Howto install UPnP/DLNA media server

Question

I'd like to use my Raspberry Pi as media server on my local network so I can select media, mainly music from it on my control point to play it on one of my media renderer in different rooms. Is there a lightweight media server available that can easily be used on a Raspberry Pi?

Answer 1

You can use minidlna, a lightweight UPnP/DLNA server that fits very well into an environment for multiroom media, made with Raspberry Pis. It is available from the default Raspberry Pi OS repository. Just install it with:

rpi ~$ sudo apt install minidlna

It is working out of the box with default settings. Copy some media files to `/var/lib/minidlna/' and they are available on the UPnP network. For testing I used an mp3 music file.

Mostly you will have a smartphone app as control point, like bubbleUPNP, or some other UPnP app you will find on the app directories of Google and Apple and others. On the control point (your app) you will find raspberrypi:minidlna. Select it and use the media it provides, e.g. playing mp3 music files on the next media renderer.

If you are not comfortable with the default settings you can modify them in /etc/default/minidlna and details in /etc/minidlna.conf.

To get it all together you can have a look at Howto install UPnP/DLNA multiroom media environment.