ampache.org

The rise of streaming services such as Netflix, YouTube, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video has truly taken over the world. But their growth is directly proportional to the increasing dissent regarding their limitations. And I agree that there is no perfect network media solution for everyone. People who love the old ways of sharing files and maintaining a dedicated media server will find it hard to come to terms with modern streaming services. These servers are similar to HTTP servers except that they come with a dedicated interface and they have a host of unique and independent features. People who have strong media collections often prefer these software types over streaming services.

Imagine a family with important data that they want to enjoy on a curated platform. Not only do they want to secure their data, but they also want to reorganize and streamline all their data into specific folders. Ampache comes in handy here, helping them store, organize, and access their local files in a seamless manner.

It can be helpful to have a music server to store and play your music, especially if you have a large music collection.

Why build a music server?

Before there was Mumble, Memphis, RnB, metal, old-school rap, and Rock there was a time when different music genres were popular. What I'm trying to say is that our generations today can be diverse based upon their music taste. Regardless of which era we love, we like to keep our collections from those days. Do you get my point?

What is Ampache?

Ampache is a software that can be used as a media server, web-based audio file manager, and software for streaming music. The origins of the software are based on the names "Amplifier" and "Apache", which are both inspired by the word "amp." Originally, Ampache was designed to work with Apache's mod_mp3. However, since then it has been modified to cater to its own streaming network.

History

Ampache began its journey in 2001, with Scott Kveton as the creator of the OSUOSL at Oregon State University. He later passed development lead to Karl Vollmer, who was in charge of the project between 2003 to 2011. Since then, Ampache has changed hands many times and has received support from over eighty various contributors. Ampache's mascot - Fraz - was drawn by Kirsten and later re-digitized by Ben Shields.

Why should you use Ampache?

There is no doubt that there are plenty of music server software out there helping you stream your media. However, most of them come with a catch - a premium fee. You can add subscription-based software such as Plex and Kodi to the list. However, with Ampache, you get everything for free. Right from the ability to access apps, mobile syncing, artist bios, album arts, lyrics, and many other features are free.

Powerful API and streaming

A platform such as Plex often restricts you to their proprietary apps. However, that's not the case with Ampache. It allows you to stream to any client you want thanks to its powerful API. You can use the web interface which has no additional requirement. It doesn't limit you to any app and you have your own way around it. There are various native Ampache apps such as VLC, Foobar2000, Subsonic, Windows Media Player, and Winamp allowing you to start with the popular ones if needed.

Massive Catalog

Ampache allows you to access all of your music from your local filesystem. It has a flexible catalog that helps you find the content in multiple ways. You can add sources to your database and even connect your existing accounts with the network. For instance, if you have a subsonic library, you can connect it with Ampache and can easily import the entire library. You can do so with Beets catalog as well as SoundCloud. Isn't that awesome?

Educational Purposes

A few years ago, Chelsea School advanced students realized that Ampache can be used to develop new accommodations and alterations making it capable of learning new challenges and styles. The students teamed up and configured the Ampache server to optimize classroom use. Since then, classroom learning has really been enhanced. and Support Ampache is constantly evolving and receives regular enhancements with new features and bug fixes.

How to access Ampache?

Finding Ampache is easy. You can search for the term "Ampache" online and you'll find the results on the first page. Alternatively, you can use the following link: Ampache to visit the website directly. Remember, Ampache is free to download and thus you can head over to the download section and get started with it.

Design

The Ampache website has a design that is characterized by its fancy nature. The color palette is updated and modern, using blue and yellow as the main colors. The white text highlights this and makes it look deeper.

Header

The header section has eight key features - ?Home?, ?Demo?, ?Donate?, ?Download?, ?Documentation?, ?API Info?, ?Forum?, and ?Chat?. Apart from these features, you have the profile section along with a twitter icon if you want to connect with the social profile. The dark background with white text is quite eye-catching.

Hero Section

The header for the hero section starts off brightly with a yellow background and white text. Beneath this section, you can find the Features with four different cards - Music Collection, Music streaming, Open Source, and Ampache everywhere. This section is similar to the header but looks much cleaner. I still feel that the cards could have been more creative had they been dynamic.

Body

The body section of the website provides a glimpse of what to expect from the software. There are various images showcasing different elements on the website, including the sign-up panel, the settings page, the library, playback template, skins, album arts, track info, and music player. You can also access both desktop and mobile versions of the software. This is an excellent addition as you can set your expectations based on what you see.

Footer

There is no footer section on this website. This is unfortunate, as a good website should have a footer section and navigation option.

Inner Pages

If you are familiar with Ampache, you may be more inclined to go to the download page immediately. If this is not the case for you, there are plenty of valuable materials available that can help you understand the software in detail.

Ampache Development & Customization

In recent years, Ampache has undergone a number of leadership changes, but the software has remained reliable, secure, and easy to use. The development of Ampache has always been safeguarded amidst ownership changes; this is evidenced by its continued popularity among users. Ampache's great customization feature truly exposes all the lackluster software out there. First, there are various authorization methods such as HTTP, MYSQL, LDAP, OpenID, PAM, and other external methods. You can rewrite the metadata or choose from a pre-existing database. You can list sources as per your preference and you can even enable custom metadata. That's not all; you can easily enable or disable features such as broadcasting, favorites, podcasts, channels, social media and ratings. You have complete liberty over each and every element.

Suggestions I have for Ampache

I regret to inform my fellow Ampache enthusiasts that it is true that Ampache is not universal. It does not use codecs which are of great relevance in today's time. However, it still can convert the music in real-time easily. However, if the developers can work out a way to do so, that would be truly legendary.

Conclusion

Ampache is truly different from the other software options out there. It has amazing compatibility and is an open-source program, which allows it to be extremely versatile. Even if you are all in on Ampache, I see no reason why you should give up on it.