Airsonic

Free, web-based music streamer for your personal collection

Airsonic Advanced is a modern implementation of the Airsonic fork with significant performance and feature enhancements. It’s a free, web-based media streamer that provides ubiquitous access to your music library from anywhere. With automatic transcoding, multi-user support, podcast integration, and compatibility with dozens of mobile apps, Airsonic is the perfect solution for personal music streaming. QuickBox Pro installs Airsonic Advanced from the latest GitHub releases with Oracle Java 17, per-user systemd services, and auto-incremented ports.

Installation

Basic Installation

Install Airsonic for a specific user:

qb install airsonic -u username

CLI Commands

Accessing Airsonic

After installation, access Airsonic at:

https://your-server-ip/username/airsonic

Default Credentials:

• Username: admin
• Password: admin

Initial Configuration

1. Secure Admin Account

On first access, secure your installation:

1. Login with default credentials (admin / admin)
2. Navigate to Settings → Users
3. Click on admin user
4. Change password to a strong, unique password
5. Update email address for notifications
6. Click Save

2. Add Music Libraries

Configure your music folders:

1. Go to Settings → Media folders
2. Click Add to create a new media folder
3. Enter folder details:
   • Name: Descriptive name (e.g., “My Music Collection”)
   • Path: Full path to music directory
     • Example: /home/username/media/music
     • Example: /home/username/Music
     • Example: /mnt/storage/music
4. Click Save
5. Click Scan media folders now to index your library

3. Configure Transcoding Settings

Optimize streaming for different devices:

1. Navigate to Settings → Transcoding
2. Enable transcoding profiles:
   • MP3 - Universal compatibility
   • OGG - High quality, smaller files
   • AAC - Apple device optimization
3. Set default bitrate:
   • High - 320 kbps for high-quality streaming
   • Medium - 192 kbps for balanced quality/bandwidth
   • Low - 128 kbps for mobile/low bandwidth
4. Configure FFmpeg path (usually auto-detected at /usr/bin/ffmpeg)
5. Save settings

Service Management

Airsonic runs as a per-user systemd service.

systemctl status airsonic@username     # Check status
systemctl restart airsonic@username    # Restart service
journalctl -u airsonic@username -f     # View live logs
systemctl enable airsonic@username     # Start on boot (already enabled)
systemctl disable airsonic@username    # Prevent auto-start

Troubleshooting

Airsonic Won’t Start

journalctl -u airsonic@username -f

Check Java installation:

java --version
# Should show Java 17
 
# If Java 17 not found, reinstall:
qb reinstall airsonic -u username

Music Not Appearing in Library

Transcoding Not Working

# Verify FFmpeg is installed
ffmpeg -version
 
# Check transcoding settings
# Settings → Transcoding → Enable transcoding
 
# Verify FFmpeg path is correct
# Settings → Transcoding → FFmpeg path
# Usually: /usr/bin/ffmpeg
 
# Test transcoding manually
journalctl -u airsonic@username -f | grep -i transcode

Cannot Login After Password Change

# Stop Airsonic service
systemctl stop airsonic@username
 
# Edit airsonic.properties to reset admin password
nano /home/username/.config/Airsonic/db/airsonic.properties
 
# Or reinstall (preserves library but resets password):
qb reinstall airsonic -u username

Mobile App Cannot Connect

# Verify Airsonic is running
systemctl status airsonic@username
 
# Check nginx reverse proxy
sudo nginx -t
sudo systemctl reload nginx
 
# Verify URL format in mobile app:
# Server: https://your-server-ip/username/airsonic
# Username: Your Airsonic username
# Password: Your Airsonic password
 
# Test access from browser first
curl -I https://your-server-ip/username/airsonic

Best Practices

Use Cases

Personal Music Streaming

• Stream your entire music library to any device from anywhere
• Web-based player with gapless playback and crossfade support
• Access via dozens of compatible mobile apps (DSub, play:Sub, Ultrasonic)
• No music upload limits or subscription fees—your music, your server

Multi-User Family Server

• Create accounts for family members with individual libraries
• Control access to specific music folders per user
• Separate listening history, favorites, and playlists
• Share music while maintaining privacy and preferences

Podcast Management

• Subscribe to podcast RSS feeds directly in Airsonic
• Automatic episode downloads and streaming
• Organize podcasts alongside music library
• Listen on any Subsonic-compatible mobile app

Related Applications

Additional Resources