mpd

A headless music player for Linux machines and home servers that plays local files through the host's speakers and is steered remotely.

2.8k stars, 439 forks C++ On GitHub since February 2012

Visit website View on GitHub How to run it

mpd at a glance

Open sourceYes, GPL-2.0No paid parts in the repository
Health61 of 100Actively developed
Self-hostingFrom sourceSteps in the README
InterfaceEnglish onlyNo translation files found
Issue repliesWithin ~4 hoursMedian first reply; 52% of recent issues answered

What is mpd?

Music Player Daemon (MPD) runs in the background and sends audio out through the sound device of the machine it lives on, not to a browser tab or a phone. It keeps a database of the music files it knows about, so tracks can be searched and their details looked up quickly. Playback, the queue and playlists are all controlled over the network through a published protocol specification, which means the daemon itself has no screen of its own and leaves the interface to separate client programs.

Good fit if

  • A small computer wired to an amplifier or speakers should act as the house jukebox.
  • You prefer to pick your own front end, from a terminal tool to a phone remote, while one daemon handles playback.

Look elsewhere if

  • You need music streamed to listeners' own devices over the internet: Navidrome or koel.
  • Several rooms should play in sync: Snapcast.
  • You want a Python-based music server that is extended through plugins: Mopidy.

Before you adopt it

MPD is released under GPL-2.0 and the repository contains no paid parts. It sits under the MusicPlayerDaemon organization on GitHub, yet every commit of the last 90 days came from one developer, so the project rests on a single person. The repository offers no Docker image, no ready-made builds and no tagged releases on GitHub; installation follows the manual, and you will also need a separate client to control it.

Drafted with AI from the project's README and repository data, then checked against that data on 7 November 2026. Report a correction

How to run mpd yourself

One-click install

Not listed in the app catalogs of Umbrel, YunoHost, TrueNAS, Unraid, CasaOS, Runtipi, Proxmox VE Helper-Scripts and Coolify.

Ways to install

Docker files
None in the repository
Compose file
None in the repository
Setup effort
Not rated: no compose file to judge from
Kubernetes
No Helm chart in the repository
Desktop and mobile
No app builds in GitHub releases
Interface languages
English only

Install instructions: musicpd.org or the README on GitHub.

mpd health: is it still maintained?

61 of 100, actively developed

Release rhythmNo releasesNone published on GitHub
Issue repliesWithin ~4 hoursMedian first reply; 52% of recent issues answered
Bus factorHigh riskThe most active of 2 authors wrote 99% of recent commits
  • Activity
    676 commits in the last 90 days, the latest on 12 November 2026.
    30 / 30
  • Contributors
    2 people wrote the latest 100 commits; the most active wrote 99% of them.
    4 / 20
  • Releases
    No releases published on GitHub.
    6 / 20
  • Replies to issues
    Maintainers answered 52% of recent issues, with a median first reply after 4 hours.
    16 / 20
  • Security practices
    OpenSSF Scorecard 4.7 of 10.
    5 / 10

Read from GitHub on 12 November 2026. How the score works

mpd security

Security advisories are the vulnerabilities the maintainers disclosed on GitHub, with the versions that fix them; many advisories can mean careful disclosure as much as weak code. OpenSSF Scorecard checks how a project is developed and released: reviews, protected branches, pinned dependencies, signed releases. It does not audit the code itself.

Security advisoriesNone publishedNo advisories in the repository’s Security tab
OpenSSF Scorecard4.7 of 10How the project is built and released
Security policyNoNo SECURITY.md or similar

What each Scorecard check found

  • Dangerous workflows10 / 10No risky patterns in GitHub Actions
  • License file10 / 10A license file is present
  • Maintained10 / 10Steady commits and issue activity in the last 90 days
  • Token permissions10 / 10CI tokens have only the rights they need
  • Binary files9 / 10A few compiled binaries are checked into the repository
  • Best-practices badge0 / 10No OpenSSF Best Practices badge
  • Branch protection0 / 10The main branch has no protection rules
  • Code review0 / 10Changes are merged without review
  • Fuzzing0 / 10No fuzz testing found
  • Pinned dependencies0 / 10Dependencies are not pinned to fixed versions
  • Security policy0 / 10No security policy
  • Static analysis0 / 10No static analysis found

Advisories read from GitHub on 12 November 2026. From the OpenSSF Scorecard of 9 November 2026; checks that do not apply to mpd are left out.

mpd license: is it open source?

mpd uses GPL-2.0, an open-source license approved by the OSI.

  1. February 2012First published on GitHub.
  2. TodayGPL-2.0.

mpd for developers

Written in

  • C++ 94%
  • Meson 3%
  • Python 1%
  • Kotlin <1%
  • Java <1%
  • Other <1%

Getting involved

Contributing guideNot foundNo CONTRIBUTING file in the repository
Open issues127On GitHub
Authors, 90 days2Of the latest 100 commits

Language shares are GitHub’s count of the code in the repository.

Alternatives to mpd

  • SnapcastSynchronous multiroom audio player 47 health · GPL-3.0 · 8.1k stars
  • koelMusic streaming solution that works. 72 health · MIT · 17.3k stars
  • Black CandyA self hosted music streaming server 49 health · MIT · 4.4k stars
  • Beetsmusic library manager and MusicBrainz tagger 83 health · MIT · 15.9k stars
  • LidarrLooks and smells like Sonarr but made for music. 67 health · GPL-3.0 · 5.8k stars

All 38 projects in Media servers & streaming

Questions about mpd

Is mpd open source?

Yes. mpd is published under GPL-2.0, an OSI-approved open-source license.

Is mpd still maintained?

Its health score is 61 of 100 (actively developed). It had 676 commits in the last 90 days, the latest on 12 November 2026.

How do I run mpd?

The repository has no Docker files or app builds, so you build it from source. The README on GitHub has the steps.

What is mpd written in?

mpd is written mainly in C++ (94% of the code), by GitHub’s count of the repository.

What are the alternatives to mpd?

Close alternatives in the Media servers & streaming category include Snapcast, koel, Black Candy.