To add a music bot to Discord, open your server’s App Directory, choose a bot, select Add App, then choose your server, review access, and select Authorize. You must own the server or have Manage Server permission. After installation, join a voice channel and use your chosen bot’s playback command.
The short version
- Permission first: You need server ownership or Manage Server permission to install a bot.
- Choose server installation: Adding an app to your account alone is different from adding a music bot to a server.
- Start listening: Join a voice channel before sending the bot’s playback command.
- Match the command: FredBoat and Rythm use slash commands, while Jockie Music supports commands that mention the bot.
| Option | Where to start | What you can do |
|---|---|---|
| Server settings directory | Server Settings > App Directory | Find and install a bot on desktop or browser |
| Server icon shortcut | Right-click the desktop server icon | Open the directory through Server Settings |
| Server menu shortcut | Click the server name on desktop | Choose App Directory when shown |
| Website directory or shared listing | A bot’s Discord listing | Select Add App in your browser |
| Discord directory website | Discord’s website directory | Browse apps without downloading a bot |
| App Launcher | Beside the chat bar | Find apps on desktop, browser, iOS, or Android |
| Bot profile | A bot in chat or the member list | Install through Add App when offered |
| Administrator installation | Copy Link in the desktop directory listing | Share the listing with someone who can install it |
| FredBoat invite | Invite to Server | Authorize FredBoat for your server |
| FredBoat installation page | FredBoat’s official quickstart page | Find its hosted bot invitation |
| Jockie Music instances | Bot links in its official FAQ | Install the main bot or a numbered instance |
| Jockie Music product page | Jockie Music’s official website | Access its offering and invite choices |
| Rythm bot invite | Add to Server | Authorize the current Discord bot |
| Rythm installation page | Rythm’s official getting-started page | Find the bot invitation alongside its other offerings |
| Rythm Activity | Activities in a voice channel | Start shared listening where available |
| Rythm playback controls | /control | Open the interactive playback panel |
| Discord command permissions | Integrations and Roles | Manage commands and app permissions |
| Jockie Music session permissions | permission mode set | Choose how session permissions are governed |
| Member list removal | The bot’s Kick action | Remove the app from the server |
| Integration removal | Server Settings > Integrations | Remove an installed server app |
| Account authorization removal | User Settings > Authorized Apps | Remove an account-level authorization separately |
Check that you can install server apps
Start with a server you own or one where you have Manage Server permission. When Discord offers account installation and server installation, choose server installation for your server’s music bot. Adding an app to your account alone does not add a voice bot to the server.
Without installation permission, ask the server owner or an administrator to add the bot. In the desktop App Directory, open the bot’s listing and select Copy Link. Send that listing to someone who can install it.
Add a bot through the App Directory
On Discord desktop or in a browser, click the server name, then open Server Settings > App Directory. Search for a music bot and open its listing. Select Add App, choose the server installation option and your destination server, then review the requested access before selecting Authorize.
On desktop, you can also right-click the server icon in the left sidebar and choose Server Settings > App Directory. If your desktop server menu includes the direct shortcut, click the server name and select App Directory. When that shortcut is missing, use the route through Server Settings, then find the bot and complete the installation flow above.
In a browser, you can open Discord’s website directory, search for the music bot, and open its listing, or open a shared app listing directly. Select Add App and choose your server. Review the requested access, then select Authorize.
Find an app through the launcher or a bot profile
On desktop and browser, select App Launcher on the right of the chat bar. On iOS and Android, it is on the left. Search for the music app, open it, and follow its installation prompts, choosing server installation when the app offers it.
Installation options depend on the app. If the launcher offers only account installation for your chosen app, use an official bot invitation route below to add a server music bot. Choose the destination server during Discord’s authorization flow.
You can also open the profile of a bot you encounter in another server or chat by selecting it in chat or the member list. For profiles offering installation, select Add App and choose your destination server. Review access, then select Authorize.
Install FredBoat and play your first song
Open the official FredBoat installation page and select Invite to Server. Authenticate with Discord and choose your server in the authorization flow. You need Manage Server permission to install FredBoat.
Once installation is complete, join a voice channel. In chat, enter the following command, replacing the placeholder with a song name or supported URL.
/play song name or supported URLFredBoat returns track buttons for the results. Select the button for the track you want to play.
Add Jockie Music and request a track
Open the official Jockie Music FAQ and find the bot links under How can I have multiple bots in the server?. Choose Jockie Music or one of its numbered instances, then complete Discord’s authorization flow for your server. You can also access its offering and invite choices through Jockie Music’s official product website.
Join a voice channel before requesting music. Mention the installed bot in chat, followed by play and a song name, using this format.
@Jockie Music play song nameMake sure the mention targets the bot itself rather than its role. If you installed a numbered instance, mention that instance for your request.
Install Rythm and use its playback controls
Visit the official Rythm installation page and select Add to Server. Choose your server through the linked invitation flow. Rythm’s separate desktop and web players are different from this Discord bot installation.
After adding the bot, join a voice channel. Enter the following command in chat, replacing the placeholder with a song name or supported link.
/play song name or supported linkSome playback controls require DJ permissions. To open Rythm’s interactive playback panel, enter the following command.
/controlYou can configure Rythm with /settings and view its available commands with /help. Rythm says its former ! prefix is unsupported. If you are following older instructions, type / and select a current command instead.
Fix command access and permissions
If someone cannot use the bot’s commands, open Server Settings > Integrations and select the installed bot. Review restrictions by role, member, or channel, then adjust access for the people and channels that should be able to use it. For the bot’s own permissions, open Server Settings > Roles, select its role, and edit its permissions.
Member access to commands and Activities uses separate controls. Under Server Settings > Roles > Apps Permissions, manage Use Application Commands and Use Activities for member roles. Review these controls along with the restrictions under Integrations when command access fails.
Jockie Music also has optional session permission settings, and its permission mode set command accepts user, server, or combine. For role assignments, follow the permission-command documentation linked from Jockie Music’s FAQ.
End playback or remove the bot
Rythm’s disconnect command ends playback, makes the bot leave voice, and clears the current queue. To finish the session while keeping the bot installed, enter the following command.
/disconnectKicking a bot removes the app from your server. On desktop or browser, right-click the bot in the server’s Members list and select its Kick action. Discord specifies server ownership or Manage Server permission for this removal route.
Removing an app through server integrations also removes it from the server. As a server administrator, open Server Settings > Integrations, select the installed app, and use its removal control.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do you need to download a music bot to your computer?
Hosted FredBoat and Jockie Music do not require a local bot download. You add them through their invitation and Discord authorization flows.
Can you add more than one Jockie Music bot?
Yes, Jockie Music offers up to four ordinary instances. Repeat installation with another instance’s bot link when you need additional bots. Premium instances require the vendor’s server boosts.
Can you listen together through Rythm without installing its bot?
Yes, Rythm also offers a Discord Activity for shared listening. In Discord clients offering it, join a voice channel, open Activities, select Rythm, and launch it so other participants can join. Availability can vary by country.
Do old Groovy and Hydra music setup instructions still work?
Groovy’s original music service has ended, and Hydra removed all music features on February 7, 2023. Installing Hydra’s other features does not restore music playback. Use a current music bot such as FredBoat, Jockie Music, or Rythm instead.
How do you remove an app authorization from your Discord account?
Deauthorizing an app removes its account-level authorization. Open User Settings > Authorized Apps, locate the app, and select Deauthorize. This is separate from removing a server-installed bot.