MediaStationGo
A lightweight, polished, NAS-friendly private media center
Docker-first setup · Multi-user management · Media library · Metadata · Downloads · Emby-protocol clients · Cloud playback
中文 · Quick Start · Docker Compose · FAQ · Live Demo
What is it?
MediaStationGo is a self-hosted media center for personal libraries, home NAS, and home-theater users.
It helps you:
- Manage movies, TV shows, anime, variety shows, music, and adult libraries.
- Create multiple user accounts for family members, friends, or different devices.
- Scan files and enrich posters, summaries, years, seasons, and episodes.
- Play in the web UI, or log in with a MediaStationGo account from Emby-protocol apps such as Infuse, VidHub, SenPlayer, and Emby clients.
- Connect qBittorrent for search, subscriptions, downloads, and post-download organization.
- Connect OpenList, CloudDrive2, WebDAV, and other storage backends with STRMURL or 302 redirect playback.
- Run on NAS, mini PCs, VPS, Linux, Windows Docker Desktop, or any Docker-friendly host.
The project is moving fast. Keep a backup of the
datadirectory before upgrades.
Key Highlights
- One server, many clients: deploy MediaStationGo once; you do not need to run a separate Emby server.
- Emby-protocol compatibility: add the server in third-party players as an Emby/Jellyfin-compatible server, then log in with your MediaStationGo username and password.
- Multi-user management: supports admins, regular users, account enable/disable, expiry dates, device management, Bot registration, and redeem codes.
- Local + cloud media in one place: manage local disks, download folders, OpenList, CloudDrive2, WebDAV, and other storage backends from one panel.
- Download-to-library workflow: connect qBittorrent for search, subscriptions, download completion organization, and metadata matching.
- NAS-friendly: simple Docker Compose deployment, important data stored under
data/, suitable for low-power NAS and mini PCs.
Who is it for?
- Beginners who want to edit one
docker-compose.ymland start the service. - NAS users who want a low-resource media center for local disks and cloud storage.
- PT/download users who want downloads, organization, metadata, and playback in one panel.
- External-player users who want to log in to Emby-protocol third-party apps with one MediaStationGo account.
- Family-sharing users who want separate user accounts without deploying a separate media server for each person.
- Developers who want to study or extend a Go + React self-hosted media app.
Live Demo
- URL: https://mgo.3jzs.com
- Username:
admin - Password:
admin123
The demo is for feature preview only. Do not save private API keys, tracker cookies, or personal data there.
Quick Start
Docker Compose is the recommended path. Beginners do not need .env, bare-metal binaries, or source builds.
mkdir -p MediaStationGo
cd MediaStationGo
curl -fsSL https://raw.githubusercontent.com/ShukeBta/MediaStationGo/main/docker-compose.yml -o docker-compose.yml
Edit docker-compose.yml:
vi docker-compose.yml
Start:
docker compose up -d
Open:
http://SERVER_IP:18080
Default login:
Username: admin
Password: admin123
Docker Compose Recommended
The repository docker-compose.yml is intentionally simple and does not require .env.
Choose an image source
Both image sources are supported. Pick one and put it in image::
| Source | Image | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| GitHub Container Registry (GHCR) | ghcr.io/shukebta/mediastation-go:latest |
Recommended default, follows repository releases |
| Docker Hub | shukbet/mediastationgo:latest |
Backup source when GHCR is slow or unavailable |
To pin a version, first confirm the tag exists on the repository Packages page. Use this format:
image: ghcr.io/shukebta/mediastation-go:<version-tag>
# If GHCR does not have that tag, use Docker Hub as the backup:
# image: shukbet/mediastationgo:MediaStationGo-v0.0.72
For the simplest setup, keep GHCR latest.
Manual pull examples:
# GitHub Container Registry
docker pull ghcr.io/shukebta/mediastation-go:latest
# Docker Hub backup
docker pull shukbet/mediastationgo:latest
Focus on this part:
volumes:
- ./data:/data
- ./cache:/cache
- ./media:/media
- ./downloads:/downloads
Meaning:
| Host path | Container path | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
./data |
/data |
Database, users, settings; back this up |
./cache |
/cache |
Cache; safe to clean when needed |
./media |
/media |
Media libraries; use /media/... in the web UI |
./downloads |
/downloads |
Download directory and organization source |
If your NAS paths are:
/vol1/1000/Media
/vol1/1000/Downloads
change the compose file to:
volumes:
- ./data:/data
- ./cache:/cache
- /vol1/1000/Media:/media
- /vol1/1000/Downloads:/downloads
environment:
MEDIASTATION_MEDIA_DIR: /vol1/1000/Media
MEDIASTATION_DOWNLOAD_DIR: /vol1/1000/Downloads
Rules:
- The left side of
volumesis the real path on your host/NAS. - The right side is the container path. Keep
/mediaand/downloadsunless you know why you are changing them. - In the web UI, create libraries with container paths such as
/media/Moviesor/media/TV. - Do not write NAS absolute paths as
./vol1/...;./means a folder under the current compose directory. - On Windows Docker Desktop, paths like
D:/Media:/mediaandD:/Downloads:/downloadsare fine. - If you only scan/play existing media and never organize into the library, you may add
:ro; if you use organize/rename/ingest, the media mount must stay writable.
