MusicBee Remote Plugin

MBXRemote requires the MusicBee Remote plugin to be installed on the MusicBee host system. This plugin enables network communication between MBXRemote and MusicBee using the MusicBee Remote Protocol.

Plugin Versions

Standard Plugin Installation

The standard MusicBee Remote plugin is available from the MusicBee Add-ons page:

The standard plugin provides basic playback control and library browsing. For full MBXRemote functionality, use the Extended Plugin v1.5.10.26 below.

Plugin Configuration

1. Go to Edit > Preferences > Plugins
2. Find MusicBee Remote in the list
3. Click "Configure"
4. Set the Port (default: 3000)
5. Enable "Start with MusicBee"
6. Click OK and restart MusicBee

Extended Plugin with ARiA Support

To use Initiator Actions, you need version 1.5.10.26 or later of the plugin which includes ARiA (Arbitrary Remote Initiated Actions) support.

Extended Plugin Installation

Plugin Configuration (v1.5.10.26)

Protocol Requirements

MBXRemote uses the MusicBee Remote Protocol v4.0/v4.5 for communication:

Network Configuration

Ports Used

Firewall Configuration

Ensure the following are allowed through Windows Firewall on the MusicBee host:

• MusicBee.exe - Allow inbound TCP on the configured port (default 3000)
• UDP Port 5900 - Allow inbound for service discovery

# PowerShell commands to add firewall rules (run as Administrator)

# Allow MusicBee Remote TCP
New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "MusicBee Remote" -Direction Inbound -Protocol TCP -LocalPort 3000 -Action Allow

# Allow discovery broadcast
New-NetFirewallRule -DisplayName "MusicBee Discovery" -Direction Inbound -Protocol UDP -LocalPort 5900 -Action Allow

Troubleshooting

MBXRemote Can't Find MusicBee

• Verify MusicBee is running with the plugin enabled
• Check that both computers are on the same network subnet
• Ensure UDP port 5900 is not blocked by firewall
• Try manual connection using the MusicBee host's IP address

Connection Drops or Times Out

• Check firewall rules on the MusicBee host
• Verify the configured port matches between plugin and MBXRemote
• Ensure no other application is using the same port
• Check network stability between the two computers

Initiator Actions Not Working

• Verify you have plugin version 1.5.10.26 or later installed
• Enable ARiA in plugin settings (disabled by default for security)
• Check that MusicBee window is not minimized on the host
• Check plugin logs at: %APPDATA%\MusicBee\mb_remote\
• Test with a simple action first: sndKeys(CTRL ALT Q)

Plugin Not Loading

• Ensure MusicBee version is 3.0 or higher
• Check that .NET Framework 4.7.2+ is installed on the host
• Verify plugin files are in the correct folder
• Look for error messages in MusicBee's error log

Plugin Development

The MusicBee Remote plugin implements a JSON-over-TCP protocol. For developers interested in the protocol specification or contributing to the plugin:

Message Format

{
  "context": "command_name",
  "data": {
    "field1": "value1",
    "field2": "value2"
  }
}\r\n

Example: Initiator Action Message

{
  "context": "playerinitiatoraction",
  "data": "sndKeys(!mb!CTRL ALT Q)"
}\r\n

Focus control prefixes:

• !mb! - Focus MusicBee before sending keys (default behavior)
• !nofocus! - Send keys to currently focused window

Attribution

The original MusicBee Remote plugin and Android client were developed by Konstantinos Paparas. MBXRemote extends this work to provide a Windows desktop remote control experience.

Mobile Clients & Other Resources

• Official MBRC Plugin v1.4.1 - Standard plugin from MusicBee Add-ons
• Official MBRC Documentation
• MusicBee Remote for Android
• MusicBee Remote for iOS