explaingit

joed1986/plex-playlist-sync

Analysis updated 2026-05-18

1PythonAudience · generalComplexity · 2/5LicenseSetup · easy

TLDR

A self-hosted web app that lets you view, rename, and copy Plex playlists between multiple Plex Media Servers side by side, in one click.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((repo))
    What it does
      Copies playlists between servers
      Renames playlists live
      Preserves smart playlist rules
    Tech stack
      Python
      Flask
      Browser UI
    Use cases
      Sync main to backup server
      Rename from browser
      Keep smart filters intact
    Audience
      Plex server owners
      Self-hosters

Code map

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What do people build with it?

USE CASE 1

Copy a playlist from a main Plex server to a backup or remote Plex server without rebuilding it by hand.

USE CASE 2

Rename playlists directly from the browser across multiple Plex servers.

USE CASE 3

Keep smart playlist filter rules intact when syncing between Plex servers instead of losing them to a static copy.

What is it built with?

PythonFlask

How does it compare?

joed1986/plex-playlist-sync0xustaz/streamgatea-bissell/unleash-lite
Stars111
LanguagePythonPythonPython
Setup difficultyeasyhardhard
Complexity2/54/54/5
Audiencegeneraldeveloperresearcher

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

How do you get it running?

Difficulty · easy Time to first run · 30min

Requires at least one Plex Media Server and its access token, two servers needed to actually sync between them.

Use freely for any purpose, including commercial use, as long as you keep the copyright notice.

In plain English

Plex Playlist Sync is a self hosted web app that solves a specific gap in Plex Media Server: Plex has no built in way to move a playlist from one server to another. If you run more than one Plex server, for example a main server and a backup, or a local one and a remote one, this tool lets you view, rename, and copy playlists between them side by side from your browser, with a single click. The interface shows two servers at once in parallel columns, so you can pick any server on the left and any server on the right and see their playlists side by side. Clicking the sync arrow copies a playlist from one side to the other. The tool understands the difference between two kinds of Plex playlists: for a smart playlist, it recreates the actual filter rules on the target server so the playlist stays dynamic rather than becoming a frozen snapshot, and for a regular static playlist, it matches each item by title in the target library and reports anything it could not find. You can also rename a playlist directly by clicking its name and typing a new one, and the change saves back to Plex right away. Getting started is meant to be simple: on Mac or Windows, you download the project, run the included installer script, fill in your Plex server addresses and access tokens in a generated configuration file, then run the included start script and open the app in your browser. Each server you add needs its own web address and its own Plex access token, which Plex's support site explains how to find. No paid services, external API keys, or cloud accounts are involved, since everything runs locally and talks directly to your own Plex servers. Because the app has no login or password of its own, it is meant to stay on a private home network rather than being exposed directly to the internet, it can be restricted to only the local machine, and it intentionally skips certificate checks so it can reach Plex servers by raw IP address. It is written in Python using Flask and released under the MIT license.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1
Walk me through installing Plex Playlist Sync on my Mac and configuring my Plex server tokens.
Prompt 2
Help me set HOST=127.0.0.1 so Plex Playlist Sync only stays on my local network.
Prompt 3
Explain the difference in how Plex Playlist Sync handles smart playlists versus static playlists.
Prompt 4
Show me how to add a third Plex server to my Plex Playlist Sync .env configuration.

Frequently asked questions

What is plex-playlist-sync?

A self-hosted web app that lets you view, rename, and copy Plex playlists between multiple Plex Media Servers side by side, in one click.

What language is plex-playlist-sync written in?

Mainly Python. The stack also includes Python, Flask.

What license does plex-playlist-sync use?

Use freely for any purpose, including commercial use, as long as you keep the copyright notice.

How hard is plex-playlist-sync to set up?

Setup difficulty is rated easy, with roughly 30min to a first successful run.

Who is plex-playlist-sync for?

Mainly general.

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