Minimal compose example
The root docker-compose.yml follows this style:
services:
mediastation-go:
# Pick one image source:
# GitHub Container Registry (GHCR):
image: ghcr.io/shukebta/mediastation-go:latest
# Docker Hub backup:
# image: shukbet/mediastationgo:latest
container_name: mediastation-go
restart: unless-stopped
init: true
# Browser: http://SERVER_IP:18080
ports:
- "18080:8080"
# Let the container reach qBittorrent running on the host:
# qB URL example: http://host.docker.internal:8085
extra_hosts:
- "host.docker.internal:host-gateway"
volumes:
# Application data. Back this up before upgrades.
- ./data:/data
- ./cache:/cache
# Beginners can keep ./media and ./downloads.
# NAS users should replace the left side with real absolute paths.
- ./media:/media
- ./downloads:/downloads
environment:
TZ: Asia/Shanghai
PUID: "1000"
PGID: "1000"
MEDIASTATION_APP_HOST: 0.0.0.0
MEDIASTATION_APP_PORT: 8080
MEDIASTATION_APP_WEB_DIR: /app/web/dist
MEDIASTATION_APP_DATA_DIR: /data
MEDIASTATION_DATABASE_DB_PATH: /data/mediastation.db
MEDIASTATION_CACHE_CACHE_DIR: /cache
# If you changed ./media or ./downloads above,
# set these to the same real host paths.
MEDIASTATION_MEDIA_DIR: ./media
MEDIASTATION_MEDIA_CONTAINER_DIR: /media
MEDIASTATION_DOWNLOAD_DIR: ./downloads
MEDIASTATION_DOWNLOAD_CONTAINER_DIR: /downloads
First-time Setup
-
Create a library
- Go to the library page.
- Use a container path such as
/media/Movies. - Start a scan.
-
Connect qBittorrent
- Go to download client settings.
- If qBittorrent runs on the host, try
http://host.docker.internal:8085.
-
Configure metadata providers
- Go to system settings / external APIs.
- Add TMDb, Bangumi, TheTVDB, Fanart, Douban, or other providers when needed.
-
Use external players
- Add the server as an Emby/Jellyfin-compatible server.
- Server URL:
http://SERVER_IP:18080. - Use the username and password created in MediaStationGo. No separate Emby server is required.
- Admins can create regular users in the web UI or Bot so each person can log in with their own account.
-
Use cloud playback
- Configure OpenList, CloudDrive2, WebDAV, or another provider in storage settings.
- Choose STRMURL or 302 redirect playback in the admin settings.
- The enabled option takes priority. If both are disabled, playback falls back to the normal server playback path.
Update, Backup, Logs
Update
docker compose pull
docker compose up -d
Logs
docker logs -f mediastation-go
Backup
Back up:
data/
It contains the database, users, settings, and runtime state. cache/ is usually not important.
Stop
docker compose down
FAQ
1. The web page does not open
Check the container:
docker ps
docker logs --tail=100 mediastation-go
Then open:
http://SERVER_IP:18080
2. The library cannot find files
Most cases are path mistakes.
- Docker maps media to
/media. - In the web UI, use
/media/Movies, not the original NAS path. - Docker maps downloads to
/downloads; use/downloadsas the organization source when possible.
3. qBittorrent cannot connect
If qBittorrent is on the host, try:
http://host.docker.internal:8085
If qBittorrent is on another machine, use that machine's LAN IP.
4. NAS CPU usage is high
Suggested settings:
- Set
ffprobe.max_concurrentto1. - Enable automatic organization, scrape-after-scan, and boot cloud scan only when you really need them.
- Avoid frequent full-library scans on large libraries. Prefer manual scan or scheduled night sync.
5. Should I use .env?
Beginners should not. Editing docker-compose.yml directly is easier to understand.
.env is useful only for advanced users who reuse the same compose file on multiple machines. The repository keeps docker-compose.simple.env.example, but it is not the main path.
Features
| Area | Features |
|---|---|
| Libraries | Movies, TV shows, anime, variety, music, adult content |
| Metadata | NFO, local artwork, TMDb, TheTVDB, Bangumi, Douban, Fanart, JavBus/JavDB |
| Playback | Web playback, HTTP Range, HLS transcoding, direct links, STRMURL, 302 redirect |
| External clients | Emby-protocol compatible APIs; MediaStationGo accounts can log in to third-party players |
| User management | Multi-user accounts, admin/regular users, expiry dates, device management, Bot registration and redeem codes |
| Downloads | qBittorrent, site search, subscriptions, post-download organization |
| File manager | Browse, organize, copy, move, hardlink, symlink |
| Operations | Task queue, recycle bin, duplicate files, notifications, logs |
| AI | OpenAI-compatible API, AI search, recommendations, assistant |
Screenshots
Development
Regular users should use Docker. Developers can run:
go run ./cmd/server
Frontend:
cd web
npm install
npm run dev
Tests:
go test ./...
cd web && npm run build
Community and Friends
- Telegram group: https://t.me/MediaStationGo
- NodeSeek: https://www.nodeseek.com/
- LINUX DO: https://linux.do/
Donation
If MediaStationGo saves you time, feel free to buy the author a bowl of noodles.
Star History
License and Non-Commercial Statement
This project uses GPL-3.0 as its base license. See LICENSE.
The maintainers also state and request:
- The project is intended for personal learning, home NAS, self-hosted media, non-commercial research, and community collaboration.
- Without explicit written permission from the author, do not use this project or derivative versions for commercial resale, paid hosting, paid SaaS, pre-installed commercial devices, closed-source redistribution, or other profit-oriented commercial use.
- For commercial cooperation, enterprise deployment, custom development, integrated redistribution, or commercial authorization, contact the author first.
- If there is any interpretive difference between this README and the formal
GPL-3.0license text, the code license is governed by LICENSE; commercial usage should additionally obtain author permission.
Made with ❤️ by ShukeBta



