How to record ratings after each meeting for film club hosts

Learn how film club hosts record ratings after each meeting, from a shared IMDb list to the tools that turn it into a viewing library.

By VLClean · 2026-11-04

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

Film club hosts can record ratings after each meeting by keeping a shared public IMDb watchlist or list for the club's picks. If they want the rated titles added to the home library automatically, Watcharr turns that list into one link for Radarr and one for Sonarr. ^[1]

Option	How ratings are recorded	Cost details
Watcharr	Paste one public IMDb list and get one link for Radarr and one for Sonarr. ^[1]	not published
Shared IMDb list	Members put the club's ratings into a public IMDb watchlist or list. ^[1]	not published

What you need before you start

A film club host records what the club rated after each meeting so the picks are kept in one place. Before that, decide what the club does with the ratings, such as keeping a record of what was watched that week or building a list of titles to watch next.

Agree on one place where the ratings live. A public IMDb watchlist or list will do the job, because Watcharr takes those. ^[1] A club keeps its picks on a public IMDb list, and Watcharr turns that list into links that Radarr and Sonarr check. The list must be public, because a private list is not read. ^[1]

Know how the club's rated films are meant to be watched. Radarr and Sonarr are free helper programs that find and add movies (Radarr) and shows (Sonarr) to a library. If the club wants the rated titles added to a shared library, have those ready. Decide who updates the list after each meeting so the record stays current.

Pick how many lists the club needs. A single public list can hold all the picks, or members can keep their own lists and combine them later. ^[1] Keep the list public, because Watcharr accepts public lists. ^[1]

Step by step

Decide what the club records after a meeting, such as a rating for each film, the titles everyone wants to watch next, or a shortlist of the month.

Put the record on a public IMDb watchlist or list, one entry per film, and note the rating next to each title so the club's decision is kept.

Choose one person to own the list. That person adds the meeting's picks after each session and fixes any entry that was named wrongly.

Set a rule for how a film joins the watchlist, such as a vote at the meeting or a title any member can add before the next session.

If the club wants the rated films in a shared watching library, paste the same public IMDb list into Watcharr once. ^[1] Watcharr returns one link for Radarr with the movies and one for Sonarr with the shows. ^[1]

Add those two links to the reader's own Radarr and Sonarr. Each link acts like a small Radarr or Sonarr server, so Radarr checks it every 15 minutes and Sonarr every 5. ^[1]

After each meeting, add the new titles to the same list. The links are built from the IMDb list's id, so the same list always gives the same two links. ^[1]

As a club habit, review the list once a week and remove titles the club has already watched or rated, so the next meeting starts from a clean record.

Tools that can do it

Watcharr is a web app you paste, copy and browse from any screen; the one-click sticker shows on bigger screens. ^[1] The hosted version needs nothing to install and no account. ^[1]

Watcharr is a way to turn a public IMDb list into links for Radarr and Sonarr. ^[1] You paste one public IMDb list and get one link for Radarr with the movies and one for Sonarr with the shows. ^[1] Each link is built from the IMDb list's id, so the same list always gives the same two links. ^[1] Radarr checks the movie link every 15 minutes and Sonarr the show link every 5. ^[1] The shows list is checked against TheTVDB through TVMaze and TMDB; shows it cannot match are left out, and Watcharr tells you which ones it skipped. ^[1]

If several members keep separate public lists, a signed-in user can combine them into one Radarr link and one Sonarr link for the whole club, and a title on two lists is added only once. ^[1] Clicking one button inside Radarr or Sonarr adds the list for you, and the key stays on your own setup. ^[1]

The web page shows the list's covers in a row, each opening The Movie Database's plot, genres, rating, backdrop and trailer. ^[1] When you are signed in, Watcharr refreshes your list about every 15 minutes and warns you if three refreshes in a row fail. ^[1] If a refresh fails, Watcharr keeps using the last list that loaded correctly. ^[1]

Commercial use is not licensed. ^[1]

Other tools are not covered here. Before choosing one, check how each handles lists, updates and ratings, and how the rated picks move into the home library.

Common mistakes to avoid

Avoid using a private IMDb list. Watcharr accepts a public list, so keep the club's record public or it will not be read. ^[1]

Avoid relying on the two links during a long outage. Scheduled reads can be delayed, so check the list again if a meeting's picks are slow to appear. ^[1] If a read fails, the links keep serving the last list that loaded correctly. ^[1]

Avoid expecting a show link to add every show. Shows without a TheTVDB id are skipped, and Watcharr tells you which ones were left out. ^[1]

Avoid leaving the record to no one. Name one member to add the meeting's ratings each week, or the list becomes stale and the next meeting starts with the old record.

Avoid skipping a check of what a tool asks for and what access it uses before sharing the club's list with members.

Frequently asked questions

How can film club hosts record ratings after each meeting?

A film club host keeps the club's ratings in one place, such as a public IMDb watchlist or list, and names one member to add the meeting's picks after each session. ^[1] If the rated films should go into a shared home library, the host can paste the same list into Watcharr and get links for Radarr and Sonarr. ^[1] The process stays the same each week, so pick a routine and stick to it.

Does Watcharr read any IMDb list?

Watcharr accepts any public IMDb watchlist or list from the desktop site, the phone site or IMDb's other-language pages. ^[1] The list must be public, because Watcharr reads a public list. ^[1] Each public list produces one link for Radarr with the movies and one for Sonarr with the shows. ^[1]

How often does Watcharr check the club's list?

The links are checked every 15 minutes for movies and every 5 for shows. ^[1] Scheduled runs can be delayed, so allow time for new entries to appear. If you are signed in, Watcharr re-reads the list about every 15 minutes. ^[1] If a read fails, the links keep serving the last list that loaded correctly. ^[1]

Can the club rate films without installing Watcharr?

The record itself can live in a shared public IMDb list without any tool, since the ratings are just list entries. ^[1] Watcharr is added only when the club wants the rated films turned into Radarr and Sonarr links for a shared home library. ^[1] The hosted version needs nothing to install and no account. ^[1]

What should film club hosts check before choosing a ratings tool?

Check how a tool records ratings, whether it accepts the club's list, how often it updates the record after a meeting, and how the rated picks move into the home library. Commercial use is not licensed, and no commercial licence is for sale. ^[1] Compare those details with how the club keeps its ratings 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)