Alternatives / Apple Music
Looking for an open source Apple Music alternative? We compared 2 open source music players by license, library source, platforms, and legal considerations. Neither includes a licensed catalog like Apple Music: Navidrome streams your own music files, and Nuclear streams from external sources.
Written by Maxime DERAME
Last updated:
| Alternative | Best for | License |
|---|---|---|
| Navidrome | Streaming your own music library from a server | GPL-3.0 |
| Nuclear | Desktop player that streams from external sources (legal caveats) | AGPL-3.0 |
We looked for open-source tools that overlap with Apple Music's core: playing music across devices with playlists and search. We verified each project's license, recent activity, stars, and platforms in its repository. No open-source project can offer Apple Music's licensed catalog, so we separate tools that play your own files from tools that pull from third-party sources. See our methodology for the full criteria.
Apple Music gives you millions of licensed songs for a subscription. Open-source tools cannot replace that catalog. Navidrome plays the music files you already own, and Nuclear searches third-party sources. If you want to discover and stream any song on demand, you will still need a subscription service.
Navidrome is a self-hosted music server with a web player and compatibility with Subsonic apps on iOS and Android. It supports multiple libraries, real-time transcoding, and large collections, and it runs on low-power hardware such as a Raspberry Pi. It is GPL-3.0 and has no ads or tracking.
Nuclear is an AGPL-3.0 desktop player for Windows, macOS, and Linux with playlists, plugins, and no telemetry. It streams from external sources rather than from licensed catalogs, so its legal standing is questionable and which sources work can change. Check the legality of the sources you use in your country.
Navidrome is GPL-3.0 and Nuclear is AGPL-3.0.
Both projects were updated within days of this update.
Apple Music is a proprietary subscription: you pay monthly for access, and your library and downloads disappear if you stop paying, with no ownership of the music. Open-source alternatives let you keep and stream music you own, avoid tracking and ads, and use any compatible client, at the cost of buying or ripping your own music and, for a server, running it yourself.
| Alternative | Type | License | Self-hosted | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Navidrome | Music server | GPL-3.0 | Yes | Your own music files |
| Nuclear | Desktop player | AGPL-3.0 | Local app | Streaming from external sources |
Want to stream the music you own to all your devices
Navidrome serves your files through a web player and Subsonic apps, with transcoding and support for very large libraries.
Want a free desktop player that searches online sources
Nuclear offers search, playlists, and plugins without ads or tracking, but its sources raise legal questions.