JQBX

Best Self Hosted Alternatives to JQBX

A curated collection of the 2 best self hosted alternatives to JQBX.

JQBX is a social music platform that hosts Spotify-powered listening rooms where users join live sessions, collaboratively DJ and queue tracks, and chat in real time to share music and synchronize playback.

Alternatives List

#1
üWave

üWave

Self-hosted collaborative music room app with DJ queues, real-time chat, and YouTube/SoundCloud-style playback for shared listening sessions.

üWave screenshot

üWave is a web-based “music room” application for hosting shared listening sessions where users can queue tracks and listen together in sync. It focuses on real-time collaboration: multiple DJs take turns, audiences vote/engage, and moderators manage rooms.

Key Features

  • Real-time shared playback in a browser-based room
  • DJ system with turn-based queues (users join/leave the waitlist)
  • Live chat integrated into the listening room
  • Voting/feedback on queued tracks (room-dependent configuration)
  • User accounts, roles, and moderation tools for managing the community
  • Extensible architecture (community ecosystem of components/plugins around the core)

Use Cases

  • Hosting online “listening parties” for friends or communities
  • Community-run radio-style rooms where members DJ in turns
  • Internal team music rooms for casual, synchronized background listening

Limitations and Considerations

  • Playback depends on supported media backends/providers and their availability/policies.
  • Real-time UX typically requires a properly configured reverse proxy/WebSocket support.

üWave is well-suited for groups that want a lightweight, community-moderated alternative to proprietary “listening room” platforms. It combines synchronized playback, DJ queue mechanics, and chat into a single self-hosted experience that can be tailored to different communities.

#2
u-wave

u-wave

u-wave is a self-hosted social music room with DJ-style queueing, chat, and browser-based playback for listening together in real time.

u-wave screenshot

u-wave is a self-hosted “music room” web app for listening together in real time. It lets a group share a queue, take turns DJing tracks, and chat while music plays in everyone’s browser.

Key Features

  • Shared, real-time playlist/queue with DJ-style turn taking
  • Room chat integrated with the listening experience
  • Browser-based audio playback with synchronized room state
  • User accounts/roles for managing who can add or play tracks
  • Library/search workflow for adding tracks to the queue (depending on configured sources)
  • Web-based admin/configuration for running your own room

Use Cases

  • Friends/community music rooms for group listening sessions
  • Remote parties where multiple people contribute to a shared queue
  • Small communities running a persistent “radio” room with live DJing

Limitations and Considerations

  • Supported media sources and exact playback capabilities depend on server configuration and available integrations; some setups may require additional components to manage/ingest media.

u-wave fits teams or communities that want a lightweight, browser-based alternative to proprietary group-listening platforms. It focuses on the core “room + shared queue + chat” experience and is best suited to small-to-medium shared listening sessions.

Why choose an open source alternative?

  • Data ownership: Keep your data on your own servers
  • No vendor lock-in: Freedom to switch or modify at any time
  • Cost savings: Reduce or eliminate subscription fees
  • Transparency: Audit the code and know exactly what's running