Common Setups

These are complete docker-compose.yml examples for common self-hosted audiobook stacks. Copy one, adjust the paths, and docker compose up -d.

Narratorr + qBittorrent + Audiobookshelf

The most common self-hosted audiobook stack. qBittorrent handles torrents, Narratorr organizes, Audiobookshelf serves your library.

services:
  narratorr:
    image: narratorr/narratorr:latest
    container_name: narratorr
    ports:
      - "3000:3000"
    volumes:
      - ./config/narratorr:/config
      - /data/audiobooks:/audiobooks
      - /data/downloads:/downloads
    restart: unless-stopped

  qbittorrent:
    image: lscr.io/linuxserver/qbittorrent:latest
    container_name: qbittorrent
    environment:
      - PUID=1000
      - PGID=1000
    ports:
      - "8080:8080"
    volumes:
      - ./config/qbittorrent:/config
      - /data/downloads:/downloads
    restart: unless-stopped

  audiobookshelf:
    image: ghcr.io/advplyr/audiobookshelf:latest
    container_name: audiobookshelf
    ports:
      - "13378:80"
    volumes:
      - ./config/audiobookshelf:/config
      - /data/audiobooks:/audiobooks
    restart: unless-stopped

Key points:

• /data/downloads is shared between Narratorr and qBittorrent — Narratorr can see completed downloads
• /data/audiobooks is shared between Narratorr and Audiobookshelf — imported books appear automatically
• qBittorrent WebUI: http://localhost:8080 (default credentials: admin / adminadmin)
• Audiobookshelf: http://localhost:13378

Tip

Set up a webhook notification to trigger an Audiobookshelf library scan when Narratorr imports a book.

Narratorr + SABnzbd + Audiobookshelf

The Usenet variant. SABnzbd handles NZB downloads instead of torrents.

services:
  narratorr:
    image: narratorr/narratorr:latest
    container_name: narratorr
    ports:
      - "3000:3000"
    volumes:
      - ./config/narratorr:/config
      - /data/audiobooks:/audiobooks
      - /data/downloads:/downloads
    restart: unless-stopped

  sabnzbd:
    image: lscr.io/linuxserver/sabnzbd:latest
    container_name: sabnzbd
    environment:
      - PUID=1000
      - PGID=1000
    ports:
      - "8080:8080"
    volumes:
      - ./config/sabnzbd:/config
      - /data/downloads:/downloads
    restart: unless-stopped

  audiobookshelf:
    image: ghcr.io/advplyr/audiobookshelf:latest
    container_name: audiobookshelf
    ports:
      - "13378:80"
    volumes:
      - ./config/audiobookshelf:/config
      - /data/audiobooks:/audiobooks
    restart: unless-stopped

Key points:

• SABnzbd API key is found in SABnzbd’s Config > General > API Key
• SABnzbd WebUI: http://localhost:8080
• When configuring SABnzbd in Narratorr, use sabnzbd as the host (Docker service name), not localhost

Narratorr + Transmission + Plex

For Plex users who prefer Transmission’s lightweight footprint.

services:
  narratorr:
    image: narratorr/narratorr:latest
    container_name: narratorr
    ports:
      - "3000:3000"
    volumes:
      - ./config/narratorr:/config
      - /data/audiobooks:/audiobooks
      - /data/downloads:/downloads
    restart: unless-stopped

  transmission:
    image: lscr.io/linuxserver/transmission:latest
    container_name: transmission
    environment:
      - PUID=1000
      - PGID=1000
    ports:
      - "9091:9091"
    volumes:
      - ./config/transmission:/config
      - /data/downloads:/downloads
    restart: unless-stopped

Key points:

• Transmission RPC: http://localhost:9091 (default port 9091)
• Transmission doesn’t support categories — downloads go to the default directory
• Plex is typically already running separately. Point a Plex audiobook library at /data/audiobooks and enable periodic scanning
• Plex doesn’t auto-detect new files like Audiobookshelf — you’ll need to trigger a library scan manually or on a schedule

Narratorr Standalone

Just Narratorr managing your downloads and library folder — no media server. Useful if you listen to audiobooks directly from the filesystem or use a player that reads folders.

services:
  narratorr:
    image: narratorr/narratorr:latest
    container_name: narratorr
    ports:
      - "3000:3000"
    volumes:
      - ./config/narratorr:/config
      - /data/audiobooks:/audiobooks
      - /data/downloads:/downloads
    restart: unless-stopped

Pair this with whichever download client you already have running. Configure it in Settings > Download Clients using the download client’s hostname and port.