Plex – The Complete Guide to Plex File Naming Conventions: Movies, TV Shows, Music & Extras

Proper file naming is crucial for Plex to correctly identify, organize, and display your media collection. This comprehensive guide covers naming conventions for movies, TV shows, music, and all types of extras and special versions.

Movies

Basic Movie Naming

MovieName (Release Year).ext

Examples:

The Matrix (1999).mkv
Pulp Fiction (1994).mp4
Blade Runner (1982).mkv

Multiple Versions of the Same Movie

For different quality/format versions of the same release:

MovieName (Release Year) - ArbitraryText.ext

Examples:

/Movies/
   /The Matrix (1999)/
      The Matrix (1999) - 1080p.mkv
      The Matrix (1999) - 4K HDR.mkv
      The Matrix (1999) - Mobile.mp4

Movie Editions (Director’s Cut, Extended, etc.)

For different releases/cuts of the same movie:

MovieName (Release Year) {edition-EditionName}.ext

Examples:

/Movies/
   /Blade Runner (1982)/
      Blade Runner (1982).mp4                                    # Theatrical
      Blade Runner (1982) {edition-Director's Cut}.mkv
      Blade Runner (1982) {edition-Final Cut}.mkv
   
   /Lord of the Rings- The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)/
      Lord of the Rings- The Fellowship of the Ring (2001).mkv  # Theatrical
      Lord of the Rings- The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) {edition-Extended}.mkv

Combining Editions and Versions

You can have multiple versions of each edition:

/Movies/
   /Blade Runner (1982)/
      Blade Runner (1982).mp4                                           # Theatrical
      Blade Runner (1982) {edition-Director's Cut} - 1080p.mkv
      Blade Runner (1982) {edition-Director's Cut} - 4K.mkv
      Blade Runner (1982) {edition-Final Cut} - 1080p.mkv
      Blade Runner (1982) {edition-Final Cut} - 4K HDR.mkv

Movie Extras

Create subdirectories within the movie folder:

/Movies/
   /The Dark Knight (2008)/
      The Dark Knight (2008).mkv
      /Behind The Scenes/
         Making of The Dark Knight.mkv
      /Deleted Scenes/
         Deleted Scene 1.mkv
         Deleted Scene 2.mkv
      /Featurettes/
         Heath Ledger as Joker.mkv
      /Trailers/
         Theatrical Trailer.mkv
         TV Spot 1.mkv

Extra Directory Types:

• Behind The Scenes
• Deleted Scenes
• Featurettes
• Interviews
• Scenes
• Shorts
• Trailers
• Other

TV Shows

Basic TV Show Structure

TV Show Name (Year)/Season XX/TV Show Name - SXXEXX - Episode Name.ext

Examples:

/TV Shows/
   /Game of Thrones (2011)/
      /Season 01/
         Game of Thrones - S01E01 - Winter is Coming.mkv
         Game of Thrones - S01E02 - The Kingsroad.mkv
      /Season 02/
         Game of Thrones - S02E01 - The North Remembers.mkv

TV Show and Season Extras

Place extras in subdirectories within the show or season folder:

/TV Shows/
   /Game of Thrones (2011)/
      /Trailers/
         Season 1 Trailer.mkv
         Season 2 Trailer.mkv
      /Interviews/
         Cast Interview.mkv
      /Season 01/
         Game of Thrones - S01E01 - Winter is Coming.mkv
         /Behind The Scenes/
            Making of Season 1.mkv
         /Deleted Scenes/
            Season 1 Deleted Scenes.mkv

Episode-Level Extras

Add extras inline with episodes using specific suffixes:

TV Show - SXXEXX - Episode Name-ExtraType.ext

Extra Types:

• -behindthescenes
• -deleted
• -featurette
• -interview
• -scene
• -short
• -trailer
• -other

Examples:

/Season 01/
   Game of Thrones - S01E01 - Winter is Coming.mkv
   Game of Thrones - S01E01 - Winter is Coming-deleted.mkv
   Game of Thrones - S01E01 - Winter is Coming-featurette.mkv
   Game of Thrones - S01E01 - Winter is Coming-deleted1.mkv
   Game of Thrones - S01E01 - Winter is Coming-deleted2.mkv

