Question 1

What audio formats does Funkwhale support?

Accepted Answer

Funkwhale imports and plays FLAC, Ogg Vorbis, MP3, Opus, AAC, M4A, AIFF, and AIF. Lossless FLAC streams in the web player exactly as you uploaded it. AAC and M4A support was added during the 1.x series, so older guides that list only Ogg, FLAC, and MP3 are out of date.

Question 2

How does transcoding work?

Accepted Answer

Transcoding happens on demand through FFmpeg when a Subsonic client asks for a particular format or bitrate; the web player streams the original file untouched. We install FFmpeg and set the default Subsonic transcode format on every Funkwhale pod, so mobile apps that request a lighter stream get one without you configuring anything.

Question 3

Which mobile apps work with managed Funkwhale?

Accepted Answer

Any Subsonic-compatible app works through Funkwhale's Subsonic endpoint. The documented clients include Ultrasonic and DSub on Android and substreamer and play:Sub on iOS, plus desktop players like Sublime Music. Funkwhale 2.0 added OpenSubsonic extensions, so newer apps such as Symfonium and Tempo behave better. The official Funkwhale Android app exists but has not been updated since early 2024, so a maintained Subsonic app is the smoother path. There is no official iOS app — iOS listeners use a Subsonic client.

Question 4

How much storage do I need for my music library?

Accepted Answer

As a rule of thumb, a four-minute FLAC track is about 30 to 50 MB and a 320 kbps MP3 is about 10 MB, so a 5,000-track lossless library lands around 150 to 250 GB.

Question 5

What does Funkwhale run on under the hood?

Accepted Answer

Funkwhale is a Django API with a Vue.js front end, PostgreSQL for data, Redis as cache and broker, and Celery worker and beat processes for background jobs, all behind Nginx. We run PostgreSQL latest stable with the unaccent and citext extensions Funkwhale requires, and we supervise the Celery processes so a stalled worker is restarted rather than left to silently drop imports.

Question 6

How are media files kept private on a Funkwhale pod?

Accepted Answer

Funkwhale protects audio behind an internal Nginx location and an X-Accel-Redirect handoff, so a track URL cannot be fetched directly without an authorised session. This is the single most common thing self-hosters get wrong — miss the protected-media block and either every file 404s or every file is public. We configure that delivery chain correctly on every pod so private libraries stay private and public ones still stream.

Question 7

How do you handle Funkwhale upgrades, including the 2.0 jump?

Accepted Answer

We take a PostgreSQL snapshot before every Funkwhale migration and run the upgrade on a tested window. That matters here: Funkwhale 2.0 was a major rewrite, and the project itself warned that the database migration could fail and risk data loss without manual intervention. We run the current tagged stable release and carry pods across the 2.x line so you never hit a half-finished migration on your own.

Question 8

Does Funkwhale integrate with MusicBrainz and ListenBrainz?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Funkwhale reads MusicBrainz identifiers from file tags and uses them to fetch cover art and keep metadata tidy; the project recommends tagging with MusicBrainz Picard before import. Funkwhale 2.0 added ListenBrainz scrobbling and an admin option to accept only MusicBrainz-tagged files, which we can enable on request for catalogues where metadata consistency matters.

Question 9

Is my data private, and can I get it out?

Accepted Answer

Funkwhale is AGPL-3.0 with no ads, no third-party analytics, and no tracking, and it runs on infrastructure you control in the region you pick. Exit is clean: your audio sits in standard formats on disk, the database is standard PostgreSQL, and the API is documented, so you can move to another Subsonic-compatible server with low friction whenever you want. 02 Migration and onboarding

Question 10

Which regions can I deploy in?

Accepted Answer

21 datacenter locations across six continents. You choose the region at provisioning. Application data sits in the region you choose; pick whichever is closest to your users or matches your data-residency preference.

Question 11

Can I move regions later?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Request a region migration from the dashboard and we run the move in the background. The system emails you when the migration completes; total transfer time depends on data volume but typical instances finish in a few hours. There is no extra charge for a region change.

