Ampache

Ampache is an open-source, self-hosted web application that functions as an audio and video streaming server and file manager. It allows users to access their media collections from any internet enabled device via a web browser, providing a centralized hub for personal media libraries. The software is deployed on a server and requires a web server environment to operate.

The software is designed to present an existing media collection in a useful way rather than acting as a media organizer. It assumes the user has already organized their files on the disk and relies on extracting metadata from embedded tags within files or from the file names themselves to categorize and display content. This approach ensures that the user maintains full control over the physical organization of their media files while benefiting from a web interface for playback.

Key features

• Web based streaming for audio and video files
• File management for accessing media from remote devices
• Metadata extraction from embedded tags and file names
• API for integration with other applications
• Support for multiple web servers including Apache, Nginx, lighttpd, and IIS
• Database support for MySQL and MariaDB
• Multi language support via Transifex translations

Ampache is built using PHP and requires a database backend for storing its configuration and metadata. Depending on the version used, it supports various PHP versions ranging from 7.1 up to 8.5, with the most recent versions requiring PHP 8.5 and higher. Recent releases also require Node.js v15 and npm v7 for specific operational needs. The architecture is designed for server deployment, making it suitable for users who maintain their own organized libraries of music and video and wish to stream them across different devices using a standard web browser or API compatible clients.

This application is intended for users who prefer to manage their own file structures and seek a tool to stream that content over a network. It is licensed under the GNU Affero General Public License v3.