The Challenge with Music Streaming in India

Being a music enthusiast in India comes with its unique challenges. While services like Tidal offer high-quality streaming, they’re not officially available in India. The workarounds involve using different billing countries and dealing with a subpar app experience – laggy interface, poor search functionality, and limited music discovery.

The Solution: Cloud-Based Music Server

After experimenting with various solutions, I’ve successfully set up a cloud-based music server using three main components:

  • pCloud for storage
  • VPS (Virtual Private Server) for hosting
  • Plex/Plexamp for streaming

Initial Attempts and Challenges

The journey wasn’t straightforward. Here are the approaches I tried:

  • PowerAmp with pCloud storage: Failed because PowerAmp couldn’t properly access pCloud as native storage
  • Mobile rclone alternatives: Proved unreliable
  • pCloud CLI: Unsuccessful despite following various guides
  • GUI version with VNC: Worked but faced FUSE permission issues with Plexamp

The Working Solution

Finally, I found success using rclone to mount the pCloud folder on my VPS. This setup works almost flawlessly, with only occasional minor hiccups. The current workflow involves:

  • Using rclone to mount pCloud storage on the VPS
  • Plex server running on the VPS accessing the mounted storage
  • Plexamp for streaming the music library from anywhere

Current Limitations and Future Improvements

The main challenge now is managing music additions to the library. Currently, I’m adding music directly to pCloud from my PC or phone. A more streamlined solution for library management is in the works.

Benefits of This Setup

  • No need for a local home server
  • Almost 100% uptime through VPS
  • Complete control over music library
  • Potential for expansion (like hosting Photoprism)
  • Better music discovery through Plexamp’s interface

Looking Forward

This setup provides a viable alternative to mainstream streaming services, especially in regions where they’re not officially available. While I maintain a separate Plex server at home for video content, this music-focused solution works amazingly well for my needs.

The combination of pCloud, rclone, and Plexamp has created a robust, accessible, and personally controlled music streaming solution that rivals commercial services in functionality while providing the benefits of personal media ownership.

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Home ServerMusicSelf HostTechnology