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Cassette

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Cassette's own site

What Cassette is

Cassette is a native music client for iOS and macOS that connects to self-hosted Subsonic and OpenSubsonic servers, with Navidrome recommended as its primary-tested server. It streams or downloads music for offline listening and supports lossless audio. Playback covers FLAC, MP3, AAC, WAV, and Ogg/Vorbis files, with background playback, lock-screen and Control Center controls, AirPlay, lyrics, shuffle, repeat, and queue management. You can browse playlists, artists, albums, downloads, and favorites, search the library by text, and pin albums or playlists. ListenBrainz adds scrobbling and recommendations. The app also provides iOS home-screen widgets and experimental Discord Rich Presence through a companion helper. Cassette has no accounts, ads, tracking, or telemetry; traffic travels directly between your device and server, while credentials are stored in the iOS or macOS Keychain. It is open source under MPL-2.0 and free. iOS 18 or later, macOS 15 or later, and a compatible running music server are required. iOS distribution uses TestFlight, and the notarized macOS build is installed through Homebrew.

Who it suits

Cassette suits listeners who run Subsonic-compatible, OpenSubsonic-compatible, or Navidrome servers and want native Apple-device playback. It is also suited to people who need lossless and offline listening, direct device-to-server traffic, and an open-source client without accounts or advertising.

What it does well

  • Lossless playback and offline listening
  • Supports iOS and macOS
  • Works with Subsonic and OpenSubsonic servers
  • Background playback, AirPlay, and queue controls
  • No accounts, ads, tracking, or telemetry
  • Open source under MPL-2.0

What to know first

  • Requires a running compatible music server
  • Requires iOS 18 or macOS 15
  • iOS app is distributed through TestFlight
  • Discord Rich Presence is experimental

Limits

Cassette requires a compatible running server and supported Apple operating system. The iOS release is distributed through TestFlight, while macOS installation uses Homebrew.

Plans

PlanBilled and limitsPrice
FreeFree forever · iOS and macOS app · requires a Subsonic, OpenSubsonic, or Navidrome serverFree

As getcassette.app lists them, read 11 Oct 2026. The maker's own page has the final word.

Getting started

  1. Run a Subsonic, OpenSubsonic, or Navidrome server
  2. Use iOS 18 or later or macOS 15 or later
  3. Install the iOS app through TestFlight
  4. Install the notarized macOS build through Homebrew
  5. Connect Cassette to your compatible server

Verdict

Pick Cassette if you already operate a compatible music server and want a free, privacy-focused Apple client with lossless and offline playback. Look elsewhere if you need Android, Windows, or a service that works without self-hosted server infrastructure.

Questions

Is Cassette free?

Yes. Cassette has a Free plan at no cost, billed Free forever.

Which platforms does it support?

Cassette supports iOS and macOS. It requires iOS 18 or later or macOS 15 or later.

What servers work with Cassette?

It works with Subsonic-compatible and OpenSubsonic-compatible servers. Navidrome is the maker's primary-tested recommendation.

Does Cassette support offline listening?

Yes. Cassette can download music for offline listening and supports lossless audio.

Is Cassette open source?

Yes. It is open source under the MPL-2.0 license.

Facts from Cassette's own pages

Audio formats
The maker lists FLAC, MP3, AAC, WAV, and Ogg/Vorbis playback. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
Maximum audio quality
lossless · getcassette.app, 22 Sept 2026
Availability
The iOS app is distributed through TestFlight and the macOS app is installed through Homebrew as a notarized build. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
Credential storage
Cassette stores server credentials in the iOS or macOS Keychain. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
Free plan
Yes · getcassette.app, 22 Sept 2026
Integrations
Cassette lists ListenBrainz scrobbling and recommendations, iOS home-screen widgets, and experimental Discord Rich Presence through a companion helper. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
Library features
The app supports browsing playlists, artists, albums, downloads, and favorites, along with full-text library search and pinned albums and playlists. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
License
Cassette is open source under the MPL-2.0 license. · getcassette.app, 11 Oct 2026
Lossless audio
Yes · getcassette.app, 22 Sept 2026
Maker
The product site identifies Mathieu Dubart as Cassette's maker; his site describes him as based in Annecy, France. · mathieu-dubart.fr, 11 Oct 2026
Offline listening
Users can download albums and playlists for offline playback, and their library, search, queue, and favorites remain available offline. · getcassette.app, 11 Oct 2026
Playback features
Cassette lists background playback, lock screen and Control Center controls, AirPlay, lyrics, shuffle, repeat, and queue management. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
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. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
Requirements
Cassette requires iOS 18 or later or macOS 15 or later and a running Subsonic, OpenSubsonic, or Navidrome server. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
Server compatibility
Cassette works with Subsonic-compatible and OpenSubsonic-compatible servers, and the maker recommends Navidrome as its primary-tested server. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
Support
The maker directs users to [email protected] and GitHub Issues for feedback and bug reports. · github.com, 11 Oct 2026
Supported platforms
iOS,macOS · getcassette.app, 22 Sept 2026
What it does
Cassette is a native iOS and macOS music client for streaming and downloading music from self-hosted Subsonic and OpenSubsonic servers. · getcassette.app, 11 Oct 2026

Where Cassette stands on Freedom251

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