Special Episodes

# Specials go in Season 00
/TV Shows/
   /Doctor Who (2005)/
      /Season 00/
         Doctor Who - S00E01 - The Christmas Invasion.mkv
         Doctor Who - S00E02 - The Runaway Bride.mkv

Music

Basic Music Structure

Artist Name/Album Name (Year)/Track Number - Song Title.ext

Examples:

/Music/
   /The Beatles/
      /Abbey Road (1969)/
         01 - Come Together.flac
         02 - Something.flac
         03 - Maxwell's Silver Hammer.flac
   
   /Pink Floyd/
      /The Dark Side of the Moon (1973)/
         01 - Speak to Me.flac
         02 - Breathe (In the Air).flac

Multi-Disc Albums

Artist Name/Album Name (Year)/Disc X/Track Number - Song Title.ext

Example:

/Music/
   /The Beatles/
      /The Beatles (White Album) (1968)/
         /Disc 1/
            01 - Back in the U.S.S.R..flac
            02 - Dear Prudence.flac
         /Disc 2/
            01 - Birthday.flac
            02 - Yer Blues.flac

Various Artists Albums

Various Artists/Album Name (Year)/Track Number - Artist - Song Title.ext

Example:

/Music/
   /Various Artists/
      /Pulp Fiction Soundtrack (1994)/
         01 - Dick Dale - Misirlou.flac
         02 - Kool & The Gang - Jungle Boogie.flac

Music Videos

Treat music videos like movies or create a separate library:

/Music Videos/
   /Artist Name/
      Artist Name - Song Title (Year).mkv

Example:

/Music Videos/
   /Michael Jackson/
      Michael Jackson - Thriller (1983).mkv
      Michael Jackson - Beat It (1983).mkv

Advanced Tips

File Extensions

Common supported formats:

• Video: .mkv, .mp4, .avi, .mov, .m4v
• Audio: .flac, .mp3, .m4a, .aac, .ogg
• Subtitles: .srt, .ass, .ssa, .vtt

Special Characters

• Use hyphens (-) instead of colons (:) in filenames
• Avoid special characters that might cause issues: < > : " | ? * \
• Replace problematic characters with safe alternatives

Refresh Metadata

After adding new files or extras, refresh metadata in Plex:

1. Go to your library
2. Click the three dots (…) next to the item
3. Select “Refresh Metadata”

Directory Structure Best Practices

/Media/
   /Movies/
      [Movie collections as shown above]
   /TV Shows/
      [TV show collections as shown above]
   /Music/
      [Music collections as shown above]
   /Music Videos/
      [Music video collections as shown above]

Quick Reference

Content Type	Format	Example
Basic Movie	Movie (Year).ext	Inception (2010).mkv
Movie Versions	Movie (Year) - Version.ext	Inception (2010) - 4K.mkv
Movie Editions	Movie (Year) {edition-Name}.ext	Alien (1979) {edition-Director's Cut}.mkv
TV Episode	Show - SXXEXX - Title.ext	Breaking Bad - S01E01 - Pilot.mkv
Episode Extra	Show - SXXEXX - Title-type.ext	Breaking Bad - S01E01 - Pilot-deleted.mkv
Music Track	## - Title.ext	01 - Bohemian Rhapsody.flac

Following these conventions will ensure Plex correctly identifies your media, provides rich metadata, and offers the best streaming experience across all your devices.

Common Naming Mistakes to Avoid

Movies

• Wrong: The.Matrix.1999.1080p.BluRay.x264-GROUP.mkv
• Right: The Matrix (1999).mkv

• Wrong: Blade Runner Directors Cut.mkv
• Right: Blade Runner (1982) {edition-Director's Cut}.mkv

TV Shows

• Wrong: Game.of.Thrones.S01E01.720p.HDTV.x264-CTU.mkv
• Right: Game of Thrones - S01E01 - Winter is Coming.mkv

• Wrong: Breaking Bad Season 1 Episode 1.mkv
• Right: Breaking Bad - S01E01 - Pilot.mkv

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Plex Not Recognizing Files

1. Check file naming follows exact conventions
2. Ensure files are in correct directory structure
3. Verify file extensions are supported
4. Run “Scan Library Files” in Plex
5. Try “Refresh Metadata” on specific items

