Streaming catalogs come and go, but a personal music collection has a memory of its own—albums ripped from discs years ago, lossless releases bought directly from artists, and folders arranged the way you actually think about music. Keeping those files on your own drive or NAS, and pairing them with a calm player that stays out of the way, is the whole point of self-hosted listening.
These guides are reviewed as of October 2026 for OFPlayer for Windows (26.0.6), OFPlayer for Android (26.0.2), and the web player.
Do you need a server at all?
Before spinning up a container, check which workflow matches how you listen:
- Listening on one device: Import local folders directly into OFPlayer. No server required.
- Listening to your PC’s library from your phone at home: Pair OFPlayer for Windows and Android on the same Wi-Fi to use LAN streaming and Handoff without running a separate server.
- Keeping a permanent library on a NAS or home server: Follow the server guides below so any device can browse and play your collection on demand.
Choose a server approach
Self-hosted music servers generally fall into two camps: exposing folders directly over WebDAV, or running a dedicated music server that indexes tags and artwork.
| Approach | OpenList (WebDAV) | Navidrome (Subsonic) | AList (Reference) |
|---|---|---|---|
| How it works | Exposes existing folders directly over WebDAV | Scans audio tags to index albums, artists, and covers | Existing WebDAV setups |
| Best for | Folder-oriented collections and mixed media | Large album collections browsed by artist and cover | Auditing or migrating an older setup |
| OFPlayer source | WebDAV | Subsonic | WebDAV |
| Recommendation | Best for new WebDAV setups | Best for dedicated music libraries | Verify first, then migrate to OpenList |
Reading path
- Set up OpenList for WebDAV: Run OpenList with Docker Compose, mount your music read-only, and enable WebDAV access.
- Set up Navidrome for your collection: Deploy a dedicated Subsonic-compatible music server that scans tags, covers, and lyrics automatically.
- Connect OFPlayer to a remote library: Add WebDAV or Subsonic sources across Windows, Android, and the web player, and avoid common path and CORS pitfalls.
- Troubleshoot a WebDAV music library: Work through connection, login, empty folder, reverse proxy, and playback issues one layer at a time.
- AList WebDAV reference & migration: Audit an existing AList server before connecting OFPlayer or migrating to OpenList.