docker-compose-cookbooks/lidarr_dev/README.md

Lidarr

Overview

Lidarr is a music collection manager for Usenet and BitTorrent users. It automatically monitors specified artists, searches for new releases (or upgrades to existing tracks), and sends them to your download client. After download, Lidarr renames and organizes the files into your music library and can notify your media server of the new content.

Project Details

• Project Repository: https://lidarr.audio/
• Container Image: ghcr.io/hotio/lidarr
• Reverse Proxy Port: 8686

Getting Started

Open http://localhost:8686 in your browser and complete the initial setup wizard:

1. Choose your UI language
2. Add a download client — select qBittorrent, enter its host/port/credentials
3. Add an indexer — or connect to Prowlarr for automatic indexer sync

Once the wizard finishes, Lidarr displays "No artists found". To populate your library:

• Go to Settings → Media Management and add a Root Folder (e.g., /media/music) — this is where your organized music library will live
• Click Add an artist and search by name — Lidarr fetches metadata, discography, and album art
• Lidarr cross-references your Root Folder for any existing files and matches them to the artist's catalog

Download flow

qBittorrent downloads to /media/downloads/prowlarr → Lidarr picks it up, renames/tags the files, and moves them into <Root Folder>/Artist Name/Album/

Spotify playlist import

Lidarr doesn't natively import Spotify playlists. Use a community tool like SpotifyToLidarr or set up a List (Settings → Lists) from Last.fm or MusicBrainz to auto-add artists based on your listening habits.

Environment Variable Notes

Variable	Description
LIDARR_IMAGE	Container image (default: ghcr.io/hotio/lidarr:release)
LIDARR_RESTART	Restart policy (default: unless-stopped)
LIDARR_PORT	Published port for the web UI (default: 8686)
VOL_PATH	Base path for persistent data volumes (default: /data)
LIDARR_MEDIA	Shared media root on the host (default: /data/media), mounted at /media. Must be the same folder qBittorrent, Sonarr, Radarr and Jellyfin use
TZ	Container timezone (default: America/Vancouver)

Volume Notes

Volume	Purpose
${VOL_PATH:-/data}/lidarr/config	Application configuration and database
${LIDARR_MEDIA:-/data/media} → /media	Shared media root: downloads in /media/downloads, library in /media/music

Network Notes

Requires an external proxy network. Create it once with:

docker network create proxy

Docker Run

docker run -d \
  --name=lidarr \
  -e PUID=1000 \
  -e PGID=1000 \
  -e UMASK=002 \
  -e TZ=America/Vancouver \
  -p 8686:8686 \
  -v ${VOL_PATH:-/data}/lidarr/config:/config \
  -v ${LIDARR_MEDIA:-/data/media}:/media \
  --network proxy \
  --restart unless-stopped \
  ghcr.io/hotio/lidarr:release

Additional Notes / Gotchas

• One shared media folder. qBittorrent, Sonarr, Radarr, Lidarr and Jellyfin all use /data/media on the host, mounted at /media, so a download has the same path in every container: no Remote Path Mapping needed, and imports can use hardlinks. Enable Settings → Media Management → Use Hardlinks instead of Copy.
• Layout: /data/media/downloads/prowlarr (qBittorrent category prowlarr), /data/media/music (Lidarr root, Jellyfin's /music library).
• In the qBittorrent download client settings, set Category to prowlarr.

Dockhand Stack, Deploy from Git

• Cookbooks Repository
• stackname: lidarr_dev
• Compose file path: lidarr_dev/compose.yaml
• Additional env file (optional): lidarr_dev/sample.env

Load lidarr_dev/sample.env into the Environment variables in Dockhand, then create the Stack.