Media Naming and Organization Guide
From Plex
Preparing Your Media
Plex uses Library Sections to store information about your media files. There are 3 main Section types for which you'll need to worry about naming: Movies, TV Shows, and Music. The Plex Scanners and Metadata Agents are generally good at their job, but sometimes need a helping-hand from you to find out that a particular file is, for example, "Lara Croft Tomb Raider". The helping hand is:
- Tell Plex what type of content a Section contains (e.g. Movies, TV Shows, or Music)
- Name and store the files in a way that Plex understands
Movie Content
For this info, we'll assume that you've created a "Movies" folder, inside which you're storing your movie content.
General Naming for Movies
In general, movie files should be placed in your movies folder and should follow the naming formula: Movie name (release year).ext
/Movies Avatar (2009).mkv
You may also place movie files into individual folders. Name the folder in the same way as the file:
/Movies
/Avatar (2009)
Avatar (2009).mkv
/Batman Begins (2005)
Batman Begins (2005).mp4
The main advantage to choosing the individual folder strategy is simply for organizational purposes. Having an individual folder can be useful for keeping your organizational structure clean if you also use local artwork files or external subtitle files.
ISO, IMG, or VIDEO_TS Movies
Name ISO or IMG files the same way as standard movie files:
/Movies
Batman Begins (2005).iso
/No Country for Old Men (2007)
No Country for Old Men (2007).img
The Beguiled (1971).img
For VIDEO_TS content, place the VIDEO_TS folder inside one named as normal for the movie in question:
/Movies
/No Country for Old Men (2007)
/VIDEO_TS
Note: ISO, IMG, VIDEO_TS, and other "disc image" formats are not currently compatible with streaming over the network. They'll typically only work in a desktop Plex client on the same machine as the Plex Media Server.
Stacked Files
You might have movies that are split over several files. "Stacked" files will be treated by Plex as if they're one big video and will be played back-to-back automatically. Make sure that the group of files goes into a single folder that is named as for a single file:
/Movies
/The Dark Knight (2008)
The Dark Knight (2008) - pt1.avi
The Dark Knight (2008) - pt2.avi
The stacking feature will work using naming conventions "cdX", "discX", "diskX", "dvdX", "partX", or "ptX" where the X is the digit. So, "pt1", "part1", or "cd1".
Notes:
- Plex will only stack up to 8 parts.
- Stacking movies over multiple VIDEO_TS folders is not supported.
- Stacked movies are supported in the Plex Media Center desktop client, but may not be supported in other clients.
Multi-Version Media
You may have multiple versions of the same movie - say, one that is smaller for iPhones screens and one that is 1080p for your HTPC. Plex can recognize these, and present them as one movie in the library. Some Plex clients (such as the Plex Media Center desktop client) may allow you to choose which version to use when you play the library item while other clients will simply be sent the most appropriate version from the Plex Media Server.
In order to "merge" files, they simply need to be identified as the same thing when they're scanned in. The easiest way is usually to give the different versions the same filenames along with a differentiator. For instance:
/Movies
/Pulp Fiction (1994)
Pulp Fiction (1994) - 1080p.mkv
Pulp Fiction (1994) - SD.m4v
The "1080p" and "SD" do not technically need to be anything specific. It could say "Widescreen", or even "elephant". The Plex media scanner should find these two files and differentiate them based on the file name and in-file meta data.
Notes:
- To get these to show properly after naming changes have been made to an existing duplicate entry, do a deep scan: In the PMM app, alt+refresh button click.
- For now, this is a Mac PMS feature only.
Using Local Artwork Files
It is possible to specify your own poster and/or background artwork to use by putting specifically-named image files alongside your corresponding video file as detailed below. Several image formats are supported:
- jpg, jpeg, png, tbn
While examples below will use JPG files, any of the above can be used. It's also, of course, possible to specify both local poster and background art for the same library item.