Question 12

Can I leave and take my data with me?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Full data export is available at any time, in a portable format you can bring to any infrastructure.

Question 13

Can I import my existing music files into Funkwhale?

Accepted Answer

Yes, two ways. You can upload through the web interface, or use an in-place import that points Funkwhale at a directory of files it reads without copying or duplicating them — the better route for a large existing collection.

Question 14

What should I do about metadata and tags before migrating?

Accepted Answer

Funkwhale reads standard ID3 and Vorbis tags. The project recommends running files through MusicBrainz Picard first, because the import looks up cover art from MusicBrainz using the identifier embedded in each file's tags. Clean tags going in mean clean artist, album, and artwork data coming out — we are happy to advise on a tagging pass before import.

Question 15

Can I move my library from Spotify?

Accepted Answer

Honestly, not directly — Spotify does not let you export its audio. What you can do is export your playlists and liked songs with a tool like Free Your Music, then build your Funkwhale library from files you own: purchases from Bandcamp or Qobuz, ripped CDs, or your existing collection. Funkwhale hosts a library you own and grow, which is a different model from renting access to a streaming catalogue.

Question 16

How do I move from Navidrome, Airsonic, Plex, or Jellyfin?

Accepted Answer

It is straightforward — your tagged file tree is exactly what Funkwhale ingests, so the same library imports cleanly, and mobile apps keep working through Funkwhale's Subsonic endpoint. You gain federation, channels, podcasts, and multi-user quotas; you may lose a few Subsonic-specific niceties like folder-mode browsing, which does not map to Funkwhale's internal model. If you only want a single-user music player, Navidrome is lighter — and we host that too.

Question 17

Will my Funkwhale pod federate with older Funkwhale servers?

Accepted Answer

With other Funkwhale 2.x pods, yes. The honest caveat: a version 2 pod does not federate with version 1 pods, a split the project flagged with the 2.0 release. As older pods upgrade, the v2 network keeps growing. We run current-stable pods so you are on the right side of that transition, and federation is opt-in per library — you can also run a fully closed pod.

Question 18

Can you help with DNS, a custom domain, and SSL?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Point your domain at your pod and we issue and renew SSL automatically. If you would rather not touch DNS, send us the records and we will guide the change or make it with you. A custom domain is included at the base price — no add-on tier for putting your pod on your own name. 03 Billing, support, and platform

Question 19

What's included in €9 per app, per month?

Accepted Answer

€9 covers everything we do for that app: hardware in the region you choose, daily off-site backups with one-click restore, automatic security patches and version upgrades, 24/7 monitoring, SSL and firewall, and engineering support on email and the ticket section in the client portal. There are no setup fees or hidden line items. For more info see our Pricing page .

Question 20

What happens after the 7-day trial?

Accepted Answer

If you decide to continue, we charge €9/app/month from day 8. If you don't, the trial ends and you can export your data. No card is required for the trial, and we never auto-charge you without explicit consent.

Question 21

Are there per-user fees?

Accepted Answer

No. The €9/month is flat regardless of how many users log into your app. Add 5 users or 50; the price doesn't change.

Question 22

What is included in support?

Accepted Answer

24/7 email and ticket support, both staffed by engineers who run the systems. We handle DNS configuration, SMTP setup, app integrations, performance tuning, troubleshooting, and migration help. Response time is typically under an hour. There is no tier system — every customer gets the same support.

Question 23

Can I cancel anytime?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Cancel from the dashboard. We don't charge a cancellation fee, we don't lock data, and we will export your data to you on request before deletion. data to you on request before deletion.

Question 24

How do you handle backups?

Accepted Answer

Every customer instance is backed up daily to a separate region from the primary. We test restores. You can request a restore at any backup point within the retention window — usually 7 days for daily backups.

Question 25

Where is my data stored?

Accepted Answer

Your application data sits in the region you choose at provisioning — 21 datacenter locations across six continents. Account-level data (billing, account email, support ticket history) is processed centrally. Application data region is picked by you, per app.

Question 26

What's the SLA?

