Once I had set up my Plex media server and added some media to it, I encountered problems with the correct metadata being displayed for my media. In this guide, I will share my experience of resolving many of these issues by organising and naming your files.
The filenames I had used were the leading cause of the wrong metadata being displayed. I’m writing this guide based on my own experiences.
Media Server File Structure
My media server currently has a folder for Music, Television, and Films folder.
The Music, Television, and Film Library in Plex should link to the corresponding folder for each library. This Link tells Plex where media data files are stored.
Music
If an album comprises more than one disc, create a distinct folder for each using the naming convention below. If the album is a compilation of artists, the artist is Various artists.
Artist – Album Name – Disc(Only if the album is spread over multiple discs).
Films
To help me organise my movie files, I have created a subfolder for any film collections I own and had added to my Plex Media Server. I currently have a subfolder for Star Wars, where all my Star Wars films are located.
The filename for a film must match the following format.
Film name (year of release)
I checked the IMDb database to search for the information I needed to rename my file.
Television
I have deliberately kept television to the end. In my opinion, it is the most complicated and most likely to cause issues with the wrong metadata being displayed.
It would be best if you used the following file naming format.
Program Name (year of first season broadcast) Sxx E xx
The S is for the season, and E is for Episode in that specific season which can be found by searching the TVDB database.
Conclusion
I hope you found this helpful guide, and any comments or suggestions you wish to make are welcome.
You might also be interested in reading my guide on setting up a Plex media server on Windows.
Last updated and edited on 03/05/2025,