Enabling Local Artwork Support
In order to be able to use locally-specified artwork, you will first need to ensure that support for it is enabled. To do so, you need to configure your Metadata Agent. Do two things:
- Enable the "Local Media Assets (Movies)" Metadata Agent source
- Move the "Local Media Assets (Movies)" source to the top
Poster Artwork
Local poster artwork can be specified in two main ways. The first way is by placing the image file next to the video file, named the same way:
/Movies Avatar (2009).jpg Avatar (2009).mkv
The second method can be used if you have the video file in an individual directory for the movie. In that case, there are multiple possible filenames you can use:
- cover.jpg, default.jpg, folder.jpg, movie.jpg, poster.jpg
/Movies
/Avatar (2009)
Avatar (2009).mkv
poster.jpg
You can also specify multiple images to be scanned in. That way you can go into your Media Manager and choose the image you want to use later. To use multiple images, simply append the "-X" suffix on the filenames (where "X" is a number):
/Movies
/Avatar (2009)
Avatar (2009).mkv
poster.jpg
poster-2.png
Batman Begins (2005).mkv
Batman Begins (2005)-1.jpg
Batman Begins (2005)-2.tbn
Any of the above can be used for VIDEO_TS folders however they need to be placed on the same level as the VIDEO_TS folder:
/Movies
/Batman Begins (2005)
poster.jpg
/VIDEO_TS
Background Artwork
Local background artwork (also often referred to as "fanart") can be specified in two main ways. The first way is by placing the image file next to the video file, named the same way except with "-fanart" added to the filename:
/Movies Avatar (2009)-fanart.jpg Avatar (2009).mkv
The second method can be used if you have the video file in an individual directory for the movie. In that case, there are multiple possible filenames you can use:
- art.jpg, backdrop.jpg, background.jpg, fanart.jpg
/Movies
/Avatar (2009)
Avatar (2009).mkv
fanart.jpg
You can also specify multiple images to be scanned in. That way you can go into your Media Manager and choose the image you want to use later. To use multiple images, simply append the "-X" suffix on the filenames (where "X" is a number):
/Movies
/Avatar (2009)
Avatar (2009).mkv
fanart.jpg
fanart-2.png
Batman Begins (2005).mkv
Batman Begins (2005)-fanart-1.jpg
Batman Begins (2005)-fanart-2.tbn
Any of the above can be used for VIDEO_TS folders, however they need to be placed on the same level as the VIDEO_TS folder:
/Movies
/Batman Begins (2005)
fanart.jpg
/VIDEO_TS
Refreshing Your Metadata
Remember that you will need to refresh the metadata for existing library items in order to see changes.
TV Shows
TV Shows usually consist of several show seasons with a number of episodes per season. Shows can also be date-based . For this info, we'll assume that you've created a "TV Shows" folder, inside which you're storing your television content. Unless you're using a custom or unofficial metadata agent, you should base your television show names as well as episode and season numbers on the information from TheTVDB.com.
Standard TV Shows
To name series/episode based shows:
- Create a folder named with the Show’s name
- Create a folder inside that one with the Season number
- Put the show files in the Season folder, following the naming format: ShowName - sXXeYY.ext. For example, "Heroes - s01e01.mkv"
/TV Shows
/Heroes
/Season 1
Heroes - s01e01.avi
Heroes - s01e02.avi
Heroes - s01e03.mp4
/Season 2
Heroes - s02e01.avi
Heroes - s02e02.mkv
Heroes - s02e03.m4v
- If you would like to include the episode name or additional information, add it after the sXXeYY or date:
/TV Shows
/Heroes
/Season 1
Heroes - s01e01 - Genesis.avi
Note: ISO, IMG, VIDEO_TS, and other "disc image" formats are not formally supported for TV content. Clever naming may still allow the content to be scanned into the library in a satisfactory way. However, these formats are not currently compatible with streaming over the network. They'll typically only work in a desktop Plex client on the same machine as the Plex Media Server.
