Lyrion Music Server Review, Pricing & Features

Lyrion Music Server review 2026: the free, open-source successor to Logitech Media Server. Features, setup, pricing, pros and cons, and alternatives.

Category
Media & Audio/Video Tools
Pricing
Open Source, from Free
Verified
Not yet
Last updated
July 18, 2026
Founded
2001
Open SourceSelf-Hosted

Overview

Lyrion Music Server is a free, open-source media server descended from Logitech Media Server, formerly SlimServer and Squeezebox Server, tracing back to Slim Devices' original SLIMP3 player software from 2001. Logitech acquired Slim Devices in 2006 and ran the project until stepping back after version 7.7, at which point a volunteer community took over development.

The project was rebranded from Logitech Media Server to Lyrion Music Server with version 9.0 in November 2024, following the shutdown of Logitech's mysqueezebox.com cloud service, marking a full and formal separation from the Logitech brand while preserving compatibility with the existing Squeezebox hardware and software ecosystem.

Key Features

Lyrion Music Server indexes a local digital music library and streams it to any number of connected players in formats including MP3, FLAC, WAV, Ogg Vorbis, Opus, and AAC, with support for synchronized, multi-room playback across grouped devices.

It runs on Linux, Windows, macOS, and BSD, and is popular on NAS devices from Synology and QNAP as well as minimal Linux images like piCorePlayer. A plugin architecture supports internet radio and additional streaming integrations, and it remains compatible with both original Squeezebox hardware and modern software players.

Pricing

Lyrion Music Server is entirely free and open source, licensed under the GNU General Public License, with no paid tiers, subscriptions, or licensing fees of any kind.

Because it is self-hosted, the only costs involved are for the hardware running the server, such as a home server, NAS, or Raspberry Pi, and any player hardware or software used to listen to the streamed music.

Key Features

Pros & Cons

Pros

  • Completely free and open source with no subscriptions or licensing costs.
  • Long track record dating back over two decades, with a mature, stable codebase.
  • Strong multi-room, synchronized playback across many player types.
  • Continues to support legacy Squeezebox hardware that would otherwise be unsupported.
  • Runs on inexpensive hardware like NAS devices and Raspberry Pi.

Cons

  • Interface and setup are more technical than commercial alternatives like Plex or Roon.
  • Relies entirely on volunteer maintainers, with no commercial support option.
  • Client and player ecosystem has shrunk since original Squeezebox hardware was discontinued.
  • Written in Perl, an aging language stack compared to some newer self-hosted media servers.
  • Less polished mobile app experience compared to modern competitors like Plex or Navidrome.

Pricing

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Lyrion Music Server free?

Yes, Lyrion Music Server is entirely free and open source under the GNU General Public License, with no paid tiers.

What was Lyrion Music Server called before?

It was previously known as Logitech Media Server, and before that SqueezeCenter and SlimServer, before the community rebranded it to Lyrion Music Server in November 2024 with version 9.0.

Do I need Squeezebox hardware to use Lyrion Music Server?

No, Lyrion Music Server works with software players like Squeezelite and various mobile and desktop apps in addition to legacy Squeezebox hardware.

What audio formats does Lyrion Music Server support?

It supports MP3, FLAC, WAV, Ogg Vorbis, Opus, and AAC, among other formats.

Who maintains Lyrion Music Server?

It is maintained by the volunteer LMS-Community on GitHub, following Logitech's withdrawal from active development after version 7.7.

Can Lyrion Music Server run on a NAS?

Yes, it is commonly installed on NAS devices from Synology and QNAP, as well as on minimal Linux distributions built for audio streaming.

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