Norri is written in Go, which we picked over Python and Rust.
Goroutines handle scanning, metadata fetching, and API serving concurrently with low overhead. That's what you want in a media server.
Python's GIL gets in the way on CPU-bound work. Rust was tempting but the dev speed trade-off wasn't worth it for this. Single binary, small Docker image, fast startup.
Not the most exciting language. Gets the job done though.
Norri has higher requirements than most media servers. PostgreSQL, a dedicated GPU or decent iGPU for transcoding, solid hardware.
Not because there was no lighter path. The aim is the best performance and experience for serious collections - not minimizing what it takes to run.
If you've got a serious media library, you've got the hardware. Norri is built to use it properly.
Norri makes zero external calls during browsing or playback. No telemetry, no cloud account, no watch history sent anywhere.
Metadata gets fetched from providers during library scans and stored locally. After that, everything runs on the server. You will soon be able to route scan traffic through SOCKS5 or Tor if you want the best anonymity.
Added TheAudioDB as the primary metadata source for music in Norri. Really impressed with the depth and breadth of the info: artist bios, genre and mood tags, album reviews, and music video links from the track listings.
Another step towards making Norri the best self-hosted music server. All features free.
Everything gets pulled during the library scan and stored locally. Nothing hits the network while you're actually using it.
[blog post link]
As new hardware options come together, the core principle has not changed. Norri server is free and will remain free. No premium tiers, no gated features, and no add-ons.
The hardware is just an option for people who want something ready to go out of the box. Norri works with any AirPlay, Sonos, or compatible device already in the home.
Progress on Norri Audio devices. Raspberry Pi endpoints with aluminum enclosures, amplifier HATs, and a read-only OS to prevent SD card corruption.
Supporting AirPlay 2, Bluetooth, and OpenHome Sendspin. We think we may be developing some of the first devices to support Sendspin, a new multi-room protocol from the OpenHome Foundation.
These are entirely optional. Norri works with any compatible speakers already in the home.
Norri development update: Sonos integration is now working reliably, and AirPlay 2 playback is working too. Music can now be streamed from Norri to AirPlay 2 devices.
The AirPlay 2 work involved building on GPL-licensed code from another project, translating it to Go, and restructuring it as a standalone service. We plan to release our implementation under GPL when we ship.
Full post: https://updates.norri.tv/development-progress-sonos-integration-airplay-2-and-hardware-advances/
Since the last blog post a couple of weeks ago, there has been a lot of progress across multiple areas of Norri. No single headline announcement this time, but a lot of ground covered. Sonos The Sonos integration is now working reliably for music playback through Sonos systems. We are continuing to add polish and refinements but it is in good shape. AirPlay 2 AirPlay 2 playback is now working. Music can be streamed from Norri directly to AirPlay 2 devices. This has been one of the bigg
Multi-room audio is working in Norri. Send music from the server to Sonos speakers around the home, with proper metadata and zone management. AirPlay 2 and Chromecast coming next.
It's all included with the free server. No premium tiers needed for music features.
https://updates.norri.tv/multi-room-audio-comes-to-norri-playing-music-throughout-the-home/
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