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Music Player Daemon vs Music Assistant: catalog facts
Music Player Daemon	Music Assistant
Free Free and open source. Hosting, hardware and any external services are separate.	Free Free and open source. Hosting, hardware and any external services are separate.
Linux, macOS, Self-hosted	Self-hosted
Separates audio playback from the user interface Supports multiple compatible control clients	Unifies supported music providers Controls playback across compatible players
Requires a separate client and configuration of audio outputs.	Streaming services may require their own subscriptions and supported accounts.
Self-hosted	Self-hosted
Open source	Open source
License not stated	License: Apache-2.0
Not stated if an account is needed	Not stated if an account is needed
Not stated if it works offline	Not stated if it works offline
Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 22, 2026	Official website Full listing and sources Checked September 22, 2026

Catalog facts only. Anything “not stated” is unconfirmed. Check full listings for details.