midarr-server
Midarr is a lightweight, self-hosted media server written in Elixir that displays your existing movie and TV media libraries through a modern web interface. It integrates with Radarr and Sonarr to manage content without duplicating or re-indexing your media files.
Key facts
Objective fields from the source. Values we can't verify are shown as “Unknown” rather than guessed.
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Repository | midarrlabs/midarr-server |
| Owner | midarrlabs |
| Primary language | Elixir |
| License | MIT — OSI-approved |
| Stars | 1.4k |
| Forks | 38 |
| Open issues | 6 |
| Latest release | v4.3.0 (2024-08-16) |
| Last updated | 2026-03-03 |
| Source | https://github.com/midarrlabs/midarr-server |
What midarr-server is
Built on Elixir/Phoenix with PostgreSQL backing, Midarr streams media directly from mounted storage and syncs library state via webhooks from Radarr/Sonarr. It provides user authentication, real-time online statuses, and supports H.264/H.265 video with AAC/MP3 audio in MP4/MKV containers.
Get the midarr-server source
Clone the repository and explore it locally.
git clone https://github.com/midarrlabs/midarr-server.gitcd midarr-server# follow the project's README for install & configurationNeed it deployed, integrated, or customized instead? DEV.co ships production installs.
Best use cases
Implementation considerations
- Requires PostgreSQL database alongside the Elixir service; Docker Compose example provided in README but production HA/failover setup not documented.
- Media mounts must be identical paths on Midarr, Radarr, and Sonarr containers for path resolution to work; misconfiguration is a common failure point.
- Webhook tokens for Radarr/Sonarr sync must be manually configured in each integration; no automated discovery or token rotation mechanism.
- Admin account is set up via environment variables at first boot; no built-in user management API for infrastructure-as-code deployments.
- Direct streaming assumes adequate network bandwidth and codec support on client browsers; no client-side quality selection or adaptive bitrate documented.
When to avoid it — and what to weigh
- Codec compatibility concerns — Only supports H.264/H.265 video and AAC/MP3 audio. If your library uses exotic codecs, transcoding is not built-in; client-side playback will fail.
- No Radarr/Sonarr integration available — Core functionality depends on working Radarr v5.x or Sonarr v4.x instances. Standalone media libraries or other indexers cannot be used directly.
- Large multi-tenant enterprise deployments — Designed for lightweight, single-organization self-hosting. No documented horizontal scaling, advanced RBAC, or tenant isolation features.
- Mission-critical uptime without SLA support — Community-maintained project with 6 open issues; no commercial support or SLA guarantees. Downtime responsibility falls entirely on deployer.
License & commercial use
MIT License. Permissive OSI-approved license allowing commercial use, modification, and distribution with attribution. No copyleft obligations.
MIT License permits commercial deployment and modification. However, there is no commercial support entity, SLA, warranty, or indemnification. Deployer assumes all operational and liability risk. Verify internal policy acceptance before production use.
DEV.co evaluation signals
Editorial assessment — not user reviews. Directional, with an explicit confidence level.
| Signal | Assessment |
|---|---|
| Maintenance | Active |
| Documentation | Adequate |
| License clarity | Clear |
| Deployment complexity | Low |
| DEV.co fit | Good |
| Assessment confidence | High |
Project does not claim security audit or formal threat model. Considerations: (1) Credentials (DB, API keys, OAuth secrets) passed via environment variables—rotation procedures not documented. (2) Real-time online status feature—verify no information leakage across user boundaries. (3) Direct stream access via mounted media—verify file-level permissions and access control to prevent unauthorized library browsing. (4) Webhook tokens used for Radarr/Sonarr sync—verify token storage, expiration, and revocation. (5) No WAF, rate limiting, or DDoS mitigation mentioned. (6) PostgreSQL database credentials must be strongly secured; default healthcheck in example uses trivial test.
Alternatives to consider
Jellyfin
Full-featured media server with built-in library indexing, transcoding, and broader codec support. Heavier footprint; no tight Radarr/Sonarr coupling.
Emby
Commercial media server with advanced features (sync, remote access, transcoding). Proprietary; cost and licensing differ from open-source lightweight approach.
Plex
Mature cloud-backed media server with broad ecosystem. Requires account; less suitable for air-gapped or minimal-footprint deployments.
Build on midarr-server with DEV.co software developers
Midarr integrates with your existing Radarr/Sonarr setup in minutes. Evaluate its codec support, webhook sync, and multi-instance requirements with Devco's technical team to ensure fit for your infrastructure.
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midarr-server FAQ
Why do I need both Radarr/Sonarr and Midarr?
Can Midarr transcode media?
What happens if Radarr/Sonarr webhooks don't fire?
Is there a multi-instance/high-availability setup guide?
Custom software development services
Adopting midarr-server is usually one piece of a larger software development effort. As a software development agency, DEV.co provides software development services and web development expertise — pairing senior software developers and web developers with your team to design, build, and operate open-source devops software in production.
Ready to Deploy a Lightweight Media Server?
Midarr integrates with your existing Radarr/Sonarr setup in minutes. Evaluate its codec support, webhook sync, and multi-instance requirements with Devco's technical team to ensure fit for your infrastructure.