Subsonic

Subsonic lets you enjoy your media collection remotely. Likewise, you can use it to share movies and music with others.

The product is installed as a local server but all interactions with it are done via its web interface, without the need to install a client app. The initial configuration may get a little tricky; however, everything becomes much easier from then on.

Subsonic can handle huge media collections and you just need to pick the directories in which the intended files are stored. In addition, it lets you listen to online radio stations and podcasts. It is great that your tracks can be automatically tagged by getting the necessary information from online databases. Additionally, the app downloads artwork and lyrics.

The tool can be used as a jukebox both locally or remotely. In this respect, it is possible to browse and search the library, create your playlists and rate contents. It also has built-in playback functions.

Fortunately, the end user does not need to worry about compatibility issues, as the application can perform on-the-fly lossless conversion of practically any format. What is more, you can install additional transcoder plugins to support other formats. Good news is that you can set limits to bitrate and save bandwidth if it is necessary. In such case, the tool can resample streams without your intervention.

Regrettably, Subsonic is not bug-free. In this regard, it may have occasional difficulties to download artwork properly. Similarly, some tracks show a different length after they have been transcoded.

In short, Subsonic is a convenient media streamer that can come in handy when you need to access your collection from different devices. The product is downloadable from the developer's website at no cost. Should you need more, you can always purchase its Premium edition instead.