What Rygel is, how the open-source GNOME UPnP and DLNA media server works, and its key features for sharing media across a home network.
Category
Media & Audio/Video Tools
Pricing
Free and open source, no commercial pricing, from Free
Verified
Not yet
Last updated
July 19, 2026
Founded
2008
Open SourceSelf-Hosted
Overview
Rygel is a free, open-source home media server maintained as part of the GNOME project, with development dating back to its first commit in April 2008. It implements both a UPnP AV MediaServer and a MediaRenderer, letting Linux users share media libraries across a home network and stream to or from DLNA and UPnP-certified devices. The project is licensed under LGPL-2.1-or-later and written largely in the Vala programming language, built on GNOME's GUPnP library.
Key Features
Rygel allows users to browse and play audio, video, and photo content stored on a PC from devices like smart TVs, game consoles, and DLNA speakers elsewhere on the network. When a client device cannot play a file's original format, Rygel can automatically transcode the media on the fly so playback still succeeds. The project also ships shared libraries that developers can use to build custom Rygel plugins, alternative media engines, or standalone UPnP and DLNA server implementations.
Pricing
Rygel is entirely free and open source under the LGPL-2.1-or-later license, distributed through Linux package repositories and the GNOME GitLab project. There is no commercial edition, subscription, or paid tier; it is community-maintained software rather than a product sold by a company.
Key Features
UPnP AV MediaServer — Shares audio, video, and photo libraries from a Linux PC to other devices on the local network.
MediaRenderer support — Rygel can also act as a playback target, receiving media pushed from another UPnP controller device.
Automatic transcoding — Converts media on the fly into formats compatible with the requesting client device when needed.
Broad device compatibility — Works with DLNA and UPnP clients including smart TVs, PlayStation and Xbox consoles, speakers, and smartphones.
Plug-in architecture — Built around a plug-in mechanism that allows developers to extend or customize server behavior.
Built on GUPnP and Vala — Implemented largely in the Vala language on top of GNOME's GUPnP UPnP library.
Reusable shared libraries — Ships libraries that can be used to build custom plugins, media engines, or standalone renderer and server implementations.
Open-source licensing — Distributed under LGPL-2.1-or-later, allowing free use, modification, and redistribution.
Pros & Cons
Pros
Completely free and open source with no licensing cost
Long-running, mature project with development dating back to 2008
Wide device compatibility across DLNA and UPnP standards
Automatic transcoding removes the need to manually convert media formats
Extensible plug-in architecture for developers who want custom behavior
Integrated into the GNOME desktop ecosystem for Linux users
Cons
No commercial support, so users rely on community documentation and forums
Primarily targeted at Linux and GNOME users rather than cross-platform desktop users
UPnP and DLNA protocols can be finicky across different consumer device brands
Setup and troubleshooting require more technical comfort than consumer streaming apps
Development activity has varied over the years as a community-maintained project
No official mobile app; relies on third-party UPnP or DLNA client apps
Pricing
Open Source Free N/A, open source under LGPL-2.1-or-later
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Rygel
Rygel is a free, open-source UPnP AV MediaServer and MediaRenderer for the GNOME desktop that shares media across a home network.
Is Rygel free
Yes, Rygel is completely free and open source under the LGPL-2.1-or-later license.
What devices work with Rygel
Rygel supports DLNA and UPnP-certified devices including smart TVs, PlayStation and Xbox consoles, DLNA speakers, and smartphones.
Does Rygel transcode media
Yes, Rygel can automatically transcode media on the fly into a format the requesting client device can play.
When was Rygel first developed
Rygel's first commit dates to April 2008, and it has been developed as part of the GNOME project since.
What programming language is Rygel written in
Rygel is written largely in the Vala programming language, built on GNOME's GUPnP library.
Is Rygel a company product
No, Rygel is a community-maintained open-source project under the GNOME umbrella, not a commercial company product.
Can developers extend Rygel
Yes, Rygel ships shared libraries and a plug-in architecture that developers can use to build custom plugins, media engines, or standalone servers.