How to prepare future additions for home media planners in 2026

Learn how home media planners can prepare future additions with lists, review steps, and tools that connect with media workflows.

By VLClean · 2026-10-26

VLClean is published by the makers of Askarr and Watcharr, which are compared here alongside other tools.

Home media planners can prepare future additions by choosing a list method, checking how titles move into their media workflow, and keeping a clear review process.

Option	Method	Cost details
Watcharr	Paste one public IMDb list and get one link for Radarr with the movies and one link for Sonarr with the shows. ^[1]	The hosted version needs nothing to install and no account. ^[1]
Manual shared list	Save future movie and show ideas in the chosen shared list.	not published
Custom workflow	Use the chosen method for collecting and reviewing future additions.	not published

What you need before you start

Home media planners need a clear way to collect future movie and show ideas before deciding how those titles will move into a library workflow.

Prepare the lists that will hold possible additions and decide whether one person or several people will review titles before they are added.

Keep Radarr and Sonarr ready if they are part of the process for adding movies and shows to the library. Decide which types of titles are suitable for the collection and which ones need approval.

Choose where future additions will be tracked. This can be a list tool, a shared list, or another method that gives a clear place for titles to be gathered.

Check how each option handles list updates, title matching, and the connection between saved ideas and the programs that manage the library.

Step by step

Pick a place where future movie and show ideas will be collected, and decide who can add titles to that place.

Review the way titles will move from the list into the media workflow. Check whether the chosen method connects with the programs already used for managing movies and shows.

Create simple rules for reviewing additions. Write down whether titles are accepted automatically or checked before they become part of the collection.

Prepare the source lists that will be used for future additions. Keep titles organized so it is clear why each movie or show was saved.

Check title matching before relying on a list process. A tool may need outside information to identify a show correctly, so review what happens when a title cannot be matched.

Share the process with anyone who helps manage the collection. Explain where titles are added, who reviews them, and what happens after a title is approved.

Review the workflow after it has been used for a while. Update the rules if the process creates confusion or leaves too many titles waiting for attention.

Tools that can do it

Watcharr is made by the team that publishes this site.

Watcharr lets a self-hoster paste one public IMDb list and get one link for Radarr with the movies and one link for Sonarr with the shows. ^[1] Each link acts like a small Radarr or Sonarr server, so Radarr checks it every 15 minutes and Sonarr every 5 minutes. ^[1]

A bookmark inside Radarr or Sonarr can add the list for the self-hoster using that app's API key without sending it anywhere else. ^[1] Watcharr accepts any public IMDb watchlist or list from the desktop site, the phone site or IMDb's other-language pages. ^[1]

The links are built from the IMDb list's id, so the same list always gives the same two links. ^[1] Watcharr looks up TheTVDB ids through TVMaze and TMDB, leaves out shows it cannot match, and tells the user which ones it skipped. ^[1]

Other methods can include a manual shared list or a separate tracking process. Before choosing an option, check how it handles list sources, matching, updates, and the path from an idea to an added title.

Common mistakes to avoid

Avoid collecting future additions without deciding who reviews them. A clear process helps prevent confusion about which titles should move forward.

Avoid choosing a tool without checking how it handles title matching and updates. A list can be useful only when the workflow around it is understood.

Avoid assuming every saved title will move through the same path. Check what happens when a title cannot be identified or when a list read fails.

Avoid sharing access without reviewing the permissions and information a tool uses. Check account settings and connections before adding a tool to the workflow.

Frequently asked questions

How can Watcharr prepare future additions for home media planners?

Can Watcharr use IMDb watchlists and lists?

Watcharr accepts any public IMDb watchlist or list from the desktop site, the phone site or IMDb's other-language pages. ^[1] The links are built from the IMDb list's id, so the same list always gives the same two links. ^[1]

Does Watcharr need installation before preparing future additions?

The hosted version of Watcharr needs nothing to install and no account. ^[1] Watcharr lets a self-hoster paste one public IMDb list and get one link for Radarr with the movies and one link for Sonarr with the shows. ^[1]

How does Watcharr handle shows it cannot match?

Watcharr looks up TheTVDB ids through TVMaze and TMDB, leaves out shows it cannot match, and tells the user which ones it skipped. ^[1] This helps the workflow show where a title needs attention before it is added.

What should be checked before choosing a future additions tool?

Check how a tool handles list sources, matching, updates, and the way titles move into the media workflow. Watcharr can combine several IMDb lists into one Radarr link and one Sonarr link for the whole household when signed-in users use the shared list feature. ^[1] Compare those details with the way the home media collection is managed before choosing a method.

Its code is available to read under the PolyForm Noncommercial 1.0.0 licence; older versions remain under MIT. ^[1]

Try Watcharr

Sources

Watcharr's own description of itself (the product of this site's publisher)