Bazarr
TAS Score: S3/3 — D5/5 — A3 / T2
Brief Description
Automated subtitle manager for Radarr and Sonarr. Searches multiple subtitle providers, downloads the best match for your movies and TV shows, and syncs them automatically. Supports 20+ subtitle sources and automatic subtitle synchronization.
Architectural Role
Applications/media layer: companion to the *arr stack. Monitors your Radarr and Sonarr libraries, detects missing subtitles, and downloads them automatically. Essential for non-English content or accessibility.
Technical Autonomy
- ✅ Works without internet (existing subtitles stay)
- ✅ Stores data locally (SQLite database, subtitle files)
- ✅ Does not require external accounts for basic providers
- ✅ Subtitles are standard .srt/.ass files — portable
- ⚠️ Needs internet to search subtitle providers
Philosophical Assessment (whose.world criteria)
| Criterion | Status | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| Pause | ✅ | Stop container, existing subtitles stay. |
| Exit | ✅ | Subtitles are standard files alongside media. Remove Bazarr, subtitles remain. |
| Recoverability | ✅ | SQLite backup. Subtitles are independent files. |
| Visibility | ✅ | GPL-3.0, fully auditable. |
| External Dependencies | ✅ | Self-hosted. Subtitle provider connections are user-configured. |
Configuration (Minimal)
services:
bazarr:
image: linuxserver/bazarr
container_name: bazarr
ports:
- "6767:6767"
volumes:
- ./config/bazarr:/config
- /path/to/movies:/movies
- /path/to/tv:/tv
environment:
- TZ=UTC
restart: unless-stopped
Related Recipes
- Media Server — add Bazarr for automatic subtitles
Alternatives
| Alternative | Autonomy | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Manual subtitle download | — | OpenSubtitles, Subscene. Manual per movie/episode. |
| Sub-Zero (Plex plugin) | A1 / T0 | Plex-only, proprietary ecosystem. |
Trajectory
Direction: stable.
Single-purpose tool, GPL-3.0, actively maintained. Part of the *arr ecosystem. No commercial pressure.
Signal assessment:
| Signal | Status | Evidence |
|---|---|---|
| License | ✅ | GPL-3.0, unchanged. |
| Feature gating | ✅ | No paid tier. |
| Self-hosting | ✅ | Docker, well documented. |
| Governance | ⚠️ | Primary maintainer (morpheus65535). Bus factor = 1. |
Signal key: ✅ opening · ➖ neutral · ⚠️ closing
Sources
- Website: bazarr.media
- Repository: github.com/morpheus65535/bazarr
- Docker image:
linuxserver/bazarr