README
¶
BBC iPlayer download manager that plugs into Sonarr as both an indexer and download client.
How it works
Most iPlayer download tools grab programmes by URL and leave you with a file to sort out yourself. iplayer-arr speaks Sonarr's language natively -- it presents a Newznab indexer for search and a SABnzbd download client for fetching, so Sonarr treats it like any other indexer/downloader pair.
The hard part is episode numbering. BBC iPlayer doesn't follow a consistent scheme -- some shows have full series/episode metadata, others only have a position index within a series, and daily shows often have nothing but an air date. Sonarr expects TheTVDB-style S01E03 numbering, and the two rarely agree out of the box.
iplayer-arr solves this with a 4-tier resolution chain:
- Full -- BBC provides series + episode number, used directly
- Position -- no episode number, but the programme has a position in its series (e.g. 3rd of 6), mapped to S01E03
- Date -- no numbering at all, air date used as the episode identifier (2026.01.15)
- Manual -- title only, last resort
When the auto-resolved numbering still doesn't match TheTVDB (common with specials, reboots, or shows where the BBC counts differently), per-show overrides let you adjust series/episode offsets, force date-based numbering, or remap programme names -- all from the web UI.
Features
- Newznab indexer + SABnzbd download client in one container
- 4-tier episode identity resolution with per-show overrides
- HLS stream download with quality selection (1080p/720p/540p/396p)
- Real-time dashboard with SSE progress and download history
- Built-in WireGuard VPN via hotio base image (off by default)
- Setup wizard walks you through Sonarr configuration
- BBC iPlayer search with thumbnails and one-click download
- System health page with geo check, disk usage, ffmpeg status
Quick Start
Important: You must hold a valid UK TV Licence to legally access BBC iPlayer content via iplayer-arr. iplayer-arr does not verify this and assumes you are compliant. See DISCLAIMER.md for full legal terms.
docker run -d \
--name iplayer-arr \
-p 62001:62001 \
-v iplayer-arr-config:/config \
-v /path/to/downloads:/downloads \
-e TZ=Europe/London \
-e PORT=62001 \
ghcr.io/will-luck/iplayer-arr:latest
Or with Docker Compose:
services:
iplayer-arr:
image: ghcr.io/will-luck/iplayer-arr:latest
container_name: iplayer-arr
ports:
- 62001:62001
volumes:
- iplayer-arr-config:/config
- /path/to/downloads:/downloads
environment:
- TZ=Europe/London
- PORT=62001 # must match the container-side port in ports: above
restart: unless-stopped
volumes:
iplayer-arr-config:
iPlayer requires a UK IP address. Enable the built-in VPN or run behind an existing UK VPN/proxy. See the VPN Configuration wiki page.
Open http://localhost:62001 and the setup wizard will guide you through connecting Sonarr.
Configuration
See the Configuration Reference for the full list of environment variables, application settings, and VPN options.
Documentation
See the Wiki for:
- Installation (Docker, Compose, VPN setup)
- Configuration Reference (environment variables, settings)
- Sonarr Integration (indexer and download client setup)
- Web UI Guide (page-by-page walkthrough)
- Episode Overrides (fixing numbering mismatches)
- REST API Reference
- Troubleshooting
Legal
iplayer-arr is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the BBC. iPlayer is a trademark of the British Broadcasting Corporation. Users in the UK must hold a valid TV Licence to legally access BBC iPlayer content via this tool.
- DISCLAIMER.md - full legal terms, TV Licence requirement, personal-use restriction
- SECURITY.md - security and abuse reporting via GitHub's Private Vulnerability Reporting
Licence
GPL-3.0. See LICENSE.
iplayer-arr is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by the BBC. iPlayer is a trademark of the British Broadcasting Corporation.
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