VLClean Plain comparisons of self-hosted media tools

How to pool household picks for a shared queue in 2026

Pool movie and show picks from the whole household into one list, then feed it to Radarr and Sonarr. Steps, tool options and common mistakes.

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

Pool everyone's picks on one public IMDb list, then connect that list to Radarr and Sonarr. Watcharr turns one public IMDb list into one link for movies and one link for shows. [1]

OptionWhat it doesSetup needed
WatcharrTurns one public IMDb list into a Radarr link for movies and a Sonarr link for shows. [1]Nothing to install and no account for the hosted version. [1]
Shared note kept by handnot published; check how entries reach Radarr or Sonarr.not published
Group chat threadnot published; check how entries reach Radarr or Sonarr.not published

What you need before you start

The household needs one public IMDb list that everyone can add titles to. Watcharr accepts any public IMDb watchlist or list, whether it was opened from the desktop site, the phone site or IMDb's other-language pages. [1]

Have Radarr and Sonarr set up on your computer or server before you start. Radarr is a helper program that adds movies to a library, and Sonarr does the same job for shows. The two links Watcharr makes are meant for those two programs. [1]

Decide who will add picks and who will sign in, because the shared lists and the automatic re-reads need a sign-in. [1] [1] Signed-in users can combine several IMDb lists into one Radarr link and one Sonarr link for the whole household. [1] A signed-in list is re-read about every 15 minutes. [1]

Finally, write a short rule for what counts as a pick, such as only titles everyone agrees to watch. A clear rule keeps the shared list useful as more people add to it.

Step by step

  1. Pick one list on IMDb that will hold the household's picks, and make sure it is public. Watcharr accepts any public IMDb watchlist or list, whether it was opened from the desktop site, the phone site or IMDb's other-language pages. [1]
  2. Ask each person to add titles to that one list, and agree on what counts as a pick.
  3. Sign in to Watcharr if the household wants one pair of links for everyone. Signed-in users can combine several IMDb lists into one Radarr link and one Sonarr link for the whole household. [1]
  4. Paste the list into Watcharr. You paste one public IMDb list and get one link for Radarr with the movies and one for Sonarr with the shows. [1] You can paste, copy and browse from any screen in the web app. [1]
  5. Add the links to Radarr and Sonarr. A bookmark you click inside Radarr or Sonarr adds the list for you, using that app's API key without sending it anywhere else. [1]
  6. Expect a short wait after a new pick is added to the list. Each link acts like a small Radarr or Sonarr server, so Radarr checks it every 15 minutes and Sonarr every 5. [1]
  7. Check the page that shows the list's covers. The page shows the list's covers in a row, each opening TMDB's plot, genres, rating, backdrop and trailer. [1]
  8. Look over the list and remove picks nobody wants.

Tools that can do it

Watcharr is made by the team that publishes this site. It turns one public IMDb list into two links, one for Radarr with the movies and one for Sonarr with the shows. [1] The links are built from the IMDb list's id, so the same list always gives the same two links. [1] If a read of the list fails, the links keep serving the last list that loaded correctly. [1] The hosted version needs nothing to install and no account. [1] Commercial use is not licensed, and no commercial licence is for sale. [1]

Other options are not described here because no source facts about them were provided. The table lists them only by the points to check, so you can compare them with Watcharr on the same terms.

Mistakes that stop picks from arriving

Do not paste a list that is not public. Watcharr accepts any public IMDb watchlist or list, so make the household list public first. [1]

Do not start a separate list for each person and expect them to merge on their own. Signed-in users can combine several IMDb lists into one Radarr link and one Sonarr link for the whole household. [1]

Do not assume a show will appear if it cannot be matched. Watcharr looks up TheTVDB ids through TVMaze and TMDB, leaves out shows it cannot match, and tells you which ones it skipped. [1] Check that skipped list after each round of picks.

Do not ignore the warnings. If you sign in, Watcharr re-reads your list about every 15 minutes and warns you when a list fails three reads in a row. [1]

Frequently asked questions

How can a household pool movie and show picks in one place?

Start with one public IMDb list that everyone can add titles to. Watcharr accepts any public IMDb watchlist or list. [1] It turns that list into one link for Radarr with the movies and one link for Sonarr with the shows. [1] Signing in lets several lists be combined for the whole household. [1] Keeping one shared list makes it easier to see every pick in a single place.

Can Watcharr combine several household lists into one link?

Signed-in users can combine several IMDb lists into one Radarr link and one Sonarr link for the whole household. [1] A title that is on two lists is added only once, so overlapping picks do not show up twice. [1] Each list has to be one that Watcharr accepts, which means a public IMDb watchlist or list. [1]

How often do Radarr and Sonarr check a Watcharr list?

Each link acts like a small Radarr or Sonarr server, so Radarr checks it every 15 minutes and Sonarr every 5. [1] If you sign in, Watcharr re-reads your list about every 15 minutes. [1] If you sign in, Watcharr re-reads your list about every 15 minutes. [1] Each link acts like a small Radarr or Sonarr server, so Radarr checks it every 15 minutes and Sonarr every 5. [1]

What happens if Watcharr cannot read a household list?

The links keep serving the last list that loaded correctly. [1] If you sign in, Watcharr warns you when a list fails three reads in a row, so you can check the list before picks go missing. [1] Signing in is what turns on the automatic re-reads, so signed-in lists are the ones that get these warnings. [1]

Does Watcharr need an install or a sign-in before a household can use it?

The hosted version needs nothing to install and no account. [1] Inside Radarr or Sonarr, a bookmark you click adds the list for you. [1] Signing in is what gives the shared household lists and the automatic re-reads. [1] [1] Sign in only if the household wants to combine lists or have them refreshed on their own.

Its code is available to read under the PolyForm Noncommercial 1.0.0 licence; older versions remain under MIT. [1]

Try Watcharr

Sources

  1. Watcharr's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)

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