Meelo

Meelo is an open-source, self-hosted music server designed specifically for music collectors. It provides a web-based interface for managing and streaming audio and video libraries, focusing on deep metadata integration and detailed browsing experiences. The software is deployed via Docker images and is intended for private use on a home server or personal machine.

Users can access their collection through a web browser or via dedicated mobile applications for Android and iOS. The system handles standard playback, search, and playlist management while providing specific tools to organize complex discographies, rare recordings, and various media types. It is designed to handle large collections where metadata accuracy is a priority for the user.

Key features

• Integration of music videos as first-class citizens with distinctions between videos, interviews, and trailers
• Identification and display of B-sides and rare tracks on album and artist pages
• Support for multiple album releases and song versions to prevent duplicates during browsing
• Automatic detection of duets and featuring artists
• Metadata extraction from embedded tags, file names, or a combination of both
• Integration with MusicBrainz, Genius, and Wikipedia for genres, descriptions, and ratings
• Support for synced lyrics via embedded metadata or .lrc files
• Scrobbling support for ListenBrainz and LastFM
• Transcoding for audio and video formats not natively supported by the browser

The architecture emphasizes flexible metadata parsing, allowing users to utilize regular expressions if they prefer file paths over embedded tags. It is built for users who maintain highly curated libraries and require granular control over how different versions of the same track or album are presented. The system integrates with various external providers to enrich the library with additional biographical and categorical data, ensuring that rare gems in a collection are not lost or forgotten.

Meelo serves as a specialized media server for individuals who prioritize archival detail and metadata accuracy in their music collections over simple playback.