Multiple Episodes in One File
Occasionally, you may have a single file that represents multiple episodes. In such a case, the file should use the format: ShowName - sXXeYY-eZZ.ext. For example, "Heroes s04e01-e02.mkv" for two episodes
/TV Shows
/Heroes
/Season 2
Heroes - s02e05-e08.mkv
/Season 4
Heroes - s04e01-e02.mkv
Heroes - s04e03.mkv
Date-Based TV Show Shows
TV Shows that are date-based should have episodes following the format: ShowName - YYYY-MM-DD.ext. For example:
/TV Shows
/The Colbert Report
/Season 8
The Colbert Report - 2011-11-15 - Elijah Wood.avi
Dates can use dashes (2010-01-20), periods (2010.01.20), or spaces (2010 01 20) as separators. You may also use a MM-DD-YYYY date format (01-20-2010).
Stacked Episodes
You might occasionally have a TV episode that is split over multiple files. "Stacked" files will be treated by Plex as if they're one big video and will be played back to back automatically. Stacked episodes are named the same as standard episodes with the addition of the stacking suffix on the end:
/TV Shows
/Heroes
/Season 1
Heroes - s01e01-pt1.avi
Heroes - s01e01-pt2.avi
Heroes - s01e02.avi
The stacking feature will work using naming conventions "cdX", "discX", "diskX", "dvdX", "partX", or "ptX" where the X is the digit. So, "pt1", "part1", or "cd1".
Notes:
- Plex will only stack up to 8 parts.
- Stacked episodes are supported in the Plex Media Center desktop client, but may not be supported in other clients.
Specials
Shows may sometimes air "specials" or other content that isn't part of the standard season. To handle this content within Plex, it must be named correctly, following the naming format: ShowName - s00eYY.ext. For example, "Heroes - s00e02 - Countdown to Season 3.mkv".
Note how the file is listed as part of "season zero". The episode number is based on the list of episodes for the show on TheTVDB.com under the "Specials" season. Such content can be placed in either a "Season 0" or "Specials" directory:
/TV Shows
/Heroes
/Specials
Heroes - s00e02 - Countdown to Season 3.mkv
/Season 1
Heroes - s01e01 - Genesis.avi
Heroes - s01e02 - Don't Look Back.avi
Heroes - s01e03 - One Giant Leap.m4v
Note: If an extra item you have doesn't have a corresponding "episode" entry on TheTVDB in the Specials season, Plex will not be able to get information about it. If desired, you could still have it scan in without metadata by using a "fake" special episode number that isn't already in use for that show - for example, "s00e99".
Mini Series
Television mini-series should be handled just like other TV shows, you simply treat the mini-series episodes as being part of "season 1":
/TV Shows
/Band of Brothers
/Season 1
Band of Brothers - s01e01 - Currahee.mkv
Band of Brothers - s01e02 - Day of Days.mkv
Band of Brothers - s01e03 - Carentan.mkv
Using Local Artwork and Theme Song Files
It is possible to specify your own poster, background, banner, season, or episode artwork for library items. It is also possible to specify your own theme song audio to use.
Enabling Local Artwork and Theme Support
In order to be able to use locally-specified files, you will first need to ensure that support for it is enabled. To do so, you need to configure your Metadata Agent. Do two things:
- Enable the "Local Media Assets (TV)" Metadata Agent source
- Move the "Local Media Assets (TV)" source to the top
Local Artwork
Local artwork files are specified by putting specifically-named image files alongside your corresponding video file as detailed below. Several image formats are supported:
- jpg, jpeg, png, tbn
While examples below will use JPG files, any of the above can be used.
Poster Artwork
Local poster artwork is specified by placing the image file inside the main show directory. Posters can be specified for either the show itself, individual seasons, or both.
