How to manage household preferences for home media families in 2026

Learn how home media families can organize preferences, choose request methods, and use tools that match their media workflow.

By VLClean · 2026-10-24

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

Home media families can manage preferences by deciding what information to collect, choosing a request method, and keeping the process clear for everyone using the library.

Option	Preference method	Cost details
Askarr	Search for a movie or show on Askarr and request it, 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 preference list	People add movie or show ideas to the chosen shared list.	not published

What you need before you start

Home media families need a clear idea of who can suggest movies and shows, what types of titles are welcome, and who reviews requests before anything changes.

Prepare a simple set of household rules so everyone knows how preferences are shared and handled. Decide whether requests are open to everyone in the home or limited to certain people.

Have the current media workflow ready before choosing a preference tool. Radarr and Sonarr are helper programs that can find and add movies and shows to a library, so know whether they are part of the way requested titles are added.

Choose where family members will send preferences. The choice can be a request tool, a form, or another method that gives everyone a clear place to share ideas.

Step by step

Decide what household preferences should include, such as movie ideas, show ideas, or notes about who wants to watch a title.

Choose one place where family members will send preferences, and explain that everyone should use that place.

Write simple rules for reviewing requests, including who decides what is added and when people can expect updates.

Set up the chosen method so family members know how to find titles, submit ideas, and follow the status of requests.

Share the instructions with the household and explain what information should be included with each preference.

Review the process after people start using it and update the instructions if family members are unsure what to do.

Keep the preference list organized by removing old ideas or marking requests that no longer matter.

Tools that can do it

Askarr is made by the team that publishes this site. Askarr is a hosted website that works with your 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] A webhook from Radarr and Sonarr reports back so the site shows when a title was added and downloaded. ^[1]

A request form can give family members a place to submit movie or show ideas. A shared preference list can give household members a place to add titles they want to watch. Check how each option handles title searches, approvals, updates, and the way requests move into the library workflow.

Askarr allows title searches by pasting a TMDB, IMDb or TVDB link. ^[1] Askarr plans include a request history with live status. ^[1]

Common mistakes to avoid

Avoid sharing a preference method without explaining the rules. Household members need to know what 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 process should be clear for both the people sharing preferences and the person managing the media.

Avoid forgetting to review preferences after setup. A list can become harder to manage if old ideas are left without attention.

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 home media families manage household preferences?

Home media families can choose a place for preferences, set rules for requests, and explain how decisions are made. The main parts are collecting ideas clearly, keeping the process easy to follow, and reviewing preferences so the household knows what happens after a title is suggested.

Can Askarr help households collect movie and show requests?

Askarr can be used by searching for a movie or show on Askarr and requesting it, and your own Radarr and Sonarr add it. ^[1] Askarr is a hosted website that works with your existing Radarr and Sonarr. ^[1] It can give households a place to share title requests.

Does Askarr require changes to the media server?

Askarr is a hosted website that works with your existing Radarr and Sonarr. ^[1] Nothing is installed; you add Askarr as an import list in Radarr and Sonarr. ^[1] This lets the preference process use the existing workflow.

How do family members find titles to request with Askarr?

Family members can search for a movie or show on Askarr and request it, 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 household preference tool?

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 home media library is managed before choosing a 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)