⚠️ Advanced Software — requires configuration to function
Radarr (for movies) and Sonarr (for TV shows) are the absolute gold standard for managing a media library. They automate the process of organizing, renaming, and upgrading your video files.
Overview
By themselves, Radarr and Sonarr do not download anything. They are "Media Managers". You tell Radarr you want to add "Dune (2024)" to your collection. Radarr monitors the internet, waits until a 4K copy is released, sends a command to a download client (like Transmission) to fetch it, and when the download finishes, Radarr cleanly renames the file and moves it into your Jellyfin folder.
Understanding the Arrs
Radarr: Manages Movies.
Sonarr: Manages TV Shows.
Prowlarr: Manages the "Indexers" (the search engines) that feed data to Radarr and Sonarr.
Step 1: Setting up Root Folders
The first thing Radarr and Sonarr need to know is where you want them to put the final, organized files.
Open the Radarr app from your LocalNode dashboard.
Go to Settings > Media Management (you may need to click "Show Advanced" at the top).
Scroll down to the Root Folders section.
Click the + button.
Browse to the directory where your Jellyfin movies are stored. If you followed our previous guides, this should be /media/movies or your external hard drive path.
Click OK to save.
Repeat this exact process in Sonarr, but point the Root Folder to your /media/tv directory instead.
Servarr wiki screenshot (wiki.servarr.com), bundled with Servarr/Wiki alongside GPLv3 Radarr/Sonarr/Prowlarr releases.
Step 2: Configuring Quality Profiles
You need to tell the apps what quality of video you accept. Do you only want 4K HDR files that are 80GB each? Or are you happy with 1080p files that save hard drive space?
In Radarr, go to Settings > Profiles.
Click on the Any profile, or create a new one called "1080p Only".
Uncheck qualities you do not want (e.g., CAM rips, TS, DVD).
Check the qualities you do want (e.g., Bluray-1080p, WEBDL-1080p).
Upgrades: If you check "Upgrades Allowed", Radarr will download a 1080p copy today, but if a 4K copy is released next year, it will automatically download it and replace the old file. If you have limited data caps on your internet, uncheck this!
Click Save.
💡 Tip: In Sonarr, Quality Profiles are even more important. TV shows have dozens of episodes per season. Setting Sonarr to "4K Only" for a 10-season show can easily consume 2 Terabytes of storage in an afternoon. Use 1080p for most TV shows.
Right now, Radarr and Sonarr are configured locally, but they are "blind" and have no hands. We need to connect them to a download client so they can act.
