Subsonic Forum

When you browse via getMusicDirectory via the API and Subsonic has decided that the directory you're in or your current directory contains is an 'artist', then the coverArt for that directory is the artist image from last.fm. When it thinks you're on an album, the cover art is the album artwork or the self-made one. Either way, you can trust the coverArt id to be the right one for the context, though really it is a best guess based on the context.

However, the one time that absolutely you can be sure that you have an artist, the coverArt for the artist...isn't. Instead, the getArtists and getArtist calls give you the coverArt for the first album that Subsonic has in the DB for that artist.

It would be nice if getArtists/getArtist would return the proper artist photo just as it does when you are browsing through getIndexes/getMusicDirectory.

Agree, this is driving me insane !!!
I notice no other replies OR Updates from the Developer regarding this VERY frustrating issue.
This can NOT be by design.
To try to accomplish what I think is the proper way to view Albums and songs, I have done the following:
I have created a 7-second silent .mp3 and named it "0A Placeholder-*name of folder*.mp3" and IDv3tagged it with the Name of whatever folder it is in, and placed a copy like this in each of folders. (I use folders as "Groups" which act like Albums to Subsonic)
I have 18 Groups/folders. (Alternative, Secular, Christian, Trance, etc.) Each of these folders has a "folder.jpg" with a specific and very different picture that matches the content of that containing folder.
This same folder.jpg is embedded in the "0A Placeholder.mp3" file in that folder.
ALL album art for a song gets embedded in it's .mp3 by my Player (Music Bee). NOT hanging out hidden in any other or the same folder. Clean. This does make individual song files larger - so what - each song has ALL it's metadata wherever it goes.
Now, all my folders show up in Windows and Music Bee with the correct picture I expect, and every individual song shows it's own art on the song and when playing.
The web browser version of Subsonic, when I click on "Home", it shows all 18 Groups/Folders with the correct/expected picture, but, when I play any song there on the web version, it shows the picture of it's FOLDER and NOT the songs OWN EMBEDED PICTURE ... same with the Android version of Subsonic... this is still aggravating, but to a lessor degree.
Hope this helps somebody.
I wish and pray that the Developer would just fix this issue - or SELL the App to someone who would.
But I do LOVE this App !!!

Subsonic is basically abandonware; it isn't open-source and there is no development or active support by the owner. You might consider moving off to a newer implementation. Both below suggestions run on multiple platforms, I'm a Windows guy so some of my supplemental info isn't as useful to non-Windows users.

If you're looking for a very lateral move, consider Airsonic Advanced https://github.com/airsonic-advanced/airsonic-advanced - It is in active development with frequent snapshot updates https://github.com/airsonic-advanced/airsonic-advanced/releases . Same feature set as Subsonic (API, Sonos, etc.) with updated code. As it is open source, you also get all the features Subsonic Premium gives you, but for free (see my last line). Minimal effort for installation (latest Java installed, then a command line shortcut to the war file - upgrades even easier with just a fast war file change).

If you're really more API focused, and looking just for a music streaming service (app over browser), you might consider moving off the Subsonic family of servers altogether. Check out Navidrome https://www.navidrome.org/ . That product is primarily to supply the API with a completely new back-end, and refocuses to just support audio (no video, podcast, internet radio, etc.). There is not yet built in support for Sonos, but you can find easy linking with something like Bonob https://github.com/simojenki/bonob. As with Airsonic Advanced, no subscription or fee to access the API. Navidrome does have a simplified web UI if desired.

Both products will need you to come up with your own DDNS solution for external access. Both support running as a service with something like NSSM https://nssm.cc/, and IIS works great as a reverse proxy if you wish to run them as SSL.