Run Quven from install to playback.
Install the server, connect your devices, and stream your library the way you set it up. Everything below reflects current availability and clearly marks launch and post-launch surfaces.
Overview
Quven is a self-hosted media server for your movies, TV shows and documentaries. You install it on a machine you own, point it at your folders, sign in with a free Quven Account, and stream to desktop, web, and native mobile apps on your devices — at home and, optionally, from anywhere. Your media files stay on your hardware.
Install the server
Download the installer for your platform from quven.tv/download. Everything is included — there's nothing else to install.
.msiWindows 10 and 11. One-click installer with automatic updates..pkgFor macOS 13 and later on Intel (x64) or Apple silicon (ARM64). Signed and notarized by Apple.AppImageServer-only x64 and ARM64 AppImages available; ARM64 is released without a native hardware test. Desktop client planned post-v1.- Install and launch. The server starts automatically in the background.
- Sign in or register. Quven clients start from Quven Account at accounts.quven.tv.
- Link the server. On first run, attach the server to your account; that account becomes the owner.
- Add a library. Point Quven at your media folders and run a scan (below).
- Pick a profile. Create household profiles, optionally add PINs, then choose who is watching.
Connect your devices
Sign in first, then pick a local server discovered on your LAN or a remote server already linked to your account. Native apps are the premium path; the web client remains the polished fallback for quick access and guest machines.
Native desktop app
Windows and macOS today, with signed and notarized macOS packages for Intel and Apple silicon. Linux v1 is server-only, with its desktop client planned post-v1. Full direct play, hardware decoding, untouched HD audio and advanced subtitles.
Web client
Opened in any modern browser after Quven Account sign-in — the universal fallback for guest machines or quick access without installing. Cinematic UI, with playback handled over HLS.
Native Android app
Kotlin and Jetpack Compose client for phone and tablet, in the v1 launch scope with device QA completed. The Play closed-test and production-access gates remain open. Android TV / Fire TV follows in v1.1.
Exclusive iPhone and iPad app
An exclusive Apple-native Quven experience built in SwiftUI, not wrapped from the web and not recycled from desktop — dynamic iPad layouts, pointer-aware controls, keyboard shortcuts, widgets, PiP and AirPlay handoff. It remains in the v1 launch scope with App Store distribution gates open; Apple TV (tvOS) follows in v1.1.
On a different subnet or VPN? Enter the server address manually instead of relying on automatic discovery. The native Android and Apple mobile apps launch together with desktop and web; Android TV / Fire TV and Apple TV (tvOS) follow in v1.1, and web Smart-TV wrappers in v1.2.
Libraries & scanning
Add a folder, pick a type, and let Quven match it against TMDb. Scans are always started by you.
Add a library
In server settings, create a library of type Movies, TV Shows or Documentaries and point it at a folder on the server machine. Run a scan; progress shows live and a cancelled scan can be resumed.
Matching & metadata
Each file is matched against TMDb from its name. Optional AI disambiguation resolves tricky cases. If a match is wrong, open the item and Fix match to pick the right title.
Avatar (2009).mkv— include the yearBreaking Bad/Season 1/S01E01.mkv— episodes by seasonInception/Inception.2010.2160p.mkv+Inception.2010.1080p.mkv— variants of one title
Multiple files per title. 4K + 1080p, different audio languages, theatrical and extended cuts all live under one entry — the detail page shows a Sources picker to choose at play time.
Playback
Quven plays the original file untouched whenever the client can handle it, and transcodes only when it must.
Direct play
Streams the source as-is over the network — lowest latency, no transcoding. Used when the client supports the video, audio, container and subtitles natively, which the desktop apps do for far more formats than browsers.
Hardware transcoding
When direct play isn't possible, the server transcodes on the fly, using your GPU where available (NVIDIA, Intel, AMD, Apple). HDR sources are tone-mapped to SDR for clients that need it.
- Subtitles — text tracks (SRT, ASS, VTT) and image tracks (PGS) — burned in when a stream can't carry them.
- HD audio — the original audio is served untouched to the native players; phone and tablet clients focus on format, subtitle and HDR coverage.
- HDR tone-mapping — HDR10 sources mapped to SDR with GPU acceleration where supported.
- Resume — picks up where you left off, per user, including the next episode of a show.
Account & plans
Quven Account is the single identity for desktop, web, and native mobile clients. One account covers the household, its profiles and every server linked to it.
The complete local self-hosted experience, forever: native clients, hardware transcoding, matching, multi-file variants, unlimited profiles and do-it-yourself remote access.
Everything in Free, plus the hosted premium web client and zero-config managed relay for access from anywhere.
Everything in Pro, plus the coming Max extras — on-demand AI subtitle translation arrives with v1.4, with the subtitle editor, custom theming and DVR scheduling landing in later releases.
Founders. The window is open now and capped at 100 accounts. Eligible new accounts get Pro through 31 December 2026, then keep a permanent Founder discount. See the plans for the full breakdown.
Remote access
Reach your server from outside your home two ways — one you run, one we run.
