FAQ

Psysonic is a desktop music client for self-hosted music libraries. It is built primarily for Navidrome and aims to feel like a polished desktop app rather than a browser tab.

Psysonic is for people who care about their own music libraries. Some users run servers, read release assets and install through AUR or Nix. Others simply want a good desktop client for the music they already host. The website and app should make the first path clear without hiding advanced options.

No. Psysonic should stay useful for technical users without making less experienced users feel locked out. Information is layered: simple explanation first, clear action next and optional technical detail after that.

Navidrome is the primary supported server. Psysonic may work with other Subsonic-compatible servers, but features that rely on Navidrome-specific APIs can be limited or unavailable elsewhere.

Psysonic uses standard Subsonic/OpenSubsonic behavior where possible, but some features need APIs or behavior that Navidrome provides more reliably. That lets Psysonic offer a more polished experience for Navidrome users, while still being honest about compatibility limits on other servers.

Use the Downloads page. Official installers and packages are pulled from GitHub Releases, then grouped by operating system so you do not have to decode every file name yourself.

Use the Windows installer, usually the file ending in .exe or containing setup. It is the normal choice for 64-bit Windows PCs.

Windows builds are available, but code signing may still be pending or not fully trusted by Windows SmartScreen. Until signing is finalized, Windows can show an additional warning when installing or launching Psysonic.

If you are unsure, start with the AppImage because it works on many desktop distributions without using a package manager. Use the DEB package for Debian, Ubuntu or Linux Mint. Use the RPM package for Fedora, openSUSE, RHEL and related systems. The tar.gz archives are mainly for advanced users and custom setups.

Use the Apple Silicon DMG for Macs with M1, M2, M3 or newer chips. Use the Intel DMG for older Intel-based Macs.

Arch users can install Psysonic from the AUR. Use yay -S psysonic for the source package or yay -S psysonic-bin for the binary package. These are shown separately from official GitHub release assets so the installation path stays clear.

Use cachix use psysonic to enable the binary cache, then run Psysonic with nix run github:Psychotoxical/psysonic. Additional notes are available in the Nix install notes.

The Changelog page shows the latest GitHub release notes in a readable, collapsible format. Older release history remains available on GitHub Releases.

Orbit is Psysonic's shared listening mode. One person hosts the music, others join through an invite link and listen in sync. Guests can suggest tracks; the host decides what gets added to the queue unless auto-approval is enabled.

No. Orbit uses your existing Navidrome server and regular playlists as transport. There is no extra relay, hosted sync service or account on another platform.

Everyone needs access to the same Navidrome server and each participant should use their own Navidrome user. If guests are outside your home network, your Navidrome server must be reachable through a public address.

Guests can suggest tracks, but the host remains in control. By default, suggestions wait for approval. The host can accept, decline or enable auto-approval for a more open session.

Psysonic is under active development. Bugs and rough edges are possible, and features may change as the app evolves. The goal is to be honest about that while keeping downloads, release notes and limitations easy to find.

Use GitHub Issues for bugs, feature requests and reproducible setup problems. Include your operating system, Psysonic version, server type and the steps needed to reproduce the issue.