Deploy Media Server based on Silo
Self-host movies, shows, music and books with private storage
Just deployed
/config
Deploy and Host self hosted Media Server based on Silo on Railway
This template deploys the Silo media server as one Railway service with a persistent volume.
About Hosting Silo open-source software on Railway (self hosted Silo template)
This template runs the official Silo omnibus image, unmodified upstream, inside a community wrapper image as one Railway service, with a persistent volume mounted at /config. The wrapper is community packaging, not an official image.
Media files are not included; you add them yourself under /config/media or point Silo at remote storage. The admin password is generated by Railway, not by Silo, and is shown in the service Variables tab.
Why Deploy Silo, the self-hosted media server on Railway (Railway Free Trial)
Get one service with a persistent volume and a locked first-admin step; trade-off: CPU-only transcoding and storage you supply.
Railway is a singular platform to deploy your infrastructure stack. Railway will host your infrastructure so you don't have to deal with configuration, while allowing you to vertically and horizontally scale it.
By deploying Silo on Railway, you are one step closer to supporting a complete full-stack application with minimal burden. Host your servers, databases, AI agents, and more on Railway.
Railway vs Other Hosting Providers and VPS for Silo self hosting
Choose by how much setup you want to own.
| Provider | What You Get with Railway | What You Get with the Other Provider |
|---|---|---|
| DigitalOcean | A deployed Silo service from one template, with a persistent volume on /config. | A Linux virtual machine you control, so you install Docker and keep the host updated. |
| AWS | A managed service with the bundled database and Redis already wired up. | Many cloud building blocks that can run Silo, with more setup decisions. |
| Hetzner | A one-click path with the volume and health check configured, billed by usage. | Low-cost servers with plenty of resources, where you handle the operating system. |
Choose Railway for the fastest start, or a VPS for full control of the machine.
Common Use Cases for hosted Silo
- Movies and TV: Point Silo at films and series on the volume; watch state stays separate per profile.
- Music and audiobooks: Keep albums and audiobooks in one catalog with per-person progress across devices. Audiobook support is beta upstream.
- Ebooks: Store a personal ebook collection for family to read in a browser or compatible reader app.
- Remote storage libraries: Configure Silo to read media from another storage service in settings instead of copying it to the volume.
- Browser-based private streaming: Sign in at your Railway domain from any device and stream your library.
Dependencies for Silo Docker hosted on Railway
This template runs Silo as one Railway service built from the onepush-dev image, which wraps the official Silo omnibus image unchanged.
Deployment Dependencies for Managed Silo Service (one omnibus service, bundled PostgreSQL 18 and Redis; /config volume; software CPU transcoding only)
One service with nothing external to wire up. Keep one replica; /config state cannot be shared.
| Variable | Purpose |
|---|---|
| SECRET_KEY | Master key that encrypts stored credentials at rest. Generated automatically. Back it up, since encrypted secrets cannot be recovered without it. |
| SILO_ADMIN_PASSWORD | Password for the first administrator 'admin', created automatically on first boot before the public port opens. Generated automatically. Copy it from the Variables tab before signing in. |
Transcoding is software-only on CPU (Railway has no GPU); size accordingly.
Implementation Details for Silo (onepush-dev/silo-server:build-2069-r1 wraps unchanged upstream build-2069 image with first-admin gate)
The image wraps build-2069 without modifying Silo.
How does Silo compare against other tools
Silo vs Jellyfin (Jellyfin Alternative)
- Broad purpose: Silo covers films, series, audiobooks, ebooks, podcasts, and manga; Jellyfin focuses mainly on video and music.
- Client coverage: Silo offers a Jellyfin/Emby-compatible API, so some clients may connect, but coverage varies, and Jellyfin's own ecosystem of clients is larger and more mature. On Railway the compatibility listener on port 8096 is not publicly exposed, so Jellyfin clients do not work through this template's domain.
- Stability: Silo is pre-release and may change before 1.0, so Jellyfin is safer if you need a settled project today.
Silo vs Plex (Plex Alternative)
- Ownership: Silo is open source under AGPL-3.0-or-later and you run it on infrastructure you control, whereas Plex is a proprietary service with its own account system.
- Polish: Plex has a longer track record, polished apps, and mature remote access.
- Setup effort: You manage storage, secrets, and backups yourself.
