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Self-host Funkwhale on a VPS

A federated, community-oriented music platform.

Host your own music and podcasts with federation, so you can share and discover across other Funkwhale instances.

Why self-host Funkwhale?

Funkwhale is for people who want a social, federated music library rather than a personal-only server.

How to install Funkwhale

  1. 1

    Provision a VPS

    Choose a plan with room for your data as well as the app.

  2. 2

    Install the stack

    Install Docker Compose (Django, Postgres, Redis).

  3. 3

    Deploy the application

    Follow the project’s official install guide for your distribution.

  4. 4

    Enable HTTPS

    Serve it on your own domain behind a reverse proxy with a certificate.

  5. 5

    Back it up

    Schedule a database dump plus a copy of any uploaded files to an off-box location.

Practical tips

  • Give Funkwhale its own database user with rights only on its own schema.
  • Reverse-proxy Funkwhale and terminate TLS at the proxy so certificates are managed in one place.
  • Take a VPS snapshot before major upgrades so you can roll back cleanly.
  • Keep Funkwhale patched — most self-hosting incidents are unpatched software.

Frequently asked questions

How much RAM does Funkwhale need?
Plan on 2–4 GB for typical use; add headroom if you expect many concurrent users.
What stack does Funkwhale run on?
Docker Compose (Django, Postgres, Redis).
Can I run other things on the same VPS?
Yes — size the plan so Funkwhale plus your other workloads fit in RAM with room to spare.

Looking for something else? Popular alternatives include Navidrome, Ampache, Airsonic-Advanced — browse all app guides.