Cassette
Cassette is a free native music client for iOS and macOS that streams and downloads from self-hosted Subsonic or OpenSubsonic servers.
What Cassette is
Cassette is a free native music client for iOS and macOS that streams and downloads from self-hosted Subsonic or OpenSubsonic servers. It also supports Navidrome, which the maker recommends as its primary-tested server. The app provides lossless and offline listening, with playback for FLAC, MP3, AAC, WAV, and Ogg/Vorbis files. Library tools cover playlists, artists, albums, downloads, and favorites, alongside full-text search and pinned albums or playlists. Playback includes background operation, lock-screen and Control Center controls, AirPlay, lyrics, shuffle, repeat, and queue management. ListenBrainz integration adds scrobbling and recommendations; iOS widgets and experimental Discord Rich Presence are also listed. Cassette has no accounts, ads, tracking, or telemetry, and traffic goes directly between the device and the user’s server. Credentials are stored in the system Keychain. It is open source under MPL-2.0. iOS 18 or later or macOS 15 or later is required, along with a compatible server. iOS distribution uses TestFlight; macOS installation uses Homebrew.
Good
- Free on iOS and macOS
- Lossless and offline listening
- No accounts, ads, or tracking
- Supports multiple audio formats
- Open source under MPL-2.0
Watch out
- Requires a running music server
- Requires iOS 18 or macOS 15
- iOS app uses TestFlight
- Discord integration is experimental
Who it suits
It suits users running their own Subsonic-compatible music server who want iOS or macOS playback. Lossless, offline, and privacy-focused listening are central use cases.
Verdict
Cassette is a focused client for self-hosted music libraries, with lossless playback, offline support, and direct device-to-server traffic. It requires compatible server infrastructure and recent Apple operating systems.
Plans and prices
From Cassette's own pricing page, checked 11 Oct 2001.
| Plan | Price | What it gives you |
|---|---|---|
| Free | Free | iOS and macOS app · requires a Subsonic, OpenSubsonic, or Navidrome server · Free forever |
The facts
Each one read from Cassette's own pages, with the date it was checked.
What it does
- Audio formats
- The maker lists FLAC, MP3, AAC, WAV, and Ogg/Vorbis playback.checked 11 Oct 2001
- Availability
- The iOS app is distributed through TestFlight and the macOS app is installed through Homebrew as a notarized build.checked 11 Oct 2001
- Credential storage
- Cassette stores server credentials in the iOS or macOS Keychain.checked 11 Oct 2001
- Integrations
- Cassette lists ListenBrainz scrobbling and recommendations, iOS home-screen widgets, and experimental Discord Rich Presence through a companion helper.checked 11 Oct 2001
- Library features
- The app supports browsing playlists, artists, albums, downloads, and favorites, along with full-text library search and pinned albums and playlists.checked 11 Oct 2001
- License
- Cassette is open source under the MPL-2.0 license.checked 11 Oct 2001
- Lossless audio
- Yeschecked 22 Sep 2001
- Maximum audio quality
- losslesschecked 22 Sep 2001
- Offline listening
- Users can download albums and playlists for offline playback, and their library, search, queue, and favorites remain available offline.checked 11 Oct 2001
- Playback features
- Cassette lists background playback, lock screen and Control Center controls, AirPlay, lyrics, shuffle, repeat, and queue management.checked 11 Oct 2001
- Privacy
- The maker says Cassette has no accounts, ads, tracking, or telemetry, and that traffic goes directly between the device and the user's server.checked 11 Oct 2001
- Requirements
- Cassette requires iOS 18 or later or macOS 15 or later and a running Subsonic, OpenSubsonic, or Navidrome server.checked 11 Oct 2001
- Server compatibility
- Cassette works with Subsonic-compatible and OpenSubsonic-compatible servers, and the maker recommends Navidrome as its primary-tested server.checked 11 Oct 2001
- Support
- The maker directs users to [email protected] and GitHub Issues for feedback and bug reports.checked 11 Oct 2001
- What it does
- Cassette is a native iOS and macOS music client for streaming and downloading music from self-hosted Subsonic and OpenSubsonic servers.checked 11 Oct 2001
Money
- Free plan
- Yeschecked 22 Sep 2001
The company
- Maker
- The product site identifies Mathieu Dubart as Cassette's maker; his site describes him as based in Annecy, France.checked 11 Oct 2001
Where it runs
- Supported platforms
- iOS,macOSchecked 22 Sep 2001
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