Ymar Frenken
Back to blog
•
3 min read
How I organise my music

As a music-lover, I am always working on improving the perfect setup that combines ease of access with the purest sound quality. That’s exactly why I embarked on a journey to build my own music streaming system. I chose Plexamp, a dedicated music player for Plex, running on a Raspberry Pi 4, with DietPi as the operating system for its efficiency and an external SSD for ample, fast storage. Here’s how I did it:

The Hardware Lineup

  • Raspberry Pi 4: The cornerstone of our system, the Pi is a compact powerhouse, ideal for running our media server without drawing too much power.
  • External SSD: For quick, reliable access to high-quality lossless music files, an SSD is a must-have.
  • Power Supply: Don’t skimp on this; a stable power supply keeps everything running smoothly.
  • Cooling Case: Keep your Pi chill even when the music heats up with a case designed for cooling.

The DietPi Difference

DietPi is a lightweight, optimized OS that’s perfect for getting the most out of a Raspberry Pi. Here’s how to get it set up:

  1. Download DietPi: Head over to the DietPi website and download the latest image.
  2. Flash It On A SD Card: Use Balena Etcher or a similar tool to write DietPi to your microSD card.
  3. Initial Configuration: Once you’ve connected your Pi to its peripherals and booted up, follow the on-screen instructions to get DietPi up and running.

SSD Setup

Before you plug in your SSD to the Pi:

  • Format: Prepare your SSD with a file system like exFAT or EXT4.
  • Mount: After booting DietPi, connect the SSD and configure it to auto-mount on startup.

Plexamp Installation

With your server’s heart beating, it’s time to get Plexamp pumping:

  1. Plex Media Server: Install this first from Plex’s website following their Linux guide.
  2. Server Setup: Fire up Plex in your browser, sign in, and point it to your SSD-stored music collection.
  3. Plexamp Time: Download Plexamp for Linux and install it on your Pi.

And there you have it. I have been running this setup for a couple of weeks and it works fluently. I also setup SAMBA to easily add new music.