> [!important]
> we are currently working on turning monochrome into a **legal, bring your own music** app. please be patient with us in the time being.
Monochrome
An open-source, privacy-respecting, ad-free music app.
---
## What is Monochrome?
**Monochrome** is an open-source, privacy-respecting, ad-free [TIDAL](https://tidal.com) web UI, built on top of Hi-Fi. It provides a beautiful, minimalist interface for streaming high-quality music without the clutter of traditional streaming platforms.
[](https://monochrome.tf/album/90502209)
## [](https://monochrome.tf/album/413189044)
## Features
### Audio Quality
- High-quality High-Res/lossless audio streaming
- Support for local music files
- API caching for improved performance
### Interface
- Dark, minimalist interface optimized for focus
- Animated Album Covers For Supported Albums
- High-quality Music Videos
- Customizable themes & Community Theme Store
- Accurate and unique audio visualizer
- Offline-capable Progressive Web App (PWA)
- Media Session API integration for system controls
### Library & Organization
- Recently Played tracking for easy history access
- Comprehensive Personal Library for favorites
- Queue management with shuffle and repeat modes
- Native Podcast support & organization
- Playlist import from other platforms
- Public playlists for social sharing
- Smart recommendations for new songs, albums & artists
- Infinite Recommendation Radio
- Explore Page (Hot & New) for discovering newly added music and whats trending overall or within each genre
### Lyrics & Metadata
- Lyrics support with karaoke mode
- Genius integration for lyrics
- Track downloads with automatic metadata embedding
### Integrations
- Account system for cross-device syncing
- Customizable & Public Profiles
- Real-time Listening Parties for synced playback with friends
- Last.fm and ListenBrainz integration for scrobbling
- OAuth support (Google, Discord, GitHub, Spotify)
- Unreleased music from [ArtistGrid](https://artistgrid.cx)
- Dynamic Discord Embeds
- Artist Biography + Social Links for learning more about your favorite artists
- Multiple API instance support with failover
### Power User Features
- Keyboard shortcuts & Command Palette (CTRL+K) for power users
---
## Quick Start
### Live Instance
Our Recommended way to use monochrome is through our official instance:
**[monochrome.tf](https://monochrome.tf)** / **[monochrome.samidy.com](https://monochrome.samidy.com)**
For alternative instances, check [INSTANCES.md](INSTANCES.md).
---
## Self-Hosting
NOTE: Accounts will not work on self-hosted instances. Our Appwrite authentication system only allows authorized domains.
We had to heavily customize the authentication system and write several custom scripts to support features like SMTP and Google OAuth (which are currently bugged in Appwrite). Because of this, we can no longer provide a self-hostable accounts system.
### Option 1: Docker (Recommended)
```bash
git clone https://github.com/monochrome-music/monochrome.git
cd monochrome/docker
cp .env.example .env # or copy from .env.local
docker compose up -d
```
Visit `http://localhost:3000`
---
### Synology NAS Setup
This guide covers running Monochrome on a Synology NAS using Docker.
#### Prerequisites
- Docker Package installed on your Synology
- SSH access to your NAS (optional, for troubleshooting)
#### Step 1: Prepare Directories
1. Create a shared folder for Monochrome (e.g., `docker/monochrome`)
2. Upload the project files to this folder, or clone directly via SSH:
```bash
cd /volume1/docker/monochrome
git clone https://github.com/monochrome-music/monochrome.git .
