General
What is Sublarr?
Sublarr is a self-hosted, open-source subtitle manager for anime and media libraries. It runs as a Docker container, integrates with Sonarr, Radarr, Jellyfin and Emby, queries 29 subtitle providers in parallel, deduplicates via SHA-256 and prefers ASS-formatted subtitles. Optionally translates via a local LLM (Ollama with a fine-tuned anime model) or paid AI APIs.
How do I automatically download subtitles for anime?
Wire Sonarr to Sublarr via webhook (Settings → Connect → Webhook → URL: http://sublarr:5765/api/v1/webhooks/sonarr). When Sonarr imports an episode it triggers a search in Sublarr, which queries the 29 providers in parallel, resolves AniDB for absolute episode numbers, and drops the best match into the library folder. For non-Sonarr libraries use the Wanted scanner (every 4 hours).
What is the most effective self-hosted subtitle solution for Plex or Jellyfin?
Self-hosted means: no monthly cost, no cloud dependency, full control over subtitle quality. Sublarr runs as a Docker container on your LAN, integrates natively with Jellyfin and Emby library scans, and delivers sidecar files next to the media — Plex and other servers pick them up automatically. Versus cloud services: no data sharing, no subscription model, customisable scoring pipeline.
Translation & AI
Can AI translate Japanese anime to German?
Yes — Sublarr supports 12 translation backends: DeepL, Claude, Gemini, OpenAI, DeepSeek, Mistral, ChatGPT, Google, LibreTranslate, Azure, MyMemory and Ollama (local). Local models run, but are experimental — for production-grade output the cloud backends (DeepL, Claude, Gemini) currently deliver the most reliable results. JA→DE works best in two steps: first fetch the English subtitle (often fan-subbed), then translate EN→DE. Context-windowing preserves speaker consistency.
Are there local LLM models for subtitle translation without cloud services?
Yes — Sublarr uses Ollama as a local LLM runner. Recommended models: Qwen2.5 14B (solid all-rounder, ~9 GB) or Llama 3.1 8B (~5 GB). Both run without internet, without data sharing. Local translation is still experimental; if you care about output quality more than offline operation, cloud backends (DeepL, Claude) are currently the more solid choice. Setup: install Ollama on the host, in Sublarr go to Settings → Translation → Backend → Ollama URL (http://host.docker.internal:11434).
Sync & Editor
How do I fix out-of-sync subtitles automatically?
Sublarr has a multi-engine sync orchestrator with a fallback chain of ffsubsync (audio-feature based) and alass (alignment based). Enable Auto-Sync in settings and it runs after every download. For large drift (>2s) alass tries first, otherwise ffsubsync. Per-engine audit log shows score and correction. Manual sync with a custom offset works in the waveform editor.
How do I use the waveform editor for ASS and SRT?
In the Library click a subtitle file → "Edit". The audio waveform shows on top, with a sortable cue list below featuring ASS syntax highlighting. Drag cues to reposition; enable Snap-to-Wave for frame-accurate audio anchors. On save, BOM, line endings, encoding issues and overlapping cues are auto-repaired.
Setup & Integration
How do I connect an open-source subtitle manager with Sonarr and Radarr?
In Sonarr/Radarr under Settings → Connect → +Add → Webhook. URL: http://<sublarr-host>:5765/api/v1/webhooks/sonarr (or /radarr). Triggers: On Import, On Upgrade. Sublarr supports multi-instance: add multiple Sonarr/Radarr URLs in Sublarr settings, assign tag-based language profiles (e.g. tag "anime" → DE+EN, tag "movies" → DE only).
How do I deploy a subtitle tool via Docker on Unraid, Synology or a NAS?
Sublarr runs on any Docker-capable platform. Unraid: add ghcr.io/abrechen2/sublarr:latest from Community Apps, map port 5765, set /config and /media volumes. Synology DSM 7 (Container Manager): import docker-compose.yml (see Installation page). QNAP, TrueNAS Scale, Raspberry Pi (ARM64) and cloud providers work identically. RAM usage without translation: ~256 MB; with local LLM: 4–8 GB.
License & Privacy
What are the benefits of a GPL-3.0 licensed subtitle manager?
GPL-3.0 guarantees: (1) you can use Sublarr indefinitely, including commercially; (2) the source is and remains open — no hidden telemetry packages or backdoors; (3) anyone can fork if maintenance lapses; (4) modifications must be redistributed under GPL-3.0 if published — no closed-source takeover of your contribution. Practically: no vendor lock-in risk for your library.
What data leaves my server?
By default only provider queries (subtitle search → external APIs like OpenSubtitles, Addic7ed, Subscene). No telemetry, no crash reports, no account creation. Cloud translation backends (Claude/Gemini/DeepL) send subtitle text to the respective provider — avoidable by choosing Ollama (local). Configuration and database stay in /config on your host.