Accepted Answer

99.9% uptime SLA on every app, every tenant. Service credits are documented at danian.co/service-level-agreement . The status page is located at status.danian.co .

Question 27

How does scaling work?

Accepted Answer

When your tenant approaches the resource ceiling — the base tier holds 1 vCPU/RAM, 30 GB storage — we notify you. Resource upgrades happen with your explicit consent; we will not upgrade your tenant or charge you without it.

Question 28

What happens if my card fails?

Accepted Answer

We wait. We don't suspend the app or delete your data on the first failed charge. We email you, you fix the card on file, and we continue.

Question 29

What about taxes and invoicing?

Accepted Answer

Invoices can be downloaded from the billing dashboard in PDF the day each charge succeeds. EU VAT is added where applicable and the VAT-reverse-charge regime applies for VAT-registered businesses with a valid number.

Question 30

Which apps are in the catalog?

Accepted Answer

150+ open-source apps across automation, team chat, file sync, analytics, AI, password management, email marketing, dev tools, project management, smart home, CMS, and federated social. See the full catalog →

Question 31

Do I get terminal access to my instance?

Accepted Answer

Yes. Every instance comes with a web-based terminal and a file manager in your DANIAN management dashboard. Useful for managing your data and customizations.

Question 32

What if I outgrow €9 or the per-app resources?

Accepted Answer

Resources scale with your usage. If your app needs more vCPU, RAM, or storage, we add it — and we ask first before any change to your plan. €9 is the floor; resource-heavy workloads may price higher, but you'll always know in advance.

Question 33

Is there a Partner or Affiliate program?

Accepted Answer

Yes. We have both a Partner program and an Affiliate program available. Anybody can sign up.

Question 34

Is there a contract or minimum commitment?

Accepted Answer

No contract. No minimum commitment. Cancel anytime from the dashboard with one click. The 7-day free trial requires no credit card. After the trial converts to paid, you can still cancel at any month without notice or penalty. DEPLOY IN YOUR REGION 21 datacenter locations on six continents Pick the region closest to your users. United States, Germany, Finland, Singapore, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Netherlands, UK, Spain, Italy, France, Sweden, Malaysia, India, Japan, Mexico, Poland, South Korea, Chile, South Africa and more coming soon Browse all 150+ apps → Try managed Funkwhale for 7 days No

Path	One listener	Household (up to 6)	Over 3 years	Your ops time	You own it?
Music streaming subscription	$12.99/moSpotify Premium	$21.99/moSpotify Family	~$791 (family) ~$468 (solo)	None	No — access ends when you stop paying
Self-host on a VPS	~$24/mo production-class VPS, plus object-storage backup and monitoring		~$860 + your time	5–10h setup, 1–2h/mo	Yes — if you keep it running
Home server	Synology DS923+ or HP ProLiant ML30 Gen10, plus electricity and a static-IP line		Hardware + power + time	2–4h/mo	Yes — and the maintenance
DANIAN managed Funkwhale	€9/mo	€9/mounlimited household accounts	€324	None	Yes — your files, export anytime

Fully Managed Funkwhale as a Service

Deploy Funkwhale as a fully managed service starting at €9/mo. Get automated backups, SSL, updates, support and monitoring included.

Funkwhale

Automated Backups

Monitoring

Automated Updates

Auto SSL

Human Support

Custom Domains

Terminal Access

File Manager Access

What is Funkwhale

What Funkwhale does

Every app. Fully managed.Nothing extra to pay for.

Automatic updates and patches

Daily off-site backups

24/7 uptime monitoring

SSL, firewall, DDoS protection

Performance and scaling

Dedicated engineering support

Why teams pick managed Funkwhale

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Three teams who run Funkwhale on DANIAN

Four ways to run Funkwhale

Funkwhale for specific industries

Frequently asked questions

Technical and configuration

Migration and onboarding

Billing, support, and platform

21 datacenter locations on six continents

Try managed Funkwhale for 7 days

Fully Managed Funkwhale
as a Service

Every app. Fully managed.
Nothing extra to pay for.

Hear from customers like you