mkvpriority 1.5.1

Automatically Prioritize Audio/Subtitle Tracks in MKV Files

MKVPriority assigns configurable priority scores to audio and subtitle tracks, similar to custom formats in Radarr/Sonarr. MKV flags, such as default and forced, are automatically set for the highest-priority tracks (e.g., 5.1 surround and ASS subtitles), while lower-priority tracks (e.g., stereo audio and PGS subtitles) are deprioritized.

[!IMPORTANT] MKVPriority modifies track flags in place using mkvpropedit (no remuxing), allowing media players to automatically select the best audio and subtitle tracks according to your preferences.

Features

• Assigns configurable priority scores to audio and subtitle tracks (similar to custom formats in Radarr/Sonarr)
• Automatically sets default/forced flags for the highest priority tracks (e.g., Japanese audio and ASS subtitles)
• Deprioritizes unwanted audio and subtitle tracks (e.g., English dubs, commentary tracks, signs/songs)
• Periodically scans your media library using a cron schedule and processes new MKV files with a database
• Integrates with Radarr and Sonarr using a custom script to process new MKV files as they are imported
• Supports extension modules for optional, user-defined post-processors, allowing for edge-case handling

Docker Image

A Docker image is provided to simplify the installation process and enable quick deployment.

docker run --rm -v /path/to/media:/media ghcr.io/kennethsible/mkvpriority /media

Use a Custom Config

You can specify your own preferences by creating a custom TOML config that defines track filters by name and assigns scores by property. To override the default config, use a bind mount:

docker run --rm -u ${PUID}:${PGID} \
  -v /path/to/media:/media \
  -v /path/to/mkvpriority/config:/config \
  ghcr.io/kennethsible/mkvpriority /media \
  --config /config/custom.toml

[!IMPORTANT] Before starting the Docker container, you should pre-create the config folder on the host. Otherwise, Docker will create the folder as the root user, causing Python to raise a PermissionError.

Use an Archive Database

You can periodically process your media library using a cron job and an archive database. To keep track of processed files, create an archive.db file and use a bind mount:

docker run --rm -u ${PUID}:${PGID} \
  -v /path/to/media:/media \
  -v /path/to/mkvpriority/config:/config \
  ghcr.io/kennethsible/mkvpriority /media \
  --archive /config/archive.db

TOML Configuration

All behavior is configured through TOML files, which assign priority scores to track properties, such as languages and codecs, and define custom filters for track names, such as "signs" and "songs." To get started, check the example TOML file that has been provided for anime (see here).

Example: Subtitle Codecs

[subtitle_codecs]
"S_TEXT/ASS" = 30    # Stylized (Advanced SubStationAlpha)
"S_TEXT/SSA" = 30    # Legacy Stylized (SubStationAlpha)
"S_TEXT/UTF8" = 20   # Plain Text (SubRip/SRT)
"S_TEXT/WEBVTT" = 20 # Web-Based Video Text (Used in Streaming)
"S_HDMV/PGS" = 10    # Image-Based (Used in Blu-rays)
S_VOBSUB = 10        # Legacy Image-Based (Used in DVDs)

Radarr/Sonarr Integration

You can process new MKV files as they are imported into Radarr/Sonarr by adding the custom script mkvpriority.sh and selecting 'On File Import' and 'On File Upgrade'. In order for Radarr/Sonarr to recognize the custom script, it must be visible inside the container. When using Radarr/Sonarr, you can assign scores to the original audio language (org).

[!NOTE] To add a custom script to Radarr/Sonarr, go to Settings > Connect > Add Connection > Custom Script.

mkvpriority:
  image: ghcr.io/kennethsible/mkvpriority
  container_name: mkvpriority
  user: ${PUID}:${PGID}
  environment:
    WEBHOOK_PORT: '8080'
    MKVPRIORITY_ARGS: >
      --archive /config/archive.db
  volumes:
    - /path/to/media:/media
    - /path/to/mkvpriority/config:/config
  restart: unless-stopped

[!IMPORTANT] If you are not using "mkvpriority" as the name of your container, you will need to update it in the custom script. Also, verify that the mount point for your media directory in MKVPriority is the same as the one used by Radarr/Sonarr.

Use Multiple Configs

MKVPriority supports multiple, tag-based configs that can be customized to match the tagging system used in Radarr/Sonarr. For example, you can create a separate config for anime by adding an anime tag in Radarr/Sonarr either manually or via auto-tagging. Then, append the ::anime tag to the config path in the MKVPriority arguments.

mkvpriority:
  image: ghcr.io/kennethsible/mkvpriority
  container_name: mkvpriority
  user: ${PUID}:${PGID}
  environment:
    WEBHOOK_PORT: '8080'
    MKVPRIORITY_ARGS: >
      --config /config/anime.toml::anime
      --archive /config/archive.db
  volumes:
    - /path/to/media:/media
    - /path/to/mkvpriority/config:/config
  restart: unless-stopped

[!IMPORTANT] In Radarr/Sonarr, a given movie or show can have multiple tags. However, MKVPriority only uses the first tag in alphabetical order. Therefore, you may need to create new tags specifically for MKVPriority.

