Quick Start
Get a Station server running in under 5 minutes.
1. Get a Server
You need a VPS with a public IP address running Linux (Ubuntu or Debian recommended). Any provider works — here are the minimum specs:
| Resource | Minimum |
|---|---|
| Type | Shared (VPS) |
| CPU | x86, 2 vCPUs |
| RAM | 4 GB |
| Storage | 40 GB SSD |
| Traffic | 20 TB/mo |
Spin up a cloud server on Hetzner — this link includes free credits so you can test the waters without paying out of pocket. You can also compare providers to find one that works for you.
2. Install Station
Open a terminal on your server and run the install command below. Most cloud providers offer a web-based console you can launch directly from their dashboard — no extra setup needed. Alternatively, you can connect via SSH if you're comfortable with it.
sudo curl -sSL https://qnch.network/install | bash
The interactive setup will walk you through everything. Here's what it handles:
- DNS setup — Your server needs a public domain for HTTPS. If you have your own domain, you can point it at your server's IP. Otherwise, the setup can register a free DuckDNS subdomain as a fallback.
- TLS certificates — Automatically provisions HTTPS via Let's Encrypt using your domain.
- Reverse proxy — Configures Traefik to route traffic and terminate TLS.
- Station binary — Downloads and installs the latest Station release.
- Systemd service — Registers Station as a system service so it starts on boot and restarts on failure.
- Network connection — Connects your server to the Station peer-to-peer network so listeners can discover you.
Follow the prompts and your server will be live in a few minutes.
What's Next?
Your Station server is running. Now you can:
- Upload your music — Visit your self-hosted artist dashboard at the domain the setup gave you to upload tracks and manage your catalog.
- Discover your music — Find your station on the listener app at beta.qnch.network.