Jellyfin

A self-hosted media server that organises your own films, series, music and photos and streams them to almost any screen, with every feature free.

Visit official website

Source code: github.com/jellyfin/jellyfin. Flink is not affiliated with the Jellyfin project.

What it is

Jellyfin turns a computer, home server or NAS into your own private streaming service. You point it at folders containing your media, and it scans them, downloads artwork and descriptions, groups episodes into seasons and tracks what you have watched. You then open a client app on your TV, phone or browser and stream from your own library.

The project started in 2018 as a community fork of a media server that was moving to a closed-source model. Since then it has grown into an independent project with no paid tier: features such as hardware-accelerated transcoding, live TV and DVR, and multiple user profiles are all free.

Key features

Automatic library organisation

Jellyfin recognises films, series and albums from their file and folder names, then fetches posters, descriptions and cast information from online metadata sources. Series are grouped into seasons and episodes automatically, and you can build your own collections.

Transcoding on the fly

If a device cannot play a file's format directly, the server converts it while streaming. With a supported graphics chip, transcoding can use hardware acceleration, which greatly reduces the load on the processor.

Users and parental controls

Each family member can have a separate profile with their own watch history. Access can be limited to specific libraries, and parental rating limits keep unsuitable content away from children's profiles.

Plugins

An official plugin catalogue extends the server with extra metadata sources, subtitle downloads, notifications and alternative login methods. Plugins are installed from the dashboard and can be updated with a click, though it is worth checking that each one is actively maintained.

Getting started

Install the server on the computer that holds your media, then open its web interface in a browser on the same network. A setup wizard creates the administrator account and lets you add libraries. Naming files clearly, for example with the film title followed by the year, helps Jellyfin match the right metadata.

Who it is for

Jellyfin is ideal for people who own a collection of films, series or music and want to watch it anywhere without uploading it to a third-party service. Setting it up requires some comfort with installing server software, but the official documentation covers common platforms well.

Pros and cons

Alternatives

For playing individual files without a server, VLC media player is the simplest choice. To create your own videos, see OBS Studio.