TL;DR
After a Spotify price rise and restrictive changes to its free tier, the author ended Premium and built a self‑hosted media stack. They deployed Jellyfin on a Hetzner VPS, used a Hetzner Storage Box for media, and tunneled remote access with WireGuard.
What happened
Frustrated by a Spotify price increase in Germany (announced August 2025) and limitations encountered on the free tier, the author let their Premium subscription lapse in November 2025 and explored self‑hosting. They chose a Hetzner VPS (CAX21: 4 vCPUs, 8 GB RAM, 80 GB SSD, 20 TB traffic) for deployment and kept media files on a separate Hetzner Storage Box so the library could be mounted via SMB on a laptop. Jellyfin, the open‑source media server, was selected over Plex (the author notes Plex blocks Hetzner). Remote access is provided through a WireGuard VPN: the FRITZ!Box router holds a WireGuard client for LAN access to the media server and individual client configurations are used for phones and laptops while traveling. The article includes example WireGuard server and client configs and a docker‑compose file that runs linuxserver/wireguard and jellyfin, with the Jellyfin container sharing the WireGuard service network.
Why it matters
- Rising subscription prices and added restrictions on streaming services can prompt technically inclined users to seek alternatives.
- Self‑hosting gives direct control over a personal media library and remote access without relying on commercial platforms.
- Running a private stack requires extra setup and maintenance, so it’s mainly viable for users comfortable with servers, VPNs and containers.
- Cloud VPS providers with high transfer allowances and separate storage options can make remote self‑hosting practical and affordable.
Key facts
- Author stopped Spotify Premium in November 2025 after a price change announced in August 2025 (Germany).
- Spotify free tier limited on‑demand choices and prevented scrubbing of the progress bar as experienced by the author in late December 2025.
- Deployment uses a Hetzner CAX21 VPS: 4 vCPUs, 8 GB RAM, 80 GB SSD and 20 TB of included traffic.
- Media files are stored on a Hetzner Storage Box and mounted to the VPS (available via SMB to the author’s Macbook).
- Jellyfin was chosen as the media server; author states Plex is blocked on Hetzner and fell out of favor for them.
- Remote access is handled by WireGuard: the FRITZ!Box router is configured as a peer so LAN devices can reach the media server without running VPN clients.
- Example WireGuard settings show the server at 10.13.13.1/24, ListenPort 51820, and three peers with assigned internal IPs.
- Docker Compose runs linuxserver/wireguard and jellyfin; Jellyfin is configured to use the WireGuard container’s network stack and mounts the storage box read‑only.
What to watch next
- Whether Spotify’s reported removal of certain free‑tier restrictions (said to have occurred in September 2025) becomes consistent for all users — not confirmed in the source
- Any changes in Plex’s hosting or provider‑blocking policies that would affect deployments on Hetzner — not confirmed in the source
- Future price or ad changes across major streaming platforms and how they influence more users to self‑host — not confirmed in the source
Quick glossary
- Jellyfin: An open‑source media server that indexes and streams local media libraries to clients on a network.
- WireGuard: A modern, lightweight VPN protocol and implementation used to create secure network tunnels between devices.
- VPS (Virtual Private Server): A virtualized server instance provided by a hosting company that can run applications and services like a dedicated machine.
- Hetzner Storage Box: A managed storage offering from Hetzner that can be mounted remotely (for example via SMB or NFS) to hold files outside the VPS filesystem.
- Docker Compose: A tool for defining and running multi‑container Docker applications via a YAML configuration file.
Reader FAQ
Why did the author stop Spotify Premium?
They let Premium lapse after a price change announced in August 2025 and found the free tier’s restrictions unsatisfactory.
How does the author access their media remotely?
Remote access is provided through a WireGuard VPN running on the VPS; the FRITZ!Box is configured as a peer for LAN access.
Why Jellyfin instead of Plex?
The author chose Jellyfin and states Plex blocks Hetzner; Jellyfin is open‑source and suited to their needs.
Can self‑hosting fully replace streaming services?
The author says their personal library is not large enough to match commercial streaming catalogs; self‑hosting can be an alternative for some but requires technical effort.
Home » Posts How Spotify Made Me Self Host Self hosting my media library with Jellyfin & Wireguard on Hetzner January 6, 2026 · 6 min · 1135 words · Andreas Lay Table of Contents…
Sources
- How Spotify Made Me Self Host
- Setting up your own Spotify – Roman Marakulin
- I left Spotify. What happened next? – Emilio Coppola
- I ditched Spotify and set up my own music stack
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