I’m almost ready to build my first DIY PC which will be used as a home NAS/server. My primary aim is media storage and playback (mostly music, only the occasional movie).

While I’m not quite done deciding between TrueNas and UnRaid (and Proxmox?), something I see discussed in all three setups is the use of VM’s, or virtualization.

While I understand the concept of a VM, I don’t understand how this might figure into what I’m doing.

To take my primary aim of storing and streaming music, possibly with the use of Jellyfin or Plex, how would a VM come into play, if at all? Can I simply install the OS of my choice and the install software like Jellyfin or Plex, or is this where VMs become important somehow?

Explanations, tips and resources shared are appreciated.