Serviio
Serviio is a Java-based DLNA media server (Windows, Mac, Linux, NAS) that streams personal media libraries to home-network devices via on-the-fly transcoding, offered as a free download with a contact-quoted Pro edition by Six Lines Ltd.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersWellingborough, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What Serviio does
Serviio, operated by Six Lines Ltd. (registered in Wellingborough, England), is a Java-based DLNA/UPnP media server that streams local and online media — music, video, and images — to renderer devices such as TVs, Blu-ray players, gaming consoles, smartphones, and tablets on a home network. Founded in 2009 by Petr Nejedly, who remains the sole developer and works as a freelance Scala consultant based in London, the software runs on Windows, Mac, Linux, and embedded NAS platforms and uses on-the-fly transcoding via FFmpeg and x264 to bridge format incompatibilities between user libraries and target devices. Device-specific profiles, a plugin architecture for online content sources, REST-based Configuration and CDS APIs, and integrations with TMDb, OpenSubtitles, and Amazon Alexa round out the feature set.
The product is delivered under a freemium model: the Free Edition provides the core DLNA server with broad device compatibility and transcoding, while the Pro Edition — priced via contact-only quote with annual cadence implied — unlocks the MediaBrowser web player, remote CDS API access, ServiiGo Android app support, content protection rules, and video stacking for multi-part files. Business use requires a commercial license. Distribution is entirely self-serve direct download from serviio.org with no formal sales team or channel partners, and acquisition is driven by organic discovery, the 26,000+ member community forum, and word-of-mouth within enthusiast home-media circles.
Serviio is bootstrapped with no external funding or institutional investors disclosed. The legal entity is a private limited company under sole founder control, and operational continuity rests almost entirely on Petr Nejedly. Revenue is not disclosed; no enterprise customers are named; and the company’s commercial footprint is best characterized as a long-tail consumer and small-business licensing business with a high-touch, low-volume Pro upgrade funnel.
Serviio firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Serviio
- Legal name
- Six Lines Ltd.
- Website
- https://serviio.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Serviio is a Java-based DLNA media server (Windows, Mac, Linux, NAS) that streams personal media libraries to home-network devices via on-the-fly transcoding, offered as a free download with a contact-quoted Pro edition by Six Lines Ltd.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Serviio is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Wellingborough
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Serviio business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
Revenue model
- Pro Edition License: Paid Pro edition offering enhanced features including MediaBrowser web player, API access, ServiiGo Android app, content protection rules, and video stacking. Available for purchase through the website. Business licensing required for commercial use.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Others | Free Edition - Basic DLNA media server with core streaming features |
| Subscription | Annual | Pro Edition - Enhanced features for power users and businesses |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
Serviio product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Serviio is a Java-based DLNA/UPnP media server that streams local music, video, and image libraries from a computer to DLNA-compatible devices such as smart TVs, game consoles, Blu-ray players, and mobile devices. The product is offered in a free Edition and a paid Pro Edition with additional features, and runs on Windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems using on-the-fly transcoding via FFmpeg.
Product overview
Serviio is a DLNA media server software with a two-tier product model consisting of a Free Edition and a Pro Edition. The Free Edition provides core streaming functionality to various home network devices with on-the-fly transcoding support. The Pro Edition adds web-based playback via MediaBrowser, remote access via API, Android app support through ServiiGo, voice control via Alexa integration, video stacking for multi-part files, and content protection rules for access control. The product supports Windows, Mac, and Linux platforms including embedded systems and NAS devices.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Serviio (Free Edition) Free DLNA/UPnP media server that streams local music, video, and image libraries to DLNA-compatible devices on a home network. Targets individual home users with personal media collections.
Companies that use Serviio
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments2 records
Serviio technology and API
TechnologyAPI detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Feature9 records
Serviio partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- FFmpegcoreFFmpeg is used as a core video processing library within Serviio, providing video decoding, encoding, and transcoding capabilities essential for the media server's format conversion functionality.
- x264corex264 H.264 video encoder is integrated into Serviio for high-quality video encoding during transcoding operations.