Show Posters
To specify a poster to use for the show, simply place the image file inside the main show directory. There are multiple possible filenames you can use:
- folder.jpg, poster.jpg, show.jpg
/TV Shows
/Heroes
/Season 1
Heroes - s01e01 - Genesis.avi
show.jpg
You can also specify multiple images to be scanned in. That way you can go into your Media Manager and choose the image you want to use later. To use multiple images, simply append the "-X" suffix on the filenames (where "X" is a number):
/TV Shows
/Heroes
/Season 1
Heroes - s01e01 - Genesis.avi
show.jpg
show-2.jpg
show-3.jpg
Season Posters
To specify a poster to use for a particular season, place a "season-X.jpg" image inside the season directory (where "X" is the season number):
/TV Shows
/Heroes
/Season 1
Heroes - s01e01 - Genesis.avi
season-1.jpg
You can also specify multiple images to be scanned in. That way you can go into your Media Manager and choose the image you want to use later. To use multiple images with season artwork, append a letter suffix on the filenames such that the letter progresses (season-1a.jpg, season-1b.jpg, etc.):
/TV Shows
/Heroes
/Season 1
Heroes - s01e01 - Genesis.avi
season-1a.jpg
season-1b.jpg
season-1c.jpg
Background Artwork
Local background artwork (also often referred to as "fanart") is specified by placing the image file inside the main show directory. There are multiple possible filenames you can use:
- art.jpg, backdrop.jpg, background.jpg, fanart.jpg
/TV Shows
/Heroes
/Season 1
Heroes - s01e01 - Genesis.avi
art.jpg
You can also specify multiple images to be scanned in. That way you can go into your Media Manager and choose the image you want to use later. To use multiple images, simply append the "-X" suffix on the filenames (where "X" is a number):
/TV Shows
/Heroes
/Season 1
Heroes - s01e01 - Genesis.avi
art.jpg
art-2.jpg
art-3.jpg
Banner Artwork
Local banner artwork is specified by placing the image file inside the main show directory. Banners can be specified for either the show itself, individual seasons, or both.
Show Banners
To specify a banner to use for the show, simply place a "banner.jpg" image inside the main show directory:
/TV Shows
/Heroes
/Season 1
Heroes - s01e01 - Genesis.avi
banner.jpg
You can also specify multiple images to be scanned in. That way you can go into your Media Manager and choose the image you want to use later. To use multiple images, simply append the "-X" suffix on the filenames (where "X" is a number):
/TV Shows
/Heroes
/Season 1
Heroes - s01e01 - Genesis.avi
banner.jpg
banner-2.jpg
banner-3.jpg
Season Banners
To specify a banner to use for a particular season, place a "season-X-banner.jpg" image inside the season directory (where "X" is the season number):
/TV Shows
/Heroes
/Season 1
Heroes - s01e01 - Genesis.avi
season-1-banner.jpg
You can also specify multiple images to be scanned in. That way you can go into your Media Manager and choose the image you want to use later. To use multiple images with season banner artwork, append a letter suffix to the end of the filenames such that the letter progresses (season-1-bannera.jpg, season-1-bannerb.jpg, etc.):
/TV Shows
/Heroes
/Season 1
Heroes - s01e01 - Genesis.avi
season-1-bannera.jpg
season-1-bannerb.jpg
season-1-bannerc.jpg
Episode Artwork
The thumbnail to display for an episode can be specified using an image file named identically to the episode file and placed alongside it:
/TV Shows
/Heroes
/Season 1
Heroes - s01e01 - Genesis.avi
Heroes - s01e01 - Genesis.jpg
Local Theme Songs
You may use your own MP3 file for the show theme song. To do so, simply place a "theme.mp3" image inside the main show directory:
/TV Shows
/Heroes
/Season 1
Heroes - s01e01 - Genesis.avi
theme.mp3
Full Example for Local Television Metadata Files
Below is an example of extensive use of the various local files you can specify for television sections:
/TV Shows
/Heroes
/Season 1
Heroes - s01e01 - Genesis.avi
Heroes - s01e01 - Genesis.jpg
Heroes - s01e02 - Don't Look Back.avi
season-1.jpg
season-1b.png
/Season 2
Heroes - s02e01 - Four Months Later.avi
Heroes - s02e02 - Lizards.avi
Heroes - s02e03 - Kindred.avi
season-2-bannera.tbn
season-2-bannerb.jpeg
art.png
background-1.jpg
background-2.tbn
banner.jpg
show-1.jpg
show-2.png
theme.mp3
Refreshing Your Metadata
Remember that you will need to refresh the metadata for existing library items in order to see changes.
