: If a developer hosts music directly within a standard Node.js or Python script, decoding audio tracks for dozens of voice channels quickly spikes CPU usage, causing stuttering, robotic audio, or completely crashed processes.
Because they are public, these nodes often face heavy traffic. This can lead to audio stuttering, rate-limiting by YouTube/Spotify, or sudden downtime.
While there are several free Lavalink hosting providers, it's essential to note that these plans usually come with limitations. If you're planning to host a small music bot or test your setup, these free plans might suffice. However, if you're looking for a more robust setup or plan to host multiple bots, you might need to consider upgrading to a paid plan.