Plex Media Server for Mac

Plex Media Server for Mac connects your Plex clients with all of your local and online media. The combination of centralized library management, streaming of online content, and transcoding functionality provides flexibility and ease of use.

Plex Media Server for macOS runs on your Mac, PC, or compatible NAS device and serves your media to all of your Plex clients including Plex-enabled mobile devices and Smart TVs.

Features and Highlights

Make your media beautiful
Plex gives you one simple interface to organize all of your media: your movie and TV collection, your music library, and all of your photos and home videos. Plex enriches your media library by adding descriptions, plot summaries, posters, and album covers. Enjoy your media on every TV in the house or on any mobile device on the go.

Plex keeps track of your media
Recently added content is presented front and center so you can instantly see what’s new. Plex also knows which movies and shows you’re watching, so you can easily pick up where you left off or play the next episode.

Available on most devices
Run Plex Media Server on your Windows, Mac or Linux computer and stream to your iOS, Android, Windows Phone 8 or Windows 8.1 device. Have multiple TVs in your house? No problem, Plex also works on Chromecast, Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Google TV, Xbox, PlayStation®, VIZIO, and many late-model smart TVs. Plex is even available on most network-attached storage devices.

Playlists, for endless entertainment
Create your own customized music or video playlists to fit any occasion, including smart playlists based on genre, collection, and more. You can even import existing iTunes playlists, smart playlists, ratings, track counts, and other details! Playlists are available on iOS and in the web app, but Plex team working hard to bring them to all platforms.

Your big screen’s best friend
Plex for Mac liberates you from single-screen viewing. With Plex Companion, you can fling great content from your phone to your TV. Keep watching that movie on your tablet when you head to bed. Pause an episode when the phone rings, skip a track you’ve heard too many times or just find out more about what you’re watching with the world’s best remote control.

Share your media with friends and family
Effortlessly share media among friends, so you can all discover and enjoy even more content together. Exchange precious memories with distant family members by sharing your vacation photos and home videos. Now, you can also see what your friends are streaming from your collection as everyone gets their own view into your library.

Access your favorite online content
Plex Channels provide access to numerous sources of online content, like TED Talks, Vimeo, Revision 3, and more. No matter what your interests are, you’ll be able to find something great to watch or recommend to your friends, all presented in Plex’s gorgeous interface.

World class DLNA support built right in
Plex makes your media beautiful on thousands of DLNA certified devices like the PS3, Xbox 360, and WDTV Live devices without the need to install dedicated apps. Harness the power of the most sophisticated DLNA server available to effortlessly stream nearly any format to your device, right out of the box.

Save it now, watch it later
Easily save online videos from your favorite sites to watch later, even on the big screen. Or share the experience by recommending videos to a friend.

How to Use

Install the app by dragging it to the Applications folder

Open Plex and sign in with your Plex account

Add your media folders under “Libraries” in the Plex dashboard

Plex automatically organizes and fetches metadata for your files

Access your media from other devices using the Plex app or browser

Stream content over your local network or remotely via Plex Pass

Adjust server settings such as transcoding, bandwidth, and users

System Requirements

• macOS 10.13 High Sierra or later
• Intel or Apple Silicon (Rosetta 2 supported)
• At least 2 GB RAM (4 GB or more recommended)
• Sufficient storage for media and metadata
• Internet connection for remote access and metadata

PROS

• Centralized media streaming
• Easy remote access
• Metadata and library management
• Broad device compatibility
• Free core features

CONS

• Premium features behind Plex Pass
• Resource-heavy during transcoding
• Occasional metadata errors
• Complex setup for remote access
• Limited customization in free version

Note: Plex Pass required to use sync, add users to your home, view trailers and other extras, upload content from your mobile devices, use Gracenote Music Magic. Required 64-bit processor.

Also Available: Download Plex Media Server for Windows