How to Use Plex with Real Debrid for Streaming

plex realdebrid streaming

In today’s digital age, the amount of content available for streaming is overwhelming. Among the several streaming options available, a setup that combines Plex with Real Debrid stands out due to its unique capabilities. This guide, based on the instructions from the GitHub repository plex_debrid, will walk you through the process of setting up Plex with Real Debrid for streaming.

What is Plex Debrid?

Plex Debrid allows you to stream content from torrent sources using Debrid services, including Real Debrid. It works with your personal media server, like Plex, and uses content services such as Plex Discover, Trakt, and Overseerr, enabling users to add movies and shows to their watchlist, which become instantly available for streaming.

The Plex Debrid Setup

A Plex Debrid setup involves three parts:

1. Rclone (or rclone_rd): This program tricks your operating system into thinking that files from your Debrid service are stored locally, while in reality, they’re streamed when you open them. This is why content becomes available almost instantly and why you have unlimited storage, depending on your Debrid service. Nothing is ever downloaded to your server’s hard drive.
2. A personal media server like Plex: This lets you watch these files from anywhere on any device. A hosted server can also be used, the one I use is Hetzner due to its low cost.
3. The plex_debrid script: This brings everything together and provides an easy way to add media content to your Debrid service.

plex debrid in action

Getting Started with Plex Debrid on Linux

To make this setup work, you need to mount at least one Debrid service as a virtual drive. Real Debrid is highly recommended as it often receives updates and new features from Plex Debrid first. Once your Plex server is running, you should avoid downloading from your Debrid service in any way other than through Plex. This means that a single Real Debrid account should be dedicated for this setup.

Preperation:

Open a Linux terminal and execute the following commands:

sudo apt update
sudo apt install screen git python3 python3-pip

Mounting Real Debrid:

Most Debrid services don’t allow you to access their service from multiple IP addresses in parallel. This is not an issue if you have a Plex server running, since everything you stream through Plex (from any location, no matter how many in parallel) is routed through your server’s IP address.

To mount Real Debrid, execute the following commands in your Linux terminal:

wget https://github.com/itsToggle/rclone_RD/releases/download/v1.58.1-rd.2.2/rclone-linux
chmod u+x ./rclone-linux
./rclone-linux config

Then, in the rclone config menu:

• Type ’n’ to create a new rclone remote
• Type ‘realdebrid’ to name your new remote “realdebrid”
• Type ‘47’ to choose the remote type “47) realdebrid”
• Enter your Real Debrid API key (https://real-debrid.com/apitoken)
• Choose “no” when asked for advanced settings
• Continue through the rest of the prompted instructions.
• Type ‘q’ to quit the rclone config menu.

Next, create a directory and start a new screen session:

mkdir torrents
screen -S rclone

Then, mount your remote in the new screen session:

./rclone-linux mount realdebrid: torrents --dir-cache-time 10s --allow-other

Press Ctrl + a, then d to detach from the screen session. To confirm that you've successfully mounted Real Debrid, use ls torrents. If you see the folders "default", "movies" and "shows", you're good to go!

Setting Up Plex Debrid:

In your Linux terminal, clone the Plex Debrid repository and install its requirements:

git clone https://github.com/itsToggle/plex_debrid
pip install -r ./plex_debrid/requirements.txt

Then, start a new screen session and run the Plex Debrid main script:

screen -S plex_debrid
python ./plex_debrid/main.py

Follow the setup instructions that appear. To start the download automation, choose option “1) Run”.

That’s it! Setting up Plex with Real Debrid provides a powerful streaming solution that leverages the benefits of both platforms. While the initial setup may require some technical know-how, the rewards in terms of streaming experience and content availability make it well worth the effort. Enjoy your enhanced streaming experience!