5 Powerful n8n Workflows to Automate Your Media Library Management on SonicBit

Managing a media library can be tedious. Between downloading files, renaming them to match Plex's naming conventions, updating metadata, and syncing to cloud storage, you're constantly clicking through interfaces and running manual tasks. What if you could automate all of this without writing a single line of code?

That's where n8n comes in. As a visual workflow automation platform available on SonicBit with one-click deployment, n8n lets you build sophisticated automation workflows by connecting different services together. In this guide, you'll learn five powerful workflows that'll transform how you manage your media library on SonicBit.

Why Use n8n for Media Automation?

Before diving into specific workflows, let's quickly cover why n8n is perfect for media library automation:

Visual workflow builder: Drag and drop nodes to create automation flows

Extensive integrations: Connect to webhooks, APIs, file systems, and cloud storage

No coding required: Build complex logic with conditional branching and data transformation

Self-hosted on SonicBit: Deploy n8n instantly through your dashboard alongside Plex, Sonarr, and Radarr

n8n runs continuously in the background, monitoring triggers and executing workflows automatically. You set it up once, and it handles the repetitive work forever.

Workflow 1: Auto-Organize Downloads with Smart File Renaming

Your first workflow monitors your downloads folder and automatically renames files according to Plex's naming conventions.

How It Works

Trigger: Watches your qBittorrent or Deluge download completion directory

File Check: Filters for video files (.mkv, .mp4, .avi)

Parse Filename: Extracts show name, season, episode from existing filename

Rename: Applies Plex format like "Show Name - S01E05 - Episode Title.mkv"

Move: Places renamed file in appropriate media folder

Setting It Up

In n8n, you'll use these nodes:

Webhook or Cron trigger: Runs every 5 minutes to check for new files

Execute Command node: Lists files in download directory

Code node: Parses filenames using regex patterns

Move Binary Data node: Renames and moves files

This workflow eliminates the manual task of fixing incorrectly named downloads before Plex can recognize them.

Workflow 2: Automated Cloud Backup After Download Completion

Every time a torrent finishes downloading, automatically upload it to Google Drive, OneDrive, or Dropbox using SonicBit's Remote Upload feature.

How It Works

Trigger: qBittorrent webhook fires when torrent completes

Get File Info: Retrieves torrent name and download path

HTTP Request: Calls SonicBit API to initiate Remote Upload

Notification: Sends you a Discord/Telegram message confirming backup started

The Power of Remote Upload

SonicBit's Remote Upload handles the heavy lifting. Instead of n8n transferring gigabytes of data, it simply tells your SonicBit account "upload this folder to Google Drive." Your seedbox handles the actual transfer using rclone, which means:

Faster uploads with SonicBit's high-speed connection

Progress tracking through SonicBit's dashboard

Support for multiple cloud providers simultaneously

This workflow turns your seedbox into an automated backup system. Download something once, and it's automatically mirrored to the cloud for long-term storage.

Workflow 3: Metadata Sync and NFO File Generation

Keep your local metadata files synchronized with online databases automatically.

How It Works

Trigger: Monitors media folders for new video files

API Lookup: Queries TMDb or TVDb API for movie/show details

Generate NFO: Creates .nfo metadata file with description, cast, ratings

Download Artwork: Fetches posters and fanart

Save Files: Stores metadata alongside video file

Why This Matters

While Plex and Jellyfin fetch metadata automatically, having local NFO files provides several benefits:

Faster library scanning since metadata is cached locally

Offline access to movie/show information

Backup of metadata if you migrate to a different media server

Override incorrect automatic matches

The workflow runs automatically whenever you add new content. No manual metadata scraping required.

Workflow 4: Post-Processing Pipeline with Quality Checks

Create a comprehensive post-processing workflow that validates, transcodes, and organizes your media files.

How It Works

Trigger: New file detected in downloads folder

Quality Check: Runs FFprobe to verify video isn't corrupted

Conditional Logic:

- If quality is good → Move to media library
- If quality is poor → Send alert and quarantine file

Optional Transcode: Converts to H.265 for space savings if file is large

Update Plex: Triggers library scan via Plex API

Sample Quality Check Logic

bash
n8n Execute Command node runs:

ffprobe -v error -select_streams v:0 -show_entries stream=codec_name,width,height -of json "$FILE_PATH"

n8n parses the JSON output and makes decisions based on resolution and codec. If you've downloaded a 480p file when you wanted 1080p, the workflow catches it before it pollutes your library.

This is especially useful when automating downloads through Sonarr or Radarr. Sometimes lower-quality releases slip through, and this workflow acts as your quality gatekeeper.

Workflow 5: Multi-Service Notification Hub

Stay informed about your media library activity across all your apps and services.

How It Works

Multiple Triggers:

- Sonarr/Radarr webhook for new downloads
- Plex webhook for new content added
- Tautulli webhook for playback events

Format Message: Creates rich notification with poster image, title, quality info

Send Everywhere:

- Discord message to your media server channel
- Telegram notification to your phone
- Email digest for weekly summaries

Notification Examples

When a movie downloads through Radarr:

🎬 New Movie Added
The Matrix Resurrections (2021)
Quality: 1080p BluRay
Size: 12.4 GB
Status: Uploading to Google Drive...

When someone watches on Plex:

▶️ Now Watching
User: Family-Room-TV
Content: Breaking Bad S05E14
Quality: 1080p (Direct Play)

This workflow centralizes all your media notifications into one place. Instead of checking multiple apps, you get a complete picture of your media ecosystem's activity.

Combining Workflows for Maximum Automation

The real power emerges when you chain these workflows together. Here's a complete automation pipeline:

Radarr grabs a movie → Torrent downloads via qBittorrent

Workflow 4 validates quality → Passes quality check

Workflow 1 renames file → Moves to Plex library

Workflow 3 fetches metadata and artwork

Workflow 2 uploads to Google Drive via Remote Upload

Workflow 5 sends notification to your phone

Plex automatically detects and adds the movie

You went from download to fully processed, backed up, and cataloged media without touching anything. That's the beauty of n8n automation.

Getting Started with n8n on SonicBit

Setting up n8n on your SonicBit seedbox takes about 30 seconds:

Log into your SonicBit dashboard

Navigate to Apps → Browse All Apps

Click "Deploy" on n8n

Access n8n at your-username.n8n.sonicbit.net (automatic HTTPS included)

From there, import workflow templates or build your own by connecting nodes visually. The learning curve is gentle since you're not writing code—just configuring how data flows between services.

Conclusion

n8n transforms your SonicBit seedbox from a simple download server into an intelligent media management system. These five workflows eliminate hours of manual work each week, ensure consistent organization, and keep your entire media library synchronized across services.

The best part? You don't need programming knowledge. If you can drag boxes and connect lines, you can build these workflows. Start with one simple automation—maybe the auto-rename workflow—and expand from there as you see the time savings add up.

Your media library deserves automation. Let n8n handle the boring stuff while you enjoy your content.

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