Do-it-yourself · Free
Open a port, use a reverse proxy, or a tunnel like Tailscale. Quven never charges you to reach your own server — this stays free.
Managed relay · Pro
Sign in with your account and the client dials your server through Quven's relay — no port-forwarding, no DNS, works behind strict NAT. A fair-use bandwidth allowance applies.
Supported formats
Native clients direct-play a wide range; browsers receive a transcoded stream when they can't decode the source.
MKV, MP4, WebM and more — served as-is to native clients, remuxed or transcoded to HLS for browsers.
H.264, HEVC, AV1, VP9 direct-play on native clients. Browsers get H.264 (or HEVC where supported) via transcode. VVC sources play through transcode.
AAC, AC3, EAC3, DTS, TrueHD and FLAC on native clients, served untouched; browsers fall back to stereo/AAC when they can't decode a track.
SRT, ASS and VTT text tracks; PGS image tracks burned in when needed. Advanced ASS styling is preserved on native clients.
Streaming DRM (Widevine, PlayReady, FairPlay) is out of scope. Quven serves your own files.
Privacy & diagnostics
Local-first by design. Diagnostics are disclosed, scrubbed and default-on with an opt-out.
- Account required — first login and periodic token refresh need the internet; offline grace is about seven days.
- Scrubbed — if enabled, crash and playback reports have file paths, addresses and emails removed before sending.
- Media stays local — your files and library folders stay on your server; profile data such as watchlists, ratings, reviews and resume points sync through Quven Account.
Languages
The apps and localized metadata ship in three languages today.
Troubleshooting & FAQ
The quick answers to the things that come up most.
Setup & libraries
A scan didn't find my files, or matched the wrong title.
Check the naming first: include the year, e.g. "Avatar (2009).mkv", and for episodes use "Show Name S01E01.mkv" or season folders. Make sure the account running the server can read the folder. If a single item matched the wrong title, open its detail page and use Fix match to pick the correct result from the search. Scans are always started by you — re-run the scan after renaming.
I have the same movie in 4K and 1080p — will I get two entries?
No. Multiple files for the same title (4K + 1080p, different audio languages, theatrical + extended cuts) live under one library entry. The detail page shows a Sources picker so you choose the variant at play time.
Does Quven keep scanning my folders in the background?
No. Scans are user-initiated, so nothing touches your disks unless you ask. Start a scan after you add files; progress shows live and a cancelled scan can be resumed.
Playback
My browser can't play a file — is something broken?
No. Browsers can't decode every container and codec, so when direct play isn't possible the server transcodes the file on the fly to a browser-friendly HLS stream. Native desktop apps cover the desktop-class output chain with untouched HD audio; native Android and iPhone/iPad apps focus on broad codec and subtitle playback on mobile devices.
What's the difference between direct play and transcoding?
Direct play streams the original file untouched — lowest latency, no extra CPU. It's used when the client can handle the video, audio, container and subtitles as-is (the native apps handle far more than browsers). When it can't, the server transcodes with FFmpeg, using hardware acceleration where available.
Playback buffers when I watch from outside my home.
Remote playback is limited by your home upload speed. Lower the quality in the player settings, or watch on the native app which can direct-play instead of transcoding. The managed relay (Pro) removes the network setup, but bandwidth is still bound by your connection.
Accounts, plans & privacy
Do I need an account to use Quven?
Yes. Quven Account is the single entry point for desktop, web and native mobile clients. Sign in or register first, then pick a server discovered on your LAN, connect to a remote server linked to your account, or finish setting up a new self-hosted server.
Is Quven really free?
Yes. The complete local self-hosted experience — native clients, hardware transcoding, library matching, multi-file variants, unlimited profiles and do-it-yourself remote access — is free for home use, forever. The hosted web client and managed relay require Pro; other paid tiers add services that run on Quven's cloud and carry an ongoing cost.
What does Quven collect about me?
Quven Account stores the identity, linked servers and profile data needed to sync watchlists, ratings, reviews and resume points. Your media files and library folders stay on your server. Diagnostics are on by default as a security and stability measure, with clear disclosure and an opt-out in settings; crash and playback reports scrub file paths, addresses and emails.
Platforms & roadmap
Are there mobile and TV apps?
The Windows and macOS desktop clients and hosted Pro web client are available today. macOS ships signed and notarized for Intel and Apple silicon, while Linux v1 is server-only for x64 and ARM64; ARM64 is released without a native hardware test. Its desktop client is planned after v1. Native Android and iPhone/iPad clients remain in launch preparation, with their Play closed-test/production-access and App Store distribution gates still open; Android TV / Fire TV and Apple TV follow in v1.1, with Smart TV wrappers in v1.2.
Can I move my library from another media server?
The folder layout is the same idea: point Quven at your existing media folders and it scans and matches them. Watchlists and ratings are re-added in Quven rather than imported in v1.
What about music and photos?
v1 focuses on Movies, TV Shows and Documentaries. Music comes in a later release; photos are further out.
Still stuck?
Visit support