Cron Scheduler

You can use the built-in cron scheduler to periodically scan your media library and process MKV files. When paired with an archive database, MKVPriority will only process new files with each scan.

mkvpriority:
  image: ghcr.io/kennethsible/mkvpriority
  container_name: mkvpriority
  user: ${PUID}:${PGID}
  environment:
    TZ: "America/New_York"
    CRON_SCHEDULE: "0 0 * * *"
    CRON_TARGET_PATHS: /media
    MKVPRIORITY_ARGS: >
      --archive /config/archive.db
  volumes:
    - /path/to/media:/media
    - /path/to/mkvpriority/config:/config
  restart: unless-stopped

[!NOTE] MKVPriority supports non-standard macros for cron expressions, such as @daily and @hourly.

Extension Modules

MKVPriority supports user-defined extension modules for optional post-processing. This feature is designed to handle complex library edge cases, integrate your workflow with external tools, and provide an open-ended automation framework, such as automatically extracting embedded subtitles or dynamically restyling subtitle fonts.

Example: Subtitle Extractor

You can use the subtitle_extractor extension to extract embedded subtitles with the highest priority score. This may result in smoother playback if your media player doesn't support certain subtitle formats. For example, if the player needs to transcode or burn in embedded subtitles, it must first demux and process the entire MKV container. To use this feature, add extract_embedded_subtitles = true to the top level of your config file and include this extension in your arguments.

Naming Format: {basename}.{language}.{default,forced}.{srt,ass}

[!NOTE] To avoid changing internal track flags and only use external subtitles, use the subtitle extractor with the --dry-run argument since subtitle extraction still runs during a dry run, which only prevents changes to the MKV container.

Example: Subtitle Restyler

You can use the subtitle_restyler extension to restyle external subtitles by defining style overrides in your config file. Since this extension operates on external subtitles, it can be seamlessly chained with the subtitle extractor. To ensure this extension only restyles dialogue subtitles, it filters out styles that exceed calibrated thresholds for spatial, karaoke, and drawing tags. A complete list of restylable attributes can be found in the extension's Python script on GitHub.

[subtitle_styles]
Fontsize = 72
Bold = -1
Outline = 3.6
Shadow = 1.5

Example: Multiplexer (Strip/Reorder Tracks)

You can use the multiplexer extension to strip tracks for unwanted languages and reorder tracks by priority scores. Since remuxing conflicts with the core "no-remux" design, these features are delegated to an extension module. To enable them, add the [multiplexer] section to your config file and include this extension in your arguments.

[multiplexer]
strip_tracks = true
reorder_tracks = true

Creating Extensions

You can easily write your own post-processing scripts to handle custom logic.

1. Create a Python script (e.g., my_extension.py) inside any of the following:

   • current working directory (recommend for local development)
   • ~/.config/mkvpriority/extensions (recommended for pip)
   • /config/extensions (recommended for Docker)

2. Import the Extension class and implement the process_file method:

   class Extension(ABC):
    def __init__(self, extension_name: str | None = None):
        name = extension_name or self.__class__.__name__
        self.extension_logger = logging.getLogger(name)
   
    @abstractmethod
    def process_file(
        self,
        file_path: Path,
        video_tracks: list[Track],
        audio_tracks: list[Track],
        subtitle_tracks: list[Track],
        config: Config,
        dry_run: bool = False,
    ) -> None:
        raise NotImplementedError
   

3. Use -i/--include with the script name (without the .py extension):

   mkvpriority -i my_extension
   

[!NOTE] Check the extensions folder in the GitHub repository for example scripts. In addition to the subtitle extractor, there's also a subtitle restyler that lets you define style overrides in your config file, and there's a multiplexer that lets you strip tracks for languages not included in your config file (as well as reorder tracks by priority scores).

CLI Usage

mkvtoolnix must be installed on your system for mkvpropedit (unless you are using the Docker image).

usage: mkvpriority [-h] [-c TOML_PATH[::TAG]] [-a DB_PATH] [-i MODULE_NAME] [-v] [-x] [-q] [-p] [-n] [-r] [INPUT_PATH[::TAG] ...]

positional arguments:
  INPUT_PATH[::TAG]     files or directories

options:
  -c, --config TOML_PATH[::TAG]
  -a, --archive DB_PATH
  -i, --include MODULE_NAME
                        include extension module
  -v, --verbose         inspect track metadata
  -x, --debug           show mkvtoolnix output
  -q, --quiet           suppress logging output
  -p, --prune           prune database entries
  -n, --dry-run         simulate track changes
  -r, --restore         restore original tracks

Python Package

To install the standalone CLI tool (without Docker), you can use pip:

pip install mkvpriority

To keep the CLI tool isolated from your environment, you can use uv:

uv tool install mkvpriority

[!NOTE] If you have uv installed, you can also run MKVPriority without installing using uvx mkvpriority.

Hardlinks Limitation

MKVPriority avoids remuxing by using mkvpropedit, but this still affects hardlinks since the metadata is modified. To avoid breaking hardlinks, use the subtitle extractor with the --dry-run argument (see here).