```
#### Step 2: Configure Environment
1. Navigate to the `docker` folder
2. Copy the `.env` file (or create from `.env.local`):
```bash
cd docker
cp .env.local .env
```
3. Edit `.env` with your settings:
```bash
# Port for the web interface
MONOCHROME_PORT=3000
# Enable authentication (set to true to require login)
AUTH_ENABLED=false
# Secret key - generate with: openssl rand -base64 32
AUTH_SECRET=your-random-secret-key-here
# PocketBase URL (internal Docker network)
POCKETBASE_URL=http://pocketbase:8090
# Session duration (7 days in milliseconds)
SESSION_MAX_AGE=604800000
# PocketBase Admin credentials
PB_ADMIN_EMAIL=admin@monochrome.local
PB_ADMIN_PASSWORD=your-secure-password
TZ=Asia/Ho_Chi_Minh # Adjust to your timezone
POCKETBASE_PORT=8090
```
#### Step 3: Start the Container
Using SSH or the Docker UI:
```bash
cd /volume1/docker/monochrome/docker
docker compose up -d
```
Or in Docker Desktop / Container Manager:
1. Navigate to your project folder
2. Select `docker-compose.yml`
3. Click "Run"
#### Step 4: Access the Application
- **Local:** `http://:3000`
- **External:** Set up Synology Reverse Proxy (see below)
#### Optional: Set Up Reverse Proxy (HTTPS)
1. Go to **Control Panel > Application Portal > Reverse Proxy**
2. Click **Create**
3. Configure:
- **Source:**
- Protocol: HTTPS
- Hostname: `monochrome.yourdomain.com` (your domain)
- Port: 443
- **Destination:**
- Protocol: HTTP
- Hostname: `localhost`
- Port: 3000
4. Save and access via `https://monochrome.yourdomain.com`
#### Optional: Enable User Authentication
1. Edit `.env`:
```bash
AUTH_ENABLED=true
```
2. Restart the container:
```bash
docker compose down && docker compose up -d
```
#### Common Commands
```bash
# View logs
docker compose logs -f
# Restart
docker compose restart
# Update & rebuild
docker compose pull && docker compose up -d --build
# Stop
docker compose down
# Stop and remove data (WARNING: loses all user data)
docker compose down -v
# Backup PocketBase data
docker compose exec pocketbase tar czf - /pb_data > ../backup_monochrome.tar.gz
# Restore PocketBase data
docker compose exec pocketbase tar xzf - -C / < ../backup_monochrome.tar.gz
```
### Tailscale Access
Visit `http://:3000`
By default, the app uses Vite preview, which restricts access to localhost.
To allow access over Tailscale:
1. Open `vite.config.js`
2. Uncomment and configure the `preview` section:
```js
preview: {
host: true,
allowedHosts: [''], // e.g. pi5.tailf5f622.ts.net
},
```
3. Restart with a fresh container (if already running):
```bash
docker compose down
docker compose up -d
```
For development mode and advanced setups, see [DOCKER.md](DOCKER.md).
### Option 2: Manual Installation
#### Prerequisites
- [Bun](https://bun.sh/) (Preferred) or [Node.js](https://nodejs.org/) (Version 20+ or 22+ recommended)
#### Local Development
1. **Clone the repository:**
```bash
git clone https://github.com/monochrome-music/monochrome.git
cd monochrome
```
2. **Install dependencies:**
```bash
bun install
# or
npm install # NPM is included with Node.js
```
3. **Start the development server:**
```bash
bun run dev
# or
npm run dev
```
4. **Open your browser:**
Navigate to `http://localhost:5173/`
#### Building for Production
```bash
bun run build
# or
npm run build
```
---
## Usage
### Basic Usage
1. Visit the [Website](https://monochrome.tf) or your local development server
2. Search for your favorite artists, albums, or tracks
3. Click play to start streaming
4. Use the media controls to manage playback, queue, and volume
### Keyboard Shortcuts
| Shortcut | Action |
| ------------- | ---------------------------- |
| `Space` | Play / Pause |
| `→` | Seek forward 10s |
| `←` | Seek backward 10s |
| `Shift` + `→` | Next track |
| `Shift` + `←` | Previous track |
| `↑` | Volume up |
| `↓` | Volume down |
| `M` | Mute / Unmute |
| `S` | Toggle shuffle |
| `R` | Toggle repeat |
| `Q` | Open queue |
| `L` | Toggle lyrics |
| `/` | Focus search |
| `Esc` | Close modals |
| `[` | Previous visualizer preset |
| `]` | Next visualizer preset |
| `\` | Toggle visualizer auto-cycle |
| `Ctrl` + `K` | Command Palette |
### Account Features
To sync your library, history, and playlists across devices:
1. Click the "Accounts" Section
2. Sign in with Google or Email
3. Your data will automatically sync across all devices
---
## Contributing
We welcome contributions from the community! Please see our [Contributing Guide](CONTRIBUTING.md) for:
- Setting up your development environment
- Code style and linting
- Project structure
- Before You Contribute
- Commit message conventions
- Deployment information
---
