Plex shares, specifically discussed on the subreddit /r/plexshares, refers to the sharing of Plex media server access among users. Although the subreddit has been closed since May 19, 2022.
What happens in a Plex Share servers is that a single user shares their library with other people usually with content numbering in the tens of thousands of movies, shows, anime etc.
This is usually paid, about $5 or $10 a month typically for a server with 25,000+ movies/shows. This is all against the TOS of Plex. Basically, people who do this are creating their own full fledged streaming service with the one big selling point being you get content from all streaming services in one place for a dirt cheap price and an amazing interface.
I will not be commenting on it is correct to or not (it is obviously piracy, but people have a lot of conflicting opinions), as this article is just to provide you with a rough outline of what Plex shares are.
Why Plex Shares
Simple, it’s easy money for people with almost no technical knowledge needed. I have seen people inviting 100–200 people on a server costing as little as $100 a month, and charging them $10/person for usage. This is easily $1000-$2000 a month for sharing their Plex server which they already maintain for their loved ones.
Plex is extremely reliable and there are little issues that the admin has to fix. Most of the users of the Plex server don’t log in simultaneously so the server is not overloaded. Additionally, some keen admins also sell access to limited slots worldwide, so that due to a difference in time zones there is less load on the server.
Plex was not intended for this and a lot of the Plex community are vocal about not supporting it. Especially when it leads to legitimate users getting a warning from Plex for no reason.
How Does it Work
- A Plex Media Server: The admin needs a reliable server setup that can handle multiple streams simultaneously. This could be a dedicated hardware server or a computer that’s always on. Most people use Hetzner as it is the cheapest way to get a Windows server set up.
- Organize Your Media: The media library is well-organized into folders by the admin, with correct metadata for easy navigation by users.
- Create Access Tiers: Then the admin decides what access cost to give and some admins give free trials as well.
- Set Up Payment and Membership System: Then they set up a payment system and a way to manage users’ subscriptions and access.
- Marketing: They market their Plex Share server to potential customers. This could involve creating a website, using social media, or joining relevant online communities. The main community right now can be found here.
- Customer Support: The admin then provides support for the users to resolve any technical issues they may encounter.
- Maintenance: They regularly update the server and media library, and ensure that the streaming service runs smoothly.
- Submissions: They also set up a way to ask for any content which is then added by the admin or even automatically.
The Ban and Plex’s Response
Eventually, Plex did catch up and started warning the users as well as started banning the admin accounts. Still, as per my knowledge, the admin just creates a new account and starts all over again.
Reddit banned /r/Plexshares and /r/Embyshares (a similar community based on Emby) due to repeated infringing posts in 2022. You can see a snippet of their introduction.
All of this is just a Google search away, and people can still join these servers which are freely available. This does not resonate well with the ethos of Plex or most of the Plex community as you can find out by looking at the /r/Plex community posts.
I have never joined a plex share, nor will ever join one. That is pretty much all :)
What do you think about it, let me know below!