Personal Media or Home Movies
Not all content you may wish to keep in your library will be found in an online database for information. In such cases, you can make use of the Personal Media Metadata Agents. When you do so, Plex will not go out to various online databases to try and find metadata for your content.
- Movies > Personal Media - use this if you have a series of unrelated videos that can appear in a single long list
- TV Shows > Personal Media Shows - use this if you have a series of related videos (2010 Christmas, At the Park etc). Personal Media Shows will be displayed in Plex like a TV Show listing
Personal Media Movies
If you have a number of videos that don't follow a common theme (i.e. just a number of videos rather than a series of movies of your Christmas Holiday) you can add them to a Section using the Movie > Personal Media metadata agent. Name the files as you like:
/Home Movies Visiting our friends.mov Playing with the dog.mkv Picnic in the Park.m4v
To create the "Home Movie" Section:
- Put the movies into a folder and give them a filename that identifies what it is
- Open the Media Manager
- Add a new Section
- Choose "Movies" as the Section Type
- Name the Section
- Choose "Personal Media" as the Primary Metadata Agent
- Add the folder/s that contain your home movies
The date for the item will be based off of the file creation date unless embedded metadata within the file includes date information.
Note: If you add files that are named like TV Shows (ie "Holidays - s01e01.mkv" or "Holidays - 2010-12-20.mkv") Plex will ignore the file for this section.
Personal Media Shows
The TV Show "Personal Media Shows" Metadata Agent lets you present a series of videos in three levels like TV Shows (TV Shows -> Season -> Episodes). The benefit of using this method is that you can organize your videos better (Year -> Event -> Home movies). In order for this to work correctly, your videos files must be named like date based TV episodes:
/Home Movies
/Christmas
/2010
Christmas - s2010e01 - Getting Ready.m4v
Christmas - s2010e02 - Stuffing the Stockings.m4v
Christmas - s2010e03 - Christmas Morning.m4v
To create the "Personal Media Shows" Section:
- Open the Media Manager
- Add a new Section
- Choose "TV Show" as the Section Type
- Name the Section
- Choose "Personal Media Shows" as the Primary Metadata Agent
- Add the folder/s that contain your home movies
Plex will add the videos it finds. As Plex/Nine grows and matures, the Personal Media section will be improved.
Note: Currently, the entries made in the Plex library using this method don't use the filename for a title and instead are simply listed by episode number.
Music and iTunes Libraries
Plex/Nine lets you add music either via the Media Manager and the standard library or have iTunes Plugin discover your iTunes library automatically in the Music Plug-ins section.
Music Section vs iTunes Music
There are 2 different places where you can view your music. In the current release of Plex/Nine, how you’ll see your library will appear different:
If you’ve added your Music library via the Plex Media Manager, you’ll see a Music entry at the top level menu in Plex. This entry uses the standard Plex Media Server library to display the music, along with posters and other metadata.
Music Added to Plex Media Server
Your music files can be stored in the same way you store your other media files by gathering them together in folders named in a certain way or by adding your organized iTunes folder. The music scanner reads the embedded ID3 or M4A tags in your music files. For best results please have one album per directory:
/Music
/Foo Fighters
/One By One
/There is Nothing Left to Lose
/U2
/Joshua Tree
Support for music file formats that do not support embedded tags will be added in a subsequent release.
iTunes Option in Music Plug-ins
If you have an iTunes library on the Plex Media Server, it will be available from the Music Plug-ins > iTunes option.
Music Videos
Support will be added in a subsequent release.
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