What is Jukebox used for?

Jukebox is an open-source collaborative music queue that lets a group add YouTube songs to a shared playlist from a link, with no app or login required. It is a good fit for parties where guests pick the music, road trips with a shared playlist and offices or hangouts avoiding aux fights.

Is Jukebox open source?

Yes. Jukebox is open source under the MIT licence. Its source code is on GitHub at skeptrunedev/jukebox and is written mainly in TypeScript.

Yes. Jukebox is open source, so the software itself is free to use. A managed cloud version is also available.

Can I self-host Jukebox?

Yes. Jukebox can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure.

What is Jukebox an alternative to?

Jukebox is an open-source alternative to Spotify. Other open-source alternatives to Spotify include Koel, Spotube and Navidrome.

Is Jukebox actively maintained?

The most recent commit to Jukebox was on 11 July 2025. The project has 309 stars on GitHub.

Jukebox: open-source alternative to Spotify

About Jukebox

Jukebox turns any device into a shared jukebox. Someone creates a box, shares the link, and everyone in the group can search for songs and add them to a common queue, which suits parties, road trips and similar gatherings. It is an open-source alternative to Spotify Collaborative Playlists, released under the MIT licence.

The app needs no account or app download, so people can use it anonymously from the browser on a phone, tablet or computer. Music is found and played through YouTube, using the YouTube Data API. A fair-queueing approach sorts songs automatically so each participant gets a turn, which avoids one person dominating the playlist. The interface is mobile-first and ad-free.

The project is written in TypeScript with a React front end and Express back end, and the README describes Docker Compose deployment for people who want to run their own instance. A YouTube Data API key is required. A hosted version is available from the project's website, which is useful for trying it without setting anything up.

Key features

Shared music queue via a link
No account or app download needed
YouTube search and playback
Fair queueing so everyone gets a turn
Mobile-first responsive interface
Docker Compose deployment

Good fit for

→Parties where guests pick the music
→Road trips with a shared playlist
→Offices or hangouts avoiding aux fights

Built with: TypeScript; React
Tags: music; collaborative-playlist; self-hosted; youtube; open-source; spotify-alternative

Jukebox: questions and answers

What is Jukebox used for?: Jukebox is an open-source collaborative music queue that lets a group add YouTube songs to a shared playlist from a link, with no app or login required. It is a good fit for parties where guests pick the music, road trips with a shared playlist and offices or hangouts avoiding aux fights.
Is Jukebox open source?: Yes. Jukebox is open source under the MIT licence. Its source code is on GitHub at skeptrunedev/jukebox and is written mainly in TypeScript.
Is Jukebox free?: Yes. Jukebox is open source, so the software itself is free to use. A managed cloud version is also available.
Can I self-host Jukebox?: Yes. Jukebox can be self-hosted on your own server or infrastructure.
What is Jukebox an alternative to?: Jukebox is an open-source alternative to Spotify. Other open-source alternatives to Spotify include Koel, Spotube and Navidrome.
Is Jukebox actively maintained?: The most recent commit to Jukebox was on 11 July 2025. The project has 309 stars on GitHub.