User Guide.
Offbeat turns your Plex music library into a self-contained player that works with no signal. Here is how to get set up and make the most of it.
Before you start: Offbeat needs your own Plex Media Server with at least one music library. You do not need a Plex Pass. Offbeat is an independent app and is not affiliated with Plex, Inc.
Getting started
- 1
Sign in with Plex
Tap Sign in with Plex on first launch. Offbeat uses Plex's official sign-in page in a secure window, so your password is never seen by the app. No Plex Pass required.
- 2
Choose your server and library
Offbeat discovers the Plex Media Servers on your account and lists their music libraries. Pick the server and the music library you want to listen to.
- 3
Let your library sync
Offbeat copies your library index (artists, albums, tracks, genres, playlists) onto your phone. This is just the catalogue, not the audio, so it is quick even for large libraries and only needs a connection the first time.
- 4
Download what you want offline
Open any album or artist and tap Download. Offbeat queues everything and downloads in the background, over Wi-Fi by default.
- 5
Flip on Download View
Use the toggle at the top of the Library screen. With it on, the entire app shows only the music that is on your phone, ready to play with no signal.
Finding your way around
Library is home base, with your music organised by Artists, Albums, Genres and Recently Added. The Download View toggle lives at the top. Each category can be sorted to taste and shown as a list or a grid.
Search is instant and works entirely on your device, so it is just as fast offline. You can scope it to downloaded music only or your whole library.
Now Playing lives in the mini player that sits above the tab bar. Tap it to expand the full player, with the queue, shuffle and repeat, a sleep timer, lock-screen and AirPlay controls. Swipe or tap the chevron to collapse it again.
Settings is where you manage downloads and storage, the Download Queue, cellular options, your account and server, and replay the welcome tour.
Questions
What is Download View, exactly?
It is the heart of Offbeat. One toggle at the top of the Library screen filters the whole app, artists, albums, genres, search and playback, down to only the music stored on your device. Turn it off and you see your entire library again, including music you have not downloaded. The switch is instant and you can flip it as often as you like.
How do I download an album or artist?
Open an album or an artist page and tap Download. Whole artists queue every album. Downloads run one at a time in the background, resume if interrupted, and retry on failure. You can watch progress in the Download Queue under Settings.
Can I download over cellular?
By default Offbeat only downloads on Wi-Fi, to protect your data. If you want to download on cellular too, turn on Download on cellular in Settings.
What happens when Download View is off?
You see your full library. Tapping a track you have not downloaded streams it directly from your Plex server. Streaming is ephemeral, nothing is saved for offline use unless you explicitly download it. Streaming on cellular is off by default and can be enabled in Settings.
How do recommendations work?
Offbeat suggests albums from your own collection that you have not downloaded yet, based on the same artist, similar genre and what you play most. It is a download helper for music you already own, not a discovery service, so it never points you at anything outside your library.
Does my listening history sync back to Plex?
Yes. Plays you rack up offline are reported to your own Plex server the next time you reconnect, so your play counts stay accurate. Nothing is sent anywhere else.
How do I free up space?
Open Settings to see how much storage downloads are using and remove downloads you no longer need. You can also remove a download from an album or artist page using the action button. Removing a download never affects the music on your server.
Can I switch servers or libraries later?
Yes. Go to Settings, Account to change your server or library, or to sign out. If you sign back in to the same server, your existing downloads re-attach rather than downloading again.
Does it work with no signal at all?
That is the whole point. Once your library has synced and you have downloaded some music, browsing, search and playback all work fully offline. The app launches and runs without a connection.
Still stuck? Head to Support or email help@offbeat-player.com. You can also read the privacy policy.