Port 6600: MPD
Port 6600 is the default port for the Music Player Daemon, a server that plays audio files and lets separate client apps control playback remotely. It is a project convention, not an IANA-registered port.
| Port number | 6600 |
|---|---|
| Service | Music Player Daemon |
| Protocol | TCP |
| Category | VoIP & streaming |
| Default encryption | No |
How do I check whether port 6600 is open?
Port 6600 carries TCP, so a connection either completes its handshake or it does not, which makes the check definitive.
| Question | Command | What to know |
|---|---|---|
| Is it open on a remote host? | nc -vz example.com 6600 | A TCP handshake either completes or it does not, so netcat gives a definitive answer in one line. |
| Same check on Windows | Test-NetConnection example.com -Port 6600 | Built into PowerShell. TcpTestSucceeded in the output is the answer; telnet is not installed by default on modern Windows. |
| What is listening locally? | ss -tlnp | grep ':6600 ' | Lists the process bound to port 6600 on Linux. On macOS use lsof -nP -iTCP:6600 -sTCP:LISTEN, on Windows netstat -ano | findstr :6600 |
Replace example.com with the host you are testing. A blocked port and a port with nothing listening on it look identical from the outside, so if a service should be running, check locally before blaming the firewall.
Frequently asked questions
What is port 6600 used for?
Port 6600 is the default port for the Music Player Daemon, a server that plays audio files and lets separate client apps control playback remotely. It is a project convention, not an IANA-registered port.
Is port 6600 TCP or UDP?
Port 6600 (MPD) uses TCP.
Is port 6600 secure?
Port 6600 is not encrypted by default. Where possible, use an encrypted alternative or tunnel it over TLS or a VPN.
Should I open port 6600 on my firewall?
Only if you specifically need MPD. Expose it to the smallest set of trusted sources, and never open database or Windows-service ports to the whole internet.