--- title: I let this free open-source tool optimize my Plex... description: Unmanic, a free open-source media processing tool, can automatically re-encode Plex library files from H.264 to H.265 and strip unused audio tracks. Running it... canonical: https://daily.dev/posts/i-let-this-free-open-source-tool-optimize-my-plex-library-and-reclaimed-8tb-of-storage-mlflpkbjp twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:site: @dailydotdev og:type: website og:site_name: daily.dev og:title: I let this free open-source tool optimize my Plex library and reclaimed 8TB of storage | daily.dev og:description: Unmanic, a free open-source media processing tool, can automatically re-encode Plex library files from H.264 to H.265 and strip unused audio tracks. Running it... og:url: https://daily.dev/posts/i-let-this-free-open-source-tool-optimize-my-plex-library-and-reclaimed-8tb-of-storage-mlflpkbjp og:image: https://api.daily.dev/og/posts/MlFLpKbjp.png og:image:alt: I let this free open-source tool optimize my Plex library and reclaimed 8TB of storage og:image:width: 1200 og:image:height: 630 og:locale: en --- > ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://daily.dev/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # I let this free open-source tool optimize my Plex library and reclaimed 8TB of storage **[XDA Developers](https://daily.dev/sources/xda-developers)** · 4 min read · 0 upvotes · 0 comments ## Summary Unmanic, a free open-source media processing tool, can automatically re-encode Plex library files from H.264 to H.265 and strip unused audio tracks. Running it via Docker with a simple plugin setup — a video encoder, audio track remover, and File Size Metrics — the author reclaimed nearly 8TB of storage without buying additional drives. The post covers setup basics, a recommended test-first approach with a small folder and single worker, and tips for scheduling workers to avoid impacting streaming performance. ## Full article daily.dev links to this article rather than hosting it. Read it at the original source: ## Questions this post answers ### How can I reduce the storage size of my Plex media library without buying new drives? Installing Unmanic, a free open-source tool, and pointing it at a Plex library lets it automatically re-encode older H.264 files to H.265 and strip unneeded audio tracks, shrinking file sizes without manual re-ripping. One user reclaimed almost 8TB this way. Unmanic runs via Docker, needs access to a config folder, the media library, and a cache folder, and offers a plugin called File Size Metrics to track savings per job. _daily.dev surfaces practical storage-saving workflows for developers managing self-hosted media libraries._ ### What is the safest way to set up Unmanic before running it on an entire media library? Create a small test folder with a few different file types, run Unmanic with a single worker, and confirm the converted files keep correct audio and play properly in Plex before pointing it at the full library. Workers can then be scaled up gradually while monitoring Plex responsiveness, and scheduled to run more heavily overnight to avoid disrupting active streams. _Developers automating home lab workflows can track cautious rollout practices like this via daily.dev._ ## Similar posts on daily.dev - [I let this free tool re-encode my Plex library overnight, and my media drive is half empty again](https://daily.dev/posts/i-let-this-free-tool-re-encode-my-plex-library-overnight-and-my-media-drive-is-half-empty-again-dbhbqqoid) · XDA Developers · 0 upvotes · 0 comments - [I let Claude Code optimize my Plex library and reclaimed 8TB of storage](https://daily.dev/posts/i-let-claude-code-optimize-my-plex-library-and-reclaimed-8tb-of-storage-fi0adxhrc) · XDA Developers · 0 upvotes · 0 comments - [My Plex library was a mess, but this useful app cleaned it up](https://daily.dev/posts/my-plex-library-was-a-mess-but-this-useful-app-cleaned-it-up-kpqg1yyqt) · XDA Developers · 0 upvotes · 0 comments - [The 10MB Discord Limit Drove Me to Build a Self-Hosted GPU Video Compressor](https://daily.dev/posts/the-10mb-discord-limit-drove-me-to-build-a-self-hosted-gpu-video-compressor-gnkmzhtyo) · Noted · 56 upvotes · 5 comments --- Tags: [#docker](https://daily.dev/tags/docker) [View this post on daily.dev](https://daily.dev/posts/i-let-this-free-open-source-tool-optimize-my-plex-library-and-reclaimed-8tb-of-storage-mlflpkbjp) ```json {"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://daily.dev/#organization","name":"daily.dev","url":"https://daily.dev","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://daily.dev/apple-touch-icon.png","width":180,"height":180},"sameAs":["https://twitter.com/dailydotdev","https://github.com/dailydotdev","https://www.linkedin.com/company/daily-dev-ltd"]},{"@type":"WebSite","@id":"https://daily.dev/#website","url":"https://daily.dev","name":"daily.dev","publisher":{"@id":"https://daily.dev/#organization"},"potentialAction":{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https://daily.dev/search?q={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}}]} {"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"TechArticle","headline":"I let this free open-source tool optimize my Plex library and reclaimed 8TB of storage","url":"https://daily.dev/posts/i-let-this-free-open-source-tool-optimize-my-plex-library-and-reclaimed-8tb-of-storage-mlflpkbjp","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://daily.dev/posts/i-let-this-free-open-source-tool-optimize-my-plex-library-and-reclaimed-8tb-of-storage-mlflpkbjp"},"datePublished":"2026-08-01T19:03:05.198Z","dateModified":"2026-09-14T07:03:31.524Z","description":"Unmanic, a free open-source media processing tool, can automatically re-encode Plex library files from H.264 to H.265 and strip unused audio tracks. 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