Snapcast

A client-server audio system that plays the same stream in perfect sync across rooms, turning existing players into a Sonos-like setup.

8k stars, 560 forks C++ On GitHub since January 2015

View on GitHub How to run it

Snapcast at a glance

Open sourceYes, GPL-3.0No paid parts in the repository
Health47 of 100Actively developed
Self-hostingDocker, Linux, WindowsSteps in the README
AppsLinux, Windows, including ARMBuilds in GitHub releases
InterfaceEnglish onlyNo translation files found
Issue repliesWithin ~22 daysMedian first reply; 26% of recent issues answered

What is Snapcast?

Snapcast is not a standalone player. Its server takes audio from sources such as a named pipe fed by MPD or Mopidy, ALSA line-in or loopback, TCP or the output of a process, encodes it as FLAC, PCM, Vorbis or Opus, and sends it to Snapclients on the network. Every client keeps its clock in sync with the server and adjusts playback speed slightly, so speakers in different rooms play exactly together. Several sources can run in parallel, and clients can be grouped to share a stream.

Good fit if

  • You want multiroom audio with cheap hardware like Raspberry Pis instead of buying a proprietary system.
  • You already use MPD or Mopidy and want it in every room.

Look elsewhere if

  • You need the music player and library in the first place: Mopidy pairs well with it.

Before you adopt it

Snapcast is GPL-3.0 and contains no paid parts. One developer writes most of the code, and the last release came out in March 2026. Linux and Windows builds and a Docker image are provided; setting up sources usually means editing configuration files.

Drafted with AI from the project's README and repository data, then checked against that data on 31 October 2026. Report a correction

How to run Snapcast yourself

Docker
Dockerfile or compose file 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
Builds for Linux, Windows, including ARM in GitHub releases
Interface languages
English only

Install instructions: the README on GitHub.

Snapcast health: is it still maintained?

47 of 100, actively developed

Release rhythm1 release in 12 monthsLatest: v0.35.0, 10 March 2026
Issue repliesWithin ~22 daysMedian first reply; 26% of recent issues answered
Bus factorHigh riskThe most active of 6 authors wrote 82% of recent commits
  • Activity
    30 commits in the last 90 days, the latest on 3 November 2026.
    18 / 30
  • Contributors
    6 people wrote the 30 commits of the last 90 days; the most active wrote 82% of them.
    11 / 20
  • Releases
    1 release in the last 12 months; the latest, v0.35.0, on 10 March 2026.
    7 / 20
  • Replies to issues
    Maintainers answered 26% of recent issues, with a median first reply after 22 days.
    6 / 20
  • Security practices
    No OpenSSF Scorecard for this repository yet, so this part gets a neutral score.
    5 / 10

Read from GitHub on 5 November 2026. How the score works

Snapcast license: is it open source?

Snapcast uses GPL-3.0, an open-source license approved by the OSI.

  1. January 2015First published on GitHub.
  2. TodayGPL-3.0.

Snapcast for developers

Written in

  • C++ 90%
  • Python 7%
  • CMake 2%
  • Shell <1%
  • Roff <1%
  • Other <1%

Getting involved

Contributing guideYesCONTRIBUTING.mdOpen issues105On GitHub
Authors, 90 days6Of 30 commits

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

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Questions about Snapcast

Is Snapcast open source?

Yes. Snapcast is published under GPL-3.0, an OSI-approved open-source license.

Is Snapcast still maintained?

Its health score is 47 of 100 (actively developed). It had 30 commits in the last 90 days, the latest on 3 November 2026, and its latest release came out on 10 March 2026.

How do I run Snapcast?

You can run it with Docker, as an app for Linux, Windows, including ARM. The README on GitHub has the exact steps.

What is Snapcast written in?

Snapcast is written mainly in C++ (90% of the code), with Python (7%), by GitHub’s count of the repository.

What are the alternatives to Snapcast?

Close alternatives in the Media servers & streaming category include koel, Navidrome, Beets.