Best Discord Music Bots in 2025: Complete Guide After Groovy Shutdown
Published on November 18, 2025
•6 min read
After Groovy and Rythm shut down in 2021, Discord users scrambled to find reliable music bot alternatives. In 2025, the landscape has stabilized with several excellent options offering Spotify, YouTube, and SoundCloud support. This guide covers the best Discord music bots available today — all of them verified and listed directly on Discovrd.
Why You Need a Music Bot for Your Discord Server
Music bots transform your Discord server into a shared listening experience. Whether you're hosting gaming sessions, study groups, or hanging out with friends, a high-quality music bot keeps everyone entertained with synchronized audio.
The best music bots in 2025 offer:
- Multi-platform support (YouTube, Spotify, SoundCloud, Apple Music)
- Playlist + queue management
- High-quality audio (up to 320kbps)
- Easy slash commands
- Stable 24/7 uptime
Top Discord Music Bots in 2025
Every bot listed below is available on Discovrd and actively maintained.
1. Hydra Music Bot
Best for: General use and reliability
Hydra has become the most popular music bot since Groovy’s shutdown. It supports over 10 platforms and offers a polished, modern user experience.
Key Features
- Supports YouTube, Spotify, SoundCloud, Bandcamp & more
- Smart search with best-match results
- Audio filters + volume controls
- Spotify & YouTube playlist importing
- Premium tier available
Commands
/play [song or URL]/queue/skip/volume [1–100]
Pros
- Extremely reliable (99.9% uptime)
- Fully slash-command–based
- Active, responsive dev team
Cons
- Free tier queue limits
- 24/7 mode requires premium
2. Jockie Music
Best for: Power users and advanced setups
Jockie Music is a feature-heavy bot that offers deeper control than most alternatives. Perfect for large servers or users who want fine-grained music management.
Key Features
- Multiple bot instances per server
- Advanced filters (nightcore, vaporwave, bass boost, etc.)
- DJ role controls
- Lyrics support
- Web dashboard
Commands
-play [song]-filters-lyrics-seek [timestamp]
Pros
- Completely free
- Supports running multiple Jockie bots
- Very robust feature set
Cons
- Prefix-only commands, no slash commands yet
- More complex for casual users
3. Pancake
Best for: All-in-one moderation + music + fun
Pancake is a multipurpose bot offering moderation tools, leveling, fun commands, and music playback. Ideal for servers that want one bot to do everything.
Key Features
- Moderation tools (kick, ban, warn, purge)
- Leveling system with rank cards
- Games, memes, animals, economy
- Music playback with playlists
- Welcome messages & autoroles
- Logging features
Commands
/ban/purge/rank/play [song]/welcome set
Pros
- Replaces 3–5 separate bots
- Excellent dashboard
- Well-maintained and scalable
Cons
- Large feature set can be overwhelming
- Some features require premium
- Music reliability varies by region
4. Uzox Music Bot
Best for: Servers that rely heavily on Spotify
Uzox excels at Spotify playlist integration and high-quality audio output.
Key Features
- Direct Spotify playlist import
- Supports YouTube, SoundCloud, Deezer
- 320kbps playback
- Song recommendation engine
- Radio mode for endless streaming
Commands
/play spotify:[URL]/radio/recommend
Pros
- Best Spotify integration on this list
- Modern UI and active updates
- Strong audio quality
Cons
- Many Spotify features require Premium
- Unlimited playback requires a paid plan
5. FredBoat
Best for: Simple, stable, reliable music playback
FredBoat is one of the longest-running open-source music bots on Discord. It focuses purely on music — no moderation or extra fluff.
Key Features
- Supports YouTube, SoundCloud, Bandcamp, Twitch & more
- Advanced queue controls (skip ranges, shuffle, repeat)
- Playlist creation
- Open-source and transparent
- 24/7 mode with premium
Commands
/play [song or URL]/skip/nowplaying/pause&/resume/shuffle/playlist create [name]
Pros
- Extremely reliable
- Open-source
- Strong playlist and queue functionality
Cons
- Music-only — no extras
- Some advanced controls require premium
- Commands can feel complex for new users
How to Choose the Right Music Bot
1. Server Size
- Small (<100): Any bot works
- Medium (100–1000): Hydra or Pancake
- Large (1000+): Pancake or multiple Jockie instances
2. Music Sources
- Spotify-first: Uzox
- YouTube-heavy: Jockie or Pancake
- Multi-platform: Hydra
- Simple playback: FredBoat
3. Budget
- Free: Jockie or FredBoat
- Paid OK: Hydra Premium or Uzox Premium
4. Skill Level
- Beginner-friendly: Hydra, Pancake
- Advanced users: Jockie
- Minimalists: FredBoat
Music Bot Setup Guide
- Visit the bot’s page on Discovrd
- Click Add to Discord
- Select your server
- Approve required permissions
- Join a voice channel
- Use
/playto start music
Music Bot Commands Cheat Sheet
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
/play [song] | Play a song or add to queue |
/pause | Pause playback |
/resume | Resume music |
/skip | Skip current track |
/queue | Show the queue |
/clear | Clear the queue |
/volume [1–100] | Adjust volume |
/nowplaying | Show current song |
/loop | Loop song or queue |
/shuffle | Shuffle queue |
Frequently Asked Questions
Why was Groovy shut down?
YouTube issued a cease-and-desist for violating their Terms of Service via unlicensed playback.
Are modern music bots legal?
Yes — modern bots use official APIs and stream from approved sources.
Do I need Spotify Premium?
Some bots allow basic features with Spotify Free, but Uzox requires Premium for full functionality.
Why isn't my bot playing audio?
Try:
- Checking permissions
- Switching voice channels
- Restarting the bot
- Ensuring it's not muted
- Changing voice region
Tips for a Better Music Experience
- Create a dedicated music channel
- Use DJ roles to control skipping and queue edits
- Build playlists for events
- Keep volume balanced
- Enable vote-skip for fairness
Conclusion: Best Music Bot for Most Servers
For most Discord servers in 2025, Hydra is the best all-around choice due to its reliability and platform support.
For advanced customization, go with Jockie Music.
For all-in-one server management, choose Pancake.
For Spotify-centric communities, pick Uzox.
For simple, dependable music playback, FredBoat is a great choice.
Browse the full list here:
👉 https://www.discovrd.org/bots?category=music