Sonarr — Automated TV Show Download Manager

Introduction

Sonarr is a PVR (Personal Video Recorder) application for Usenet and BitTorrent users. It monitors multiple RSS feeds for new episodes of TV shows you follow, grabs them, sorts them, and renames files according to your preferences. It can also automatically upgrade the quality of existing files when a better version becomes available.

What Sonarr Does

• Monitors RSS feeds and indexers for new TV show episodes matching your wanted list
• Automatically downloads episodes via Usenet (SABnzbd, NZBGet) or BitTorrent (qBittorrent, Deluge, Transmission)
• Renames and organizes downloaded files into your media library structure
• Upgrades existing episodes when higher-quality releases appear
• Integrates with media servers like Plex, Jellyfin, and Emby for library notifications

Architecture Overview

Sonarr is built with C# on .NET and runs as a web application with a built-in web server. It uses an embedded SQLite database for configuration and history. The application communicates with download clients and indexers via their respective APIs. A background scheduler handles RSS sync, disk scanning, and quality upgrades. The front end is a React-based single-page application.

Self-Hosting & Configuration

• Available as native packages for Windows, macOS, and Linux, or via Docker
• Access the web UI at port 8989 to add TV shows, configure indexers, and set quality profiles
• Configure download clients (SABnzbd, qBittorrent, etc.) in Settings > Download Clients
• Set up root folders pointing to your media library directories
• Use quality profiles to define preferred resolution and codec priorities

Key Features

• Calendar view showing upcoming episodes and recent downloads
• Manual search with filtering by quality, language, and indexer
• Custom naming schemes with extensive token-based formatting
• Failed download handling with automatic retry from alternative sources
• Webhook and notification support for Slack, Discord, email, and other services

Comparison with Similar Tools

• Radarr — Fork of Sonarr for movies instead of TV shows, same interface paradigm
• Sickchill/SickGear — Older Python-based alternatives, less actively maintained
• Medusa — Another Sick-Beard fork, lightweight but fewer integrations
• Flexget — Highly configurable Python automation tool, steeper learning curve
• Jellyseerr — Request and discovery layer, not a downloader; works alongside Sonarr

FAQ

Q: What is the difference between Sonarr v3 and v4? A: Sonarr v4 migrated to .NET 6+, added a new React-based UI, improved API versioning, and added support for custom formats for more granular quality filtering.

Q: Can Sonarr handle anime? A: Yes. Sonarr supports anime with absolute episode numbering, season pack handling, and integration with anime-specific indexers via Prowlarr.

Q: Does Sonarr download content by itself? A: No. Sonarr finds releases and sends them to a configured download client (SABnzbd, qBittorrent, etc.) which performs the actual download.

Q: How does Sonarr integrate with Plex or Jellyfin? A: Sonarr can send library update notifications to Plex, Jellyfin, or Emby after importing new episodes, so your media server indexes them immediately.

Sources

• https://github.com/Sonarr/Sonarr
• https://wiki.servarr.com/sonarr