Sonarr

Sonarr is a self-hosted personal video recorder (PVR) for TV shows, built for people who download episodes through Usenet or BitTorrent rather than streaming. It watches RSS feeds for new releases of shows you track, grabs them through your download client, then renames and sorts the files into a clean library structure. It's aimed at home media server operators, especially those already running Plex, Kodi, or Emby, who want their TV library to update itself without manual searching.

The project runs on Windows, Linux, macOS, and Raspberry Pi, and it's written in C# with a web-based UI, so it can live on a NAS, a small home server, or a VPS. It pairs with download clients like SABnzbd and NZBGet and talks to media servers directly for library updates.

Key features

• Automatic episode detection: monitors RSS feeds and picks up new episodes of shows you're following as soon as they're released.
• Library scanning: checks your existing collection and automatically searches for any missing episodes.
• Quality upgrades: re-downloads an episode automatically when a higher-quality release becomes available (for example, DVD to Blu-Ray).
• Failed download handling: if a download fails, Sonarr tries another release automatically instead of leaving a gap.
• Manual search: lets you pick a specific release yourself or inspect why a release wasn't grabbed automatically.
• Configurable renaming: applies your own naming scheme to episode files on import.
• Download client integration: works directly with SABnzbd and NZBGet for Usenet and BitTorrent downloads.
• Media server integration: notifies and updates libraries in Kodi and Plex, including metadata.
• Specials and multi-episode support: handles season specials and releases that bundle multiple episodes in one file.
• API access: exposes a documented API for scripting or third-party integrations.

Ideal use cases

Sonarr fits anyone running a home media setup who wants TV libraries to stay current without manually checking for new episodes or renaming files by hand. It's a natural companion to Plex, Kodi, or Emby setups where consistent file naming and automatic imports matter. It also suits users who already use Usenet or BitTorrent and want a layer that automates the search-grab-rename-import cycle, including quality upgrades over time.

It's not a fit if you're looking for a streaming service or a tool that sources content itself. Sonarr doesn't host or stream video. It coordinates download clients and indexers you already have configured. It also assumes some comfort with self-hosting: you need to run a download client, point Sonarr at it, and maintain the server it runs on. If you want a zero-maintenance, cloud-based solution, this isn't it.

Installation

Sonarr is distributed as a native build for each major platform rather than through a single universal installer. The general setup process is:

1. Download the appropriate build for your OS from the downloads page (Windows, Linux, macOS, Raspberry Pi, and Docker images are all available).
2. Install and run Sonarr; it starts a local web server, typically accessible at http://localhost:8989.
3. Open the web UI and configure a download client (SABnzbd or NZBGet) under Settings.
4. Add your indexers (Usenet or torrent sources) so Sonarr knows where to search for releases.
5. Add TV shows you want to monitor; Sonarr will begin watching for matching episodes.
6. Optionally connect Plex or Kodi for library notifications and metadata updates.

For detailed, platform-specific steps, check the Wiki and FAQ. Source code is available for building from scratch; see CONTRIBUTING.md in the repository for development setup.