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MEDIA_SERVERS.md

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Media Server Integration Overview

Youtarr supports integration with multiple media servers, providing rich metadata and organized content for your YouTube video collection.

Supported Media Servers

Media Server Integration Type Metadata Support Library Refresh Guide
Plex Full Integration Embedded MP4 + NFO Automatic Setup Guide
Kodi NFO + Artwork NFO Files Manual/Scheduled Setup Guide
Jellyfin NFO + Artwork NFO Files Manual/Real-time Setup Guide
Emby NFO + Artwork NFO Files + Embedded Manual/Real-time Setup Guide

Quick Comparison

Feature Support

Feature Plex Kodi Jellyfin Emby
Automatic Library Refresh via Youtarr ✅ ❌ ❌ ❌
NFO Metadata ❌ ✅ ✅ ✅
Embedded MP4 Metadata ✅ Partial ✅ ✅
Channel Posters ❌ ✅ ✅ ✅

Metadata Generated by Youtarr

All media servers receive:

  • Video Files: MP4 with embedded metadata
  • Thumbnails: Video preview images
  • NFO Files: XML metadata for each video if enabled in Configuration -> Kodi, Emby and Jellyfin compatibility
  • Poster Images: Channel artwork (poster.jpg) if enabled in Configuration -> Kodi, Emby and Jellyfin compatibility

Multi-Library Organization

Youtarr supports organizing content into separate libraries using subfolders:

See YOUTARR_DOWNLOADS_FOLDER_STRUCTURE.md for subfolder structure details.

Benefits of Multiple Libraries

  1. Access Control: Different permissions per library
  2. Organization: Easier content discovery
  3. Customization: Library-specific settings
  4. Performance: Faster targeted scanning

Setup Process

  1. Configure channel subfolders in Youtarr (channel settings)
  2. Create separate media server libraries pointing to each subfolder
  3. Configure library-specific settings

Configuration in Youtarr

Essential Settings

Navigate to Configuration → Media Server Compatibility:

Although these are not used by Plex, it is recommended to leave these enabled since it provides the best compatibility for all media servers

Disable if you are using Plex-only and want less "clutter" of files

Setting Default Purpose
Generate video .nfo files Enabled Creates metadata for Kodi/Jellyfin/Emby
Copy channel poster.jpg files Enabled Adds channel artwork to folders

Platform-Specific Settings

Plex

  • Plex API Key: Required for automatic library refresh
  • Library ID: Select your YouTube library
  • Server Details: IP address and port

Other Servers

  • No specific configuration needed
  • Metadata files created automatically
  • Point media server to Youtarr download directory

File Structure

See Youtarr Downloads Folder Structure

Metadata Contents

NFO Files Include:

Field Description
<title> Title with channel prefix
<plot> Full description of video from YouTube
<premiered> Original upload/release date
<studio> Channel name
<credits> Channel name
<genre> YouTube categories
<tag> YouTube tags
<runtime> Video duration in minutes
<durationinseconds> Video duration in seconds
<uniqueid> YouTube ID with type="youtube"
<youtubeid> YouTube ID

Embedded MP4 Metadata:

Field Description
title Title with channel prefix
artist Channel name
studio Channel name
album Channel name (for collection grouping)
keyword YouTube tags
description Full description of video from YouTube
genre YouTube Categories
comment Link to video on YouTube
Content Create Date Original upload/release date

Quick Start Guides

For New Users

  1. Choose Your Media Server:

  2. Enable Metadata Generation in Youtarr Configuration

  3. Add Channels and let Youtarr download with metadata

  4. Configure Media Server following the specific guide

For Existing Users

If you already have downloaded videos:

  1. Enable metadata generation in Configuration
  2. New downloads will include metadata
  3. Existing videos won't be retroactively updated
  4. Consider deleting and re-downloading if metadata is important

Troubleshooting

Common Issues

Problem Solution Affects
Metadata not showing Enable "Local Media Assets" or NFO reader All
Posters missing Check poster.jpg exists, verify permissions All
Library not updating Check API key (Plex) or trigger manual scan Plex
Special characters broken Ensure UTF-8 encoding, update media server All
Duplicate entries Check for overlapping library paths All

Getting Help

  1. Check the specific media server guide
  2. Review Troubleshooting Guide
  3. Check media server logs
  4. Verify file permissions

Best Practices

General Recommendations

  1. Plan Your Structure: Decide on organization before adding many channels
  2. Test First: Start with one channel to verify setup
  3. Enable Metadata Early: Configure before downloading
  4. Use Subfolders: Organize content from the start
  5. Regular Maintenance: Periodically clean and optimize libraries