1. Introduction to the Plan#
Set up a Plex Server on a VPS using Docker, with the audio files stored on the VPS. Plex matches the metadata using the Ximalaya plugin. If using an internal NAS or Synology device, simply install the Plex suite and create a music library. Use Prologue on iOS to connect to the Plex server for playback. I'm not sure about Android, but if you purchase Plex Pass, you should be able to use the official music player, Plexamp.
For a tutorial on setting up Plex using Docker, refer to:
https://d3ac.xlog.app/Docker-an-zhuang-Plexmd
2. Plex Server Configuration#
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Create a library
Create a library and select "Music" as the type. Add the appropriate folders. For Linux, pay attention to permission issues. In the Advanced settings, if the audio files are not named properly, it is recommended to select "Personal Media Artists" as the scanner and agent. This way, the audio files will not be scraped.
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Disable automatic scanning of the database and scheduled scanning.
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Install the Ximalaya scraping plugin
Visit the project address: https://github.com/timmy0209/Ximalaya.bundle
Download the zip file. Unzip the downloaded package and search online for articles on how to install Plex plugins for your specific system.
Restart Plex Server to apply the plugin.
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It is recommended to scrape one audiobook at a time and manually modify the matching information. This is also the reason for manually scanning the database.
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After completing one, browse through the albums and correct the matching for the entire album. In the search options, enter the title, select "ximalaya" as the agent, and then choose the matching information to download the metadata.
3. Client Settings#
For iOS, you can use the free Prologue app. If you want to download, you will need the premium version. Simply log in to your Plex account, and all the corresponding Plex Servers will be listed. Select the appropriate server and library.
4. Related Issues#
If the naming is not standardized, the Ximalaya scraping plugin may have poor results, as each audio file may be considered a separate album, making it difficult to make changes. This issue occurred because I did not upload all the audio files at once, but added them later. The new audio files were not scraped into the existing album with metadata, and instead, individual albums were generated, which consumed a lot of resources. Therefore, it is recommended to disable automatic scanning of the library and automatic scraping.
Prologue software shows the server in relay status. Please refer to my Plex setup tutorial for related issues.