- The Apache Software FoundationsupportingApache Software Foundation projects including Rome (RSS library) and other Apache libraries are used within Serviio.
- TMDb (The Movie Database)supportingTMDb API is used for movie metadata lookup and enrichment of the media library, though Serviio is not endorsed or certified by TMDb.
- OpenSubtitles.orgsupportingOnline subtitles service powered by OpenSubtitles.org for subtitle downloading functionality.
- Amazon AlexasupportingAlexa voice control integration allows users to control Serviio using voice commands through Alexa-enabled devices.
- Plugin DeveloperssupportingCommunity plugin developers contribute plugins for online content sources. The plugin development forum has 162 topics with thousands of community-contributed resources.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Serviio competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- MiniDLNA / ReadyMedia: MiniDLNA (now ReadyMedia) is a lightweight open-source DLNA/UPnP server targeting embedded Linux/NAS devices, directly competing with Serviio on the same protocol for users wanting simple, low-overhead local media streaming.
- Plex: Plex is the most widely used personal media server, streaming local video, music and photos to TVs, consoles and mobile devices — directly overlapping Serviio's DLNA/media-server use case but with a much broader feature surface and freemium cloud-synced model.
- Emby: Emby is a personal media server with live TV, DVR and transcoding that streams content to browsers, mobile apps and DLNA devices, targeting the same self-hosted media enthusiast segment as Serviio with a comparable freemium licensing model.
- PlayOn: PlayOn is a media server/streaming-recorder that aggregates online and local media for playback on TVs and mobile devices, overlapping Serviio on home-network streaming and DLNA-style content delivery to renderers.
- Kodi: Kodi (formerly XBMC) is a cross-platform media center application that organizes and plays local media, with DLNA/UPnP server and client capabilities — overlapping Serviio on local media streaming and on-the-fly transcoding for home networks.
- Universal Media Server: Universal Media Server is a Java-based DLNA/UPnP media server compatible with Serviio's same protocol stack, offering cross-platform streaming of video, audio and images to DLNA renderers — a near-twin in technology and target user.
- Jellyfin: Jellyfin is a free, open-source media server forked from Emby that streams personal media libraries to client devices, serving the same self-hosted, DLNA-adjacent consumer as Serviio but with a volunteer-driven community and no paid tier.
- Mezzmo: Mezzmo is a commercial Windows DLNA media server with on-the-fly transcoding and broad device profile support, competing for the same power-user/media-collector customer as Serviio's Pro edition.
- Twonky Server: Twonky is one of the original commercial DLNA/UPnP media servers, streaming local content to smart TVs, consoles and audio devices, and is historically a direct head-to-head competitor to Serviio in the DLNA media server category.
Broad incumbents
- Synology Media Server: Synology's bundled Media Server (DLNA/UPnP) ships preinstalled on millions of consumer and SMB NAS devices, providing free local streaming that competes with Serviio for the same user at the firmware level rather than as a downloadable application.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Serviio social profiles
Digital presenceServiio financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Serviio leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Serviio funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Serviio M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Serviio
What does Serviio do?
Serviio is a Java-based DLNA/UPnP media server that streams local music, video, and image libraries from a computer to DLNA-compatible devices such as smart TVs, game consoles, Blu-ray players, and mobile devices. The product is offered in a free Edition and a paid Pro Edition with additional features, and runs on Windows, Mac, and Linux operating systems using on-the-fly transcoding via FFmpeg.
Is Serviio a public or private company?
Serviio is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Serviio founded?
Serviio was founded in 2009. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Serviio based?
Serviio is headquartered in Wellingborough, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Serviio make money?
One revenue line is on record: pro Edition License.
Who are Serviio's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are MiniDLNA / ReadyMedia, Plex, Emby, PlayOn, Kodi, Universal Media Server, Jellyfin, Mezzmo and Twonky Server. Synology Media Server is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Serviio have an API?
Yes. Serviio includes two REST-based APIs. The Configuration API provides access to core configuration functionality of the server, similar to what the Console does. The CDS API is only available in the Pro version and enables browsing and playback of content via HTTP, possibly remotely. Both APIs support either XML or JSON format. Developer documentation is at docs.serviio.apiary.io.