What is Ombi? Streamline Your Home Media Requests Managing a self-hosted home media server can quickly become a full-time job. When friends and family use your Plex, Emby, or Jellyfin server, they constantly text or email you with requests like: “Can you add the latest season of this show?” or “Why isn’t this movie available yet?”
Ombi solves this exact problem. It acts as a central hub that automates and streamlines how your users request new content, saving you time and keeping your media server organized. What Exactly is Ombi?
Ombi is a self-hosted web application designed to integrate seamlessly with your existing media server ecosystem. Think of it as a user-friendly frontend catalog where your shared users can browse movies, TV shows, and music. If they see something they want that you don’t already have, they simply hit a “Request” button.
Instead of you manually searching, downloading, and moving files, Ombi communicates directly with your automated download tools to handle the heavy lifting. How Ombi Works
Ombi bridges the gap between your users and your background download automation software.
User Browses: A user logs into your Ombi webpage (via a browser or the mobile app). User Requests: They search for a title and click Request.
Ombi Communicates: Ombi automatically sends that request to programs like Radarr (for movies) or Sonarr (for TV shows).
Automation Takes Over: Radarr or Sonarr grabs the torrent or NZB file, sends it to your download client, and moves it to your media folder when finished.
User Notification: Once the media is available on Plex, Emby, or Jellyfin, Ombi can automatically notify the user that their request is ready to watch. Key Features of Ombi
User Management & Authentication: You don’t need to create new accounts for everyone. Ombi allows users to log in using their existing Plex, Emby, or Jellyfin credentials.
Granular Permissions: You retain total control. You can grant trusted users “auto-approve” privileges, while requiring manual approval from you for others. You can also set weekly request limits to protect your storage space.
Smart Availability Checks: Ombi scans your media libraries in real-time. If a user searches for a movie you already own, the button will display “Available” instead of “Request,” preventing duplicate downloads.
Multi-Platform Notifications: Keep your users informed. Ombi integrates with Discord, Telegram, Slack, Email, and Pushbullet to send alerts when content is requested, approved, or available.
Sleek Mobile App: Users don’t need to sit at a computer to ask for media. Ombi offers a dedicated mobile app for iOS and Android, making requests on-the-go incredibly simple. Why You Need It
If you manage a server for more than two or three people, Ombi is a game-changer. It eliminates messy text threads, prevents your storage drives from filling up with duplicate files, and empowers your users to manage their own entertainment. Best of all, it turns your home server setup into a completely hands-off, automated entertainment powerhouse.
To help you get started with Ombi, could you share a few details about your current setup? Which media server do you use (Plex, Jellyfin, or Emby)? Do you already use automation tools like Radarr or Sonarr?
What operating system (Windows, Linux, Docker) does your server run on?
I can provide a step-by-step guide to get Ombi up and running for your specific system.
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