6 Core apps in the stack

10 Deep-dive guide sections

14 SAB connections tuned

45s Downloader timeout baseline

Let discovery run itself

MDBList is the easiest way in this stack to keep movies and shows flowing in automatically while Sonarr and Radarr still enforce all the real download rules.

Movies and shows 5 minute import sync Dynamic lists Great with Codex-assisted setup

✅ Checklist 📺 Sonarr 🎬 Radarr ⚙️ SAB 🛰️ Indexers 💾 Quality & Sizes 🏠 Home

Use MDBList for

Movies, TV series, anime, anticipation lists, best-rated lanes, and streaming-heavy discovery that should automatically feed into ARR.

Do not use it for

Lidarr music discovery. Keep music on music-oriented sources such as Last.fm and Headphones instead.

Use it for

Movies, shows, anime, streaming lanes, and best-rated discovery flows.

Sync speed

In this guide’s live reference setup, ARR checks import lists every 5 minutes.

Do not confuse it with

Lidarr music-list sources, which should stay music-specific.

This page explains why mdblist.com is one of the easiest ways to automate discovery for Radarr and Sonarr, and how it fits into the rest of the ARR stack.

Why MDBList is Useful

MDBList is a dynamic list builder.

Instead of manually adding every new movie or show inside Radarr or Sonarr, you can:

• define the type of content you want
• let MDBList keep the list fresh
• let ARR import that list automatically

That makes MDBList the discovery layer, while ARR remains the automation and download layer.

Official Compatibility

Official MDBList docs say you can add MDBList list URLs directly to:

• Radarr
• Sonarr version 4

They do not document direct Lidarr support. In this setup, MDBList is the discovery layer for movies and shows, while Lidarr should use music-oriented import-list sources instead.

Sources:

• MDBList to Radarr
• MDBList Sonarr integration
• MDBList overview
• Lidarr features: import lists from Last.fm and Headphones

How ARR Uses the Lists

In the live reference setup used for this guide:

• Sonarr Import List Sync runs every 5 minutes
• Radarr Import List Sync runs every 5 minutes

That means when a new title is added to one of your MDBList lists:

1. ARR sees it on the next import-list sync
2. the movie or series is added to the correct library
3. ARR applies your normal root-folder, profile, monitoring, and language rules
4. RSS or search logic takes over and looks for matching releases
5. the downloader grabs the release
6. ARR imports it and Plex picks it up

In this guide’s live reference setup, the related background timing is:

• Sonarr RSS Sync = every 15 minutes
• Radarr RSS Sync = every 30 minutes

So list import is fast, and grabbing follows your existing search/RSS behavior.

Recommended MDBList Sample Lineup

This kind of lineup breaks down nicely into movie and TV lanes.

The descriptions below use a practical sample lineup based on the real setup shown here. The exact filter logic still lives inside MDBList, so if you later tighten or broaden a filter there, the list behavior changes without you having to rewrite ARR itself.

Example of a practical MDBList dynamic-list dashboard you can use as inspiration for your own setup.

Quick List Overview

List	ARR App	What it is for	What happens when it updates
Auto Cinema Anticipated 2026+	Radarr	upcoming cinema-focused movies from 2026 onward	new movie is added to Radarr, monitored, then handled by your normal movie rules
Auto Cinema + Anime Best Rated 2025+	Radarr	highly rated modern movies including anime films	new movie is imported, then your language, quality, and size rules decide what gets grabbed
Auto Anime Best Rated 2020+ (Track)	Radarr	anime-heavy movie discovery from 2020 onward	new title enters Radarr and follows your anime-friendly movie logic
Auto Streaming Best Rated 2025+	Radarr	strong streaming-first movie discovery	new title lands in Radarr quickly and follows the compact 1080p movie setup
Auto Series Anticipated 2026+	Sonarr	anticipated new shows from 2026 onward	new series is added to Sonarr and monitored under your TV rules
Auto Series Best Rated 2025+	Sonarr	highly rated newer series	new series enters Sonarr and follows your 720p-first series setup
Auto Upcoming Anime 2026+	Sonarr	upcoming anime series	new anime series is added to Sonarr and handled by your anime/series rules

Radarr Lists

Auto Cinema Anticipated 2026+

• purpose: anticipated cinema-oriented movies from 2026 onward
• best use: keep Radarr aware of upcoming theatrical titles early
• behavior: new titles added to this list are imported by Radarr on the next list sync and then monitored under your normal movie rules

Auto Cinema + Anime Best Rated 2025+

• purpose: highly rated modern movies from 2025 onward, including anime films
• best use: quality-focused movie discovery instead of raw popularity chasing
• behavior: new titles feed into Radarr as soon as they appear, then your language and size rules decide what gets grabbed

Auto Anime Best Rated 2020+ (Track)

• purpose: strong anime-heavy movie discovery from 2020 onward
• best use: keep a dedicated anime-friendly movie lane without mixing everything into one giant general list
• behavior: Radarr imports new entries, then your movie custom formats decide which audio, subtitle, and quality preferences win

Auto Streaming Best Rated 2025+

• purpose: strong streaming-first or digital-first movie titles from 2025 onward
• best use: catch platform-driven releases faster than waiting for theatrical-only discovery
• behavior: new entries move into Radarr, where your compact 1080p and language rules take over

Sonarr Lists

Auto Series Anticipated 2026+

• purpose: anticipated TV series starting in 2026 and later
• best use: build a future pipeline of shows you want Sonarr to monitor automatically
• behavior: when a new show appears, Sonarr imports it on the next sync and applies your series profile and language rules

Auto Series Best Rated 2025+

• purpose: highly rated newer series from 2025 onward
• best use: a quality-first TV discovery lane
• behavior: new entries are added to Sonarr, then your 720p-first and fallback logic handles the eventual downloads

Auto Upcoming Anime 2026+

• purpose: upcoming anime series from 2026 onward
• best use: give Sonarr a dedicated anime discovery stream
• behavior: once imported, the show follows your Sonarr anime/series handling, language scoring, and delayed 720p strategy

What Happens When a List Updates

If an MDBList dynamic list gains a new item:

• ARR notices it on the next import-list sync
• the item is added to your library in a monitored state
• future grabs are controlled by:
  • quality profiles
  • custom formats
  • language scoring
  • indexer priorities
  • downloader categories

So MDBList does not replace ARR logic.

It feeds ARR better input.

That is exactly why it works so well in a beginner-friendly setup.

Why This is Simpler Than Manual Adding

Without MDBList, you often have to:

• search for new titles manually
• decide what belongs in Sonarr vs Radarr
• keep checking release calendars yourself

With MDBList:

• the list stays alive on its own
• ARR keeps importing new entries
• your existing rules keep everything consistent

It is one of the cleanest ways to build a mostly automated media pipeline without making the setup feel like a second job.

Recommended Operating Model

Use MDBList to answer:

• what movies and shows should be tracked

Use Sonarr and Radarr to answer:

• how should it be downloaded

Use Lidarr to answer:

• how should music be tracked and downloaded

Use Plex to answer:

• how should it be presented

That separation makes the stack much easier to understand and maintain.