Linux service installations can update from administrator settings. Older builds that still use legacy download links need one manual upgrade: download the new executable and run ./mvbar install-service "$USER" as the same service user. Keep your existing data and configuration.
On Windows, stop the old launcher, extract the new ZIP and run the EXE inside. Android can check for releases in the app; your device will ask you to confirm installation.
Support mvbar
Enjoying mvbar?
If mvbar has found a home in your music collection, you can support its development with a coffee. Every contribution is appreciated.
Let the next track find you