How to approve movie and show additions for roommate households in 2026

Learn how roommate households can review movie and show additions with request methods, approval steps, and tool options.

By VLClean · 2026-10-11

VLClean is published by the makers of Askarr and Watcharr, which are compared here alongside other tools.

Roommate households can set up a clear approval process by choosing where requests go, deciding who reviews them, and explaining when titles are added.

Option	Request method	Cost details
Askarr	You request a movie or show on Askarr, and your own Radarr and Sonarr add it. ^[1]	The Free plan costs $0 and allows 10 requests a month. ^[1]
Request form	People submit movie or show titles through the chosen form.	not published
Shared request list	People add movie or show ideas to the chosen shared list.	not published

What you need before you start

Make sure the media server already has the movies and shows that roommates can watch, and decide which people should be able to suggest additions.

Prepare simple rules for requests, such as whether roommates can ask for any title or only certain types of movies and shows. Decide who reviews requests before anything is added. In a shared home, name one person who makes the final call so that requests do not stall between roommates.

Radarr and Sonarr are helper programs that can be used to find and add movies and shows to a library. Have them ready if they are part of the way requested titles are added.

Choose where roommates will send requests. The choice can be a request tool, a form, or another method that gives everyone a clear place to submit titles.

Step by step

Pick one place where roommates will send requests, such as a request website or a shared message thread, and tell everyone to use only that place.

Write down who looks at each request and whether a title needs approval before it is added to the library.

Write a short note for roommates that says who can request, what kinds of titles are accepted, and how they will hear that a title was added.

Send the note and the request location to the roommates you want to allow, with instructions on how to search for a title and how to submit it.

Look through new requests regularly, approve the ones that fit the rules, and remove requests that are not wanted. Write each approval in the same place, so every roommate can see what has already been added.

Ask roommates what was unclear after the process has been used for a while, and update the instructions to fix those points.

Tools that can do it

Askarr is made by the team that publishes this site, VLClean. Askarr is a hosted website that works with existing Radarr and Sonarr. ^[1] Askarr can be used by searching for a movie or show on Askarr and requesting it, and your own Radarr or Sonarr adds it. ^[1]

You add Askarr to Radarr and Sonarr once as an import list, and they read your requests from it. ^[1] Askarr never connects to your Radarr or Sonarr and never receives their API keys. ^[1]

Askarr shows when a title was added and downloaded through a webhook from Radarr and Sonarr. ^[1] Askarr lets you paste a TMDB, IMDb or TVDB link to find the title. ^[1]

A request form or a shared request list can also be used for roommate households. Check how each option handles approvals, title searches, updates, and the way requests move into the library workflow.

Common mistakes to avoid

Avoid sharing a request method without explaining the rules. Roommates need to know what types of titles can be requested and who decides what gets added.

Avoid choosing a tool without checking how it fits the current way movies and shows are added to the library. The request process should be clear for both the people sending titles and the person approving additions.

Avoid forgetting to review requests after setup. A request list can become harder to manage if old or unwanted requests are left without attention. Avoid letting approvals sit for weeks, since roommates who wait for an answer often stop asking.

Avoid skipping account and privacy checks. Review what information a tool asks for and what access it uses before sharing it with other people.

Frequently asked questions

How can roommate households approve movie and show additions?

Roommate households can choose a request method, decide who reviews titles, and explain what happens after a request is sent. The process works best when everyone knows where to submit requests and who has the final approval step before movies and shows are added.

Can Askarr help roommates request movies and shows?

You request a movie or show on Askarr, and your own Radarr and Sonarr add it. ^[1] Askarr is a hosted website that works with existing Radarr and Sonarr. ^[1]

Does Askarr require changes to the media server?

Askarr is a hosted website that works with existing Radarr and Sonarr. ^[1] Nothing is installed; you add Askarr as an import list in Radarr and Sonarr. ^[1]

How do roommates find movies and shows to request with Askarr?

You request a movie or show on Askarr, and your own Radarr and Sonarr add it. ^[1] A TMDB, IMDb or TVDB link can also be pasted to find the title. ^[1]

What should be checked before choosing a request tool for roommates?

Check how a tool handles requests, title searches, updates, and the process for adding movies and shows. Askarr plans include a request history with live status. ^[1] Compare those details with the way the media server is managed before choosing a request method.

The Free plan costs $0 and allows 10 requests a month. ^[1]

Try Askarr

Sources

Askarr's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)