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Language Settings

Configure subtitle languages, create language profiles, and manage language mappings.

Selection Tab

Configure which languages are available and how Bazarr handles unknown language tracks.

Subtitles Language

Single Language

Download subtitles without language codes in the filename (e.g., movie.srt instead of movie.en.srt).

Warning

Only enable if your media player doesn't support language codes in filenames. Results may vary. Not recommended.

Languages Filter

Select which languages are available in Bazarr. This filters dropdown menus throughout the UI to show only your enabled languages.

Tip

You can start typing to search for languages quickly.

Embedded Tracks Language

Deep Analyze Media Files for Audio Tracks

When enabled, Bazarr scans media files to detect audio track languages using ffprobe or mediainfo. This is more accurate but slower.

Treat Unknown Language Audio Tracks As

If Bazarr can't identify an audio track's language, assume it is this language. Triggers missing subtitles recalculation when changed.

Example

If all your videos have undefined audio tracks that are actually English, set this to English.

Treat Unknown Embedded Subtitles As

If Bazarr can't identify an embedded subtitle's language, assume it is this language. Triggers full subtitles indexing when changed.

Example

Useful if your embedded subtitles have no language metadata but are in a known language.

Mappings Tab

Create custom language mappings to accept subtitles reported as one language as another canonical language.

Language Mappings

Example

If a provider reports subtitles as "Simplified Chinese" but you want them treated as "Chinese", create a mapping from Simplified Chinese to Chinese.

How Mappings Work:

  • Mappings are one-way (A → B doesn't mean B → A)
  • Mappings apply globally to all searches
  • Useful for non-standard or misspelled language codes from providers

Note

You must have at least one enabled language in the Selection tab before using mappings.

Profiles Tab

Create and manage language profiles that define automatic subtitle selection rules.

Each profile consists of:

  1. Profile Name: A descriptive name (e.g., "English + French", "Spanish Only")

  2. Languages: The languages to include. For each language, configure:

    • Forced Subtitles: Include forced subtitles (subtitles appearing when characters speak foreign languages or for text in scenes)
    • Hearing Impaired (HI): Include hearing