Silo vs Audiobookshelf (Audiobookshelf Alternative)
- Scope: Audiobookshelf is built around audiobooks and podcasts; Silo treats them as part of a wider library.
- Audiobook depth: Audiobookshelf offers more specialized audiobook features, and Silo's audiobook support is labeled beta and sits outside the 1.0 support promise.
- Compatibility: Silo includes an Audiobookshelf-compatible listener on port 13378, but on Railway it is not publicly exposed, so Audiobookshelf clients do not work through this template's domain.
Silo with Docker Compose vs Railway (Docker Compose Alternative)
- Control: Compose on your own host gives direct control over storage, acceleration, and networking.
- Setup: Railway deploys from a template with generated secrets and a volume; no Compose files or host management.
- Limits: Railway has no GPU, so transcoding is software-only there, while a Compose install on your own hardware can enable VA-API or NVIDIA acceleration.
How to use Silo on Railway?
Follow these steps after deploy.
- Open the service's Variables tab and copy the value of
SILO_ADMIN_PASSWORD. Railway generated it for you at deploy time, and it is the value to use for the first sign-in. - Open your Railway domain and sign in as
adminwith that password. - Go to your profile and change the password to one you will remember. Keep the
SECRET_KEYvalue saved somewhere safe too, because Silo needs it to decrypt stored credentials. - Put your media under
/config/mediaon the persistent volume, or point Silo at remote storage from its settings. - In the admin interface, add a library that points at your media folder and let Silo scan it.
Once the service is up, you can check its health with this request:
curl https://your-domain/api/v1/health
A healthy instance returns HTTP 200. Until the first admin exists, the public port returns HTTP 503 via a bootstrap gate. This only confirms the service is up; it does not prove AI calls or integrations work.
How to self host Silo on other VPS Services (Silo self hosting guide)
Clone the Repository
Clone the upstream repository, which holds the Compose files and environment example.
git clone https://github.com/Silo-Server/silo-server.git
cd silo-server
Install Dependencies
Install Docker Engine and Docker Compose 2.24 or newer, then confirm the version.
docker compose version
Configure Environment Variables
Copy the example environment file, restrict its permissions, and generate a master key.
cp .env.example .env
chmod 600 .env
key="$(openssl rand -base64 48)" && printf '\nSECRET_KEY=%s\n' "$key" >> .env
You handle storage layout, secrets, and HTTPS termination via a reverse proxy.
Start the Silo Application
Start the stack with Compose, then open port 8090 and complete onboarding. Read the upstream documentation before exposing it to the internet.
docker compose up -d
Railway handles runtime, volume, and domain; on a VPS those are yours.
Official Pricing of Silo (Silo pricing)
Silo is free and open source under AGPL-3.0-or-later with a platform exception; self-hosting has no license fee. Railway usage is billed separately.
Silo hosted vs self hosted comparison (Pricing, features, costs, and more)
This is an independent, non-endorsed community packaging, not made, endorsed or operated by Silo Media L.L.C. "Silo" is a trademark of Silo Media L.L.C., used here only to refer to the upstream project. The listing is Media Server based on Silo.
Monthly cost of self hosting Silo on Railway
Railway bills on usage: RAM, CPU, /config volume size, and attached services.
System Requirements for Hosting Silo on a VPS
Any Docker VPS with persistent storage can host Silo; no fixed minimum is guaranteed. Keep one replica.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Where do I find my admin credentials?
The username is admin, and the password is the SILO_ADMIN_PASSWORD value that Railway generated, shown in the service's Variables tab. Silo itself does not generate it.
Can hardware transcoding work on this Railway template?
No. Railway has no GPU, so transcoding runs on CPU and is slower than hardware-accelerated hosts.
Which listeners are publicly reachable?
Only the main web and API port is exposed through the Railway domain. The compatibility listeners on 8096 and 13378 run inside the container but are not exposed, so Jellyfin and Audiobookshelf clients do not connect through this template.
What should I back up?
Back up the /config volume, which holds Silo state, the database, artwork, and plugins, and keep a copy of your SECRET_KEY.
How does my media get into Silo?
You supply it: place files under /config/media on the volume, or configure remote storage such as a network share or bucket. No media is included.
Is this the official Silo project?
No. Official sources are at https://github.com/Silo-Server and https://siloserver.org.
Template Content
