Subtitle ScoutGitHub

Self-hosted · Open source

It watches your library, judges every subtitle, and installs the one that fits.

Self-hosted and GPL-licensed, built specifically for Chinese subtitles.
Bring your own TMDB and provider keys — no trial, no login, no lock-in.

Try the live demoDeploy with Docker
Subtitle Scout activity dashboard showing real-time subtitle search and translation runs

How it works

Discover, judge, install.

  1. 01

    Discover

    Scans your media folders directly — no Jellyfin, Emby, or Plex required — and finds every title missing a Chinese subtitle.

  2. 02

    Judge

    Searches ASSRT, OpenSubtitles, and Jimaku, then ranks and verifies candidates against the actual video before picking one.

  3. 03

    Install

    Writes the matching subtitle next to your video file. No source subtitle? An LLM translation lane can produce one.

Subtitle Scout media library wall of poster art with subtitle coverage status
Every title in your library, at a glance.

Self-hosted

Up and running in one command.

Runs anywhere Docker does — a NAS, a home server, or a VPS. Configure TMDB, ASSRT, and your LLM through the setup wizard after it starts; no credentials go in the compose file.

# docker-compose.yml
services:
  subtitle-scout:
    image: ghcr.io/fancydirty/subtitle-scout:latest
    restart: unless-stopped
    ports:
      - "8099:8099"
    volumes:
      - /:/hostroot      # browse and pick media folders from the dashboard
      - ./cache:/cache
    environment:
      TZ: Asia/Shanghai

# then
cp .env.example .env
docker compose up -d

If ghcr.io is slow or blocked from mainland China, swap the image prefix for the mirror:

image: ghcr.1ms.run/fancydirty/subtitle-scout:latest
Full setup guide on GitHub →

FAQ

Before you install

Do I need my own API keys?+

Yes. TMDB is required and free; ASSRT (Chinese subtitles) is strongly recommended and also free. You bring your own keys and control your own usage — nothing is proxied through us.

Is this only for Chinese subtitles?+

Chinese is the focus: it searches Chinese-specific sources like ASSRT and Jimaku, and includes an LLM translation lane that can produce a Chinese subtitle from a Japanese or English source when no existing one is found.

Do I need Jellyfin, Emby, or Plex?+

No. Subtitle Scout scans your filesystem directly and writes subtitle files next to your videos — any media player picks them up on its own.

What's the license?+

GPL-licensed and fully open source. It's self-hosted, so your media library, credentials, and viewing habits never leave your own server.