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# DroppedNeedle — Music Discovery & Streaming
**DroppedNeedle** is a music discovery and streaming service that searches multiple sources (including Usenet and Soulseek) to find and play music. Think of it as a personal Spotify powered by community-shared libraries.
## Access
- **Web UI:** < https: // heron . mynest . love >
- **Internal (home network):** < http: // droppedneedle . k3s . home . nest >
## Features
- Search across multiple music sources simultaneously
- Stream found tracks directly in the browser or mobile app
- Automatic FLAC-to-Opus transcoding for storage efficiency
- Library management and playlist creation
- Integration with [slskd ](../technical/slskd-soulseek.md ) for Soulseek P2P searches
## Getting Started
1. Open < https: // heron . mynest . love > in your browser or mobile app.
2. Click **Sign In** and choose **Sign in with The Nest** .
3. Use the search bar to find a song, album, or artist.
4. Click play — DroppedNeedle will locate and stream the best available source.
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## How Music Requests Work
DroppedNeedle lets you discover and request music yourself — no admin intervention needed. Here's how it works:
1. **Search** for a song, album, or artist using the search bar.
2. DroppedNeedle queries multiple sources simultaneously:
- **Usenet indexers** for high-quality releases
- **[slskd ](../technical/slskd-soulseek.md )** for Soulseek peer shares
- **Local library** for music already stored on The Nest
3. Browse the results and click **Play** to stream immediately, or **Download** to add it to your library.
4. If a source isn't available, DroppedNeedle can queue a request — the media automation pipeline will handle downloading it when possible.
> [!TIP]
> Music requests are handled by you directly through DroppedNeedle's interface. Just search and play!
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## How It Finds Music
DroppedNeedle queries multiple backends:
- **Usenet:** Searches indexed Usenet groups for high-quality releases (requires working indexer configuration).
- **Soulseek:** Queries the [slskd ](../technical/slskd-soulseek.md ) instance running in The Nest for peer-shared files.
- **Local library:** Plays music already stored on The Nest's NFS share.
## Tips
- **Search tips:** Use specific album or artist names for better results. DroppedNeedle prioritizes higher-bitrate sources.
- **Transcoding:** FLAC files are automatically transcoded to Opus (160 kbps) when streamed. Originals remain on disk.
- **Mobile streaming:** Use the DroppedNeedle mobile app (if available) or your device's built-in browser for the best experience.
## Related Services
- [slskd ](../technical/slskd-soulseek.md ) — Soulseek P2P client that feeds DroppedNeedle searches
- [Sonarr/Radarr ](../technical/media-automation-pipeline.md#radarr ) — Automated movie/TV downloads (not music)
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*TODO: Add screenshot of DroppedNeedle search results page.*
