Ampache

Ampache provides a web‑based interface that lets users browse and manage an existing collection of audio and video files. It reads metadata from embedded tags or file names and presents the organized media through a simple browser UI, without rearranging the underlying files. The application can serve the media to any internet‑enabled device, offering HTML5 playback in the browser and integration with local playback clients.

The system runs on a standard web server such as Apache, lighttpd, nginx or IIS and requires a compatible PHP version (7.1 – 8.5) with common extensions plus a MySQL or MariaDB database. Installation and configuration are documented in the project wiki, and upgrades are handled by copying configuration files and allowing Ampache to apply database migrations automatically.

Released under the AGPL‑3.0 license, Ampache is free, open‑source software that has been maintained since 2001. It supports multiple languages, offers an API for external clients, and can be deployed via Docker or traditional server setups, making it suitable for personal or community‑run media servers.