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Initial Setup

After installing Cinephage, you need to complete the initial setup to configure essential settings. This tutorial walks you through the setup wizard and initial configuration.

Prerequisites​

  • Cinephage installed and running
  • Access to the web interface at http://localhost:3000
  • A TMDB account (free registration)

Step 1: Access the Setup Wizard​

When you first open Cinephage, you will see the setup wizard. This guides you through essential first-time configuration.

If you see a login screen instead of the wizard, initial setup has already been completed.

Step 2: Create Admin Account​

The first step is creating your administrator account:

  1. Enter your name
  2. Enter your email address
  3. Create a password (minimum 8 characters)
  4. Confirm your password
  5. Click Create Account

This account has full administrative access to configure and manage Cinephage.

Step 3: Get Your TMDB API Key​

Cinephage uses The Movie Database (TMDB) for metadata. You need a free API key:

  1. Go to themoviedb.org/settings/api
  2. Log in or create a free account
  3. Click Request API Key
  4. Select Developer
  5. Fill out the form:
    • Type of Use: Personal
    • Application Name: Cinephage
    • Application URL: Your Cinephage URL or http://localhost:3000
    • Application Summary: Personal media management
  6. Agree to the terms and submit
  7. Copy your API Key (not the API Read Access Token)

Step 4: Configure TMDB in Cinephage​

Return to the Cinephage setup wizard:

  1. Paste your TMDB API Key into the field
  2. Click Verify to test the connection
  3. Once verified, click Continue

Step 5: Set Root Folders​

Root folders define where Cinephage stores your media library:

Add a Movies Root Folder​

  1. Click Add Root Folder
  2. Enter a name: Movies
  3. Enter the path: /media/movies (or your actual path)
  4. Click Add

Add a TV Shows Root Folder​

  1. Click Add Root Folder again
  2. Enter a name: TV Shows
  3. Enter the path: /media/tv (or your actual path)
  4. Click Add

Path Guidelines:

  • Use the path as seen inside the Docker container
  • If you mounted /mnt/media:/media in Docker, use /media/movies
  • Ensure Cinephage has read/write permissions to these paths
  • Do not nest root folders (e.g., do not put TV inside Movies)

Step 6: Configure Download Client (Optional)​

You can set up your download client now or skip and configure later:

qBittorrent Setup​

  1. Select qBittorrent from the dropdown
  2. Enter the host: localhost or your download client IP
  3. Enter the port: 8080 (default qBittorrent web UI port)
  4. Enter username and password
  5. Click Test to verify connection
  6. Click Add

SABnzbd Setup​

  1. Select SABnzbd from the dropdown
  2. Enter the URL: http://localhost:8080
  3. Enter your API key from SABnzbd
  4. Click Test to verify
  5. Click Add

Skip This Step: If you do not have a download client yet, click Skip. You can configure this later in Settings.

Step 7: Review Settings​

Review your configuration:

  • Admin account created
  • TMDB API key verified
  • Root folders added
  • Download client configured (if added)

Click Complete Setup to finish.

Step 8: First Login​

You will be redirected to the login screen:

  1. Enter your email and password
  2. Click Sign In

You are now on the Cinephage dashboard.

Post-Setup Configuration​

After completing the wizard, configure these essential settings:

1. Quality Profiles​

Navigate to Settings > Profiles:

  1. Review the default profiles (Quality, Balanced, Compact, Streamer)
  2. Select a default profile for movies
  3. Select a default profile for TV shows
  4. Click Save

2. Indexers​

Navigate to Settings > Integrations > Indexers:

  1. Click Add Indexer
  2. Select an indexer from the list or add a custom YAML indexer
  3. Configure settings:
    • API key (if required)
    • Categories (Movies, TV, etc.)
    • Priority (lower = higher priority)
  4. Click Test to verify
  5. Click Save

Tip: Start with one or two indexers. You can add more later.

3. Monitoring Settings​

Navigate to Settings > Tasks:

  1. Review the monitoring tasks
  2. Enable tasks you want to run automatically:
    • Missing Content Search
    • Upgrade Monitoring
    • New Episode Detection
  3. Set appropriate intervals
  4. Click Save

What You Have Accomplished​

You have successfully:

  • Created an admin account
  • Configured TMDB API access
  • Set up root folders for media storage
  • Configured your download client (optional)
  • Configured quality profiles
  • Added indexers for content discovery
  • Set up automatic monitoring

Verify Everything Works​

Test your setup:

  1. Go to Discover in the navigation
  2. Search for a movie you want to add
  3. Click on it and then click Add to Library
  4. Select your Movies root folder
  5. Choose a quality profile
  6. Enable monitoring
  7. Click Add

The movie should appear in your Library > Movies.

Next Steps​

Now that Cinephage is fully configured, continue to Adding Media to learn the complete workflow for adding and downloading content.

Common Issues​

TMDB API Key Not Working​

  • Ensure you copied the API Key, not the Read Access Token
  • Verify there are no extra spaces when pasting
  • Check that your TMDB account is verified

Cannot Access Root Folders​

  • Verify the volume mounts in Docker Compose
  • Check file permissions (PUID/PGID settings)
  • Ensure the folders exist on your host system

Download Client Connection Failed​

  • If running in Docker, use the host IP instead of localhost
  • Verify the download client web UI is enabled
  • Check firewall rules

Next: Adding Media →