FAQ
Straight answers
Including the ones that are not flattering.
The basics
- What is Playarr Server, in one sentence?
- A self-hosted media server that catalogues the media you already keep and streams it to native apps on your phone, tablet, television and browser.
- What is Playarr, then?
- Playarr is the family of client apps. Playarr Server is the server you run; Playarr is what you install on the things you watch on. There is also a hosted Playarr web app, so you can try the whole thing without installing a client at all.
- Does it supply any media?
- No. Playarr Server ships no content and no sources. It plays media you already have on storage you already control. When a user with request rights asks for a title, the server sends it where the administrator's "Where requests go" setting in Playarr Admin says. The default is Direct: your own Radarr or Sonarr is asked to add the title and look for it. Ombi or Seerr receive requests only if you choose them there. Whether and how those applications search for or acquire anything is set up and controlled by you, the operator, and is your responsibility. Playarr itself obtains no media.
- What does it cost?
- Nothing. It is free and open source under the MIT licence. There is no paid tier, no subscription, and no feature held back behind one, including hardware transcoding, which simply is not built yet for anybody.
- Is it ready to rely on?
- Not yet, honestly. There is no 1.0 release, nothing is published to any app store, and several television clients install through developer mode. It is worth your evening if you enjoy running your own infrastructure; it is not yet the thing to put in front of a household that will complain.
Running it
- What do I need to run the server?
- A machine that stays on, your media on storage it can reach, and FFmpeg available for transcoding. It runs as a single binary against an embedded SQLite database, on a bare machine, in Docker or on Kubernetes.
- Will it run on a Raspberry Pi or a NAS?
- The single-binary install is designed for exactly that. Be aware there is no hardware-accelerated transcoding yet, so anything that cannot direct play will be encoded in software, which low-power hardware feels sharply. Direct play is unaffected.
- Which database does it use?
- SQLite, embedded in the binary, with no database server to run. Playarr does not support Postgres. If you run more than one server, each keeps its own SQLite database and they exchange state through peer sync.
- Can I reach it from outside my house?
- Yes, and the server can obtain its own certificate through built-in ACME rather than requiring a reverse proxy in front. Exposing a server to the internet remains your decision and your responsibility; the remote access guide covers the trade-offs.
- Does it phone home?
- The server is yours and is not designed to report to us. If you use the hosted Playarr web app to link a device for the first time, that handshake passes through the hosted service by definition, it holds a device secret, the server addresses you chose and a single-use code, for a few minutes.
Your existing setup
- Do I have to use Sonarr, Radarr and friends?
- At least one of them, yes, Playarr Server builds its catalogue from what those applications have already reconciled, reusing the file paths and identifiers they resolved, rather than scanning folders itself.
- Does it replace them?
- No, and it does not try to. They keep your library organised; Playarr Server makes it watchable. Their own interfaces carry on working exactly as before.
- Can I migrate from Plex, Jellyfin or Emby?
- There is no automated import today. Point Playarr Server at the same library-management applications you already run and it builds its own catalogue from them. Watch history and existing user accounts do not come across.
Playback and clients
- Why is my file being transcoded?
- Because the client cannot take the original as it is. Where the file already suits the device, it is served untouched with proper seeking. Encoding always happens on the server; the apps never embed an encoder themselves.
- Can I cast to a Chromecast, or use AirPlay?
- Not yet. Neither is implemented.
- Can I watch without a connection?
- Yes, originals can be kept on a device for offline playback. Keeping a smaller transcoded copy for offline use is not built yet.
- How do I sign in on a television?
- The television shows a short code and you approve it from a phone or laptop. Nobody types a password with a remote control.
- Why do some television apps need developer mode?
- Because publishing to a television manufacturer’s store is a separate process that has not happened yet. Until it does, the honest route on LG, Samsung and Roku is a developer-mode installation, and the guides say so plainly.
Sharing
- Can other people use my server?
- Yes, by one-use invitation. Library access is denied until you grant it, and the ability to stream is a separate grant from being an administrator.
- What are peer groups?
- An optional arrangement where independently owned servers share accounts, permissions and catalogue metadata over a signed protocol, and can route playback between one another. If you run a single server it does nothing at all.
Something not covered? Read what this project will and will not help with.