Extras Not Showing Up

1. Verify client supports extras (mobile apps have best support)
2. Check extra naming includes required hyphens
3. Ensure no spaces in extra type names
4. Refresh metadata after adding extras

Multiple Versions Not Collapsing

1. Ensure all versions are in same folder
2. Check naming follows exact format
3. Verify release year matches exactly
4. Try refreshing metadata

Platform-Specific Considerations

Windows Users

• Enable “Show file extensions” in File Explorer
• Use forward slashes (/) in examples, but backslashes (\) work too
• Avoid reserved names: CON, PRN, AUX, NUL, COM1-9, LPT1-9

macOS/Linux Users

• Be mindful of case sensitivity
• Avoid starting filenames with dots (.)
• Use UTF-8 encoding for special characters

Network Storage (NAS)

• Ensure proper permissions are set
• Some NAS systems have filename length limits
• Consider SMB/CIFS vs NFS performance

Advanced Scenarios

Anime Series

Anime can be tricky due to different numbering systems:

/TV Shows/
   /Attack on Titan (2013)/
      /Season 01/
         Attack on Titan - S01E01 - To You, in 2000 Years.mkv
         Attack on Titan - S01E02 - That Day.mkv

Documentary Series

/TV Shows/
   /Planet Earth (2006)/
      /Season 01/
         Planet Earth - S01E01 - From Pole to Pole.mkv
         Planet Earth - S01E02 - Mountains.mkv

Concert Films and Stand-up Specials

Treat as movies:

/Movies/
   /Dave Chappelle- Sticks & Stones (2019)/
      Dave Chappelle- Sticks & Stones (2019).mkv

Mini-Series

Can be organized as either movies or TV shows:

# As TV Show (Recommended)
/TV Shows/
   /Band of Brothers (2001)/
      /Season 01/
         Band of Brothers - S01E01 - Currahee.mkv
         Band of Brothers - S01E02 - Day of Days.mkv

# As Movie Collection (Alternative)
/Movies/
   /Band of Brothers Collection/
      Band of Brothers- Part 1- Currahee (2001).mkv
      Band of Brothers- Part 2- Day of Days (2001).mkv

Automation Tools

Recommended Tools for File Management

• Sonarr: Automatic TV show downloading and renaming
• Radarr: Automatic movie downloading and renaming
• Lidarr: Automatic music downloading and organization
• FileBot: Manual batch renaming tool
• Bulk Rename Utility: Windows batch renaming
• Name Mangler: macOS batch renaming

Regex Patterns for Batch Renaming

Common regex patterns for cleaning up filenames:

Remove quality tags:

Find: \.(720p|1080p|2160p|4K).*
Replace: (leave empty)

Remove group tags:

Find: -[A-Z0-9]+$
Replace: (leave empty)

Maintenance and Best Practices

Regular Maintenance Tasks

1. Weekly: Check for new content recognition issues
2. Monthly: Review and clean up duplicate entries
3. Quarterly: Audit file naming consistency
4. Annually: Review and update directory structure

Backup Considerations

• Backup Plex database regularly
• Document your naming conventions
• Keep a master list of custom collections
• Export watch history periodically

Performance Tips

• Use SSD storage for Plex database
• Organize files on fast storage when possible
• Avoid deeply nested folder structures
• Keep filename lengths reasonable (<255 characters)

Conclusion

Proper file naming is the foundation of a well-organized Plex media server. While it may seem tedious initially, following these conventions will save you countless hours of troubleshooting and ensure your media library looks professional and functions smoothly.

Remember these key points:

• Consistency is crucial – pick a naming scheme and stick to it
• Separate different media types into different libraries
• Use the exact naming formats shown for best results
• Always refresh metadata after making changes
• Test with a few files before bulk renaming your entire collection

With these naming conventions in place, you’ll have a Plex server that not only looks great but also provides the best possible streaming experience for you and your users.

Additional Resources

• Official Plex Movie Naming Guide
• Official Plex TV Show Naming Guide
• Official Plex Music Naming Guide
• Plex Community Forums
• Plex Subreddit

Last updated: [Current Date] – This guide reflects current Plex naming conventions and may be updated as Plex evolves.