MinimServer License Options
When you first install MinimServer, it runs as Starter Edition. This is a free version with limited functionality and few configuration options. For more information, see the Starter Edition section below.
You can pay a license fee to upgrade to the full version of MinimServer. For details of what this provides, see the Full license section below. To purchase a full license, visit the Purchase license page.
To help you decide whether you would benefit from the many extra features in the full version, you can try all these features free of charge by activating a trial license. For a 30-day trial period this gives you everything you would get by purchasing a full license, with no limitations or restrictions. To activate your trial license, select the License tab from the MinimServer configuration web page and follow the instructions there.
Starter Edition
MinimServer Starter Edition makes it easy to get started with MinimServer. Starter Edition has limited functionality and few configuration options. The Quick start guide covers everything you need to get up and running. Starter Edition has no license fee and does not expire.
The following features are available in Starter Edition:
- Intelligent Browsing (see the Intelligent Browsing section)
- Automatic translation of the control-point browsing interface into multiple languages
- Basic support for profiles (select, view and reset)
- A configuration web page that enables you to configure all features of MinimServer from a web browser
- Remote management (rescan, restart, etc.) and configuration using the MinimWatch application
- Default settings for the indexTags property
- Limited configurability using the contentDir, displayName, startupScan and delayStart properties
- Full support for scripting and the Web API
Full license
You can purchase a full license to use all the functionality of MinimServer. The following features require a full license and are not available in Starter Edition:
- Showing recently added and recently played files (see the Recently added and played page)
- Showing artwork on all index entries (see the Index artwork section)
- Using alphabetical grouping for index entries (see the Alphabetical grouping section)
- Using the optional MinimStreamer package to transcode files and play internet radio streams (see the MinimStreamer page)
- Customizing the tags available for browsing (see the Index tag selection and Tag aliasing sections)
- Customizing the way the control point displays information (see the Tag options, Tag values and Tag formatting sections)
- Full support for profiles, enabling you to create multiple profiles with different configuration settings and switch between them easily (see the Profiles section)
- Customizing the library scan using the excludePattern property
- Other customizations using the listViewAlbums, mergeFolderAlbums, serverOptions, showExtras and tagUpdate properties
- Customizing update handling using the .autoUpdate and .updateReminder properties
Full license details
Your full license covers up to three installations of MinimServer. These installations can be on any of the platforms that MinimServer supports. For example, you might want to run MinimServer on a NAS and also on a PC or Mac.
Your full license includes all MinimServer updates and new versions for 12 months. It also includes the use of MinimStreamer for 12 months (see the MinimStreamer section below). To purchase a full license, visit the Purchase license page.
License extension
At the end of your initial full license 12 month term, you can choose whether to purchase an optional license extension to continue receiving MinimServer updates and new versions and using MinimStreamer for a further 12 months. To purchase a license extension, visit the Extend license page.
If you don't purchase this extension, you will no longer be able to use MinimStreamer and you will not receive any more MinimServer updates, new versions and new features. You can continue to use all features of your current version of MinimServer (but not MinimStreamer) with no expiry date.
Trial license
You can try all the features of MinimServer at no cost by activating a trial license. For a 30-day trial period, this gives you everything you would get by purchasing a full license, with no limitations or restrictions.
To activate your trial license, select the License tab from the MinimServer configuration web page and follow the instructions there.
At the end of your trial you can choose whether to revert to Starter Edition or purchase a full license to continue using all the features of the full version of MinimServer.
MinimStreamer
The optional MinimStreamer extension is available only with a MinimServer full license. MinimStreamer adds the ability to transcode audio streams and access internet radio streams in addition to as local files. For more information about MinimStreamer, see the MinimStreamer page.
Your MinimServer full license allows you to use MinimStreamer for 12 months with all updates and new versions included. After this period, if you purchase a license extension for MinimServer updates (see the License extension section above), this also extends your MinimStreamer license (including updates and new versions) for the same 12 months.
Summary table
The following table summarizes the differences between license options.
| Starter Edition | Trial license | Full license | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Features | limited | all | all |
| License fee | no | no | yes |
| License expiry | no | 30 days | no |
| MinimServer updates | yes | 30 days | 12 months (can extend) |
|
MinimStreamer (including updates) |
no | 30 days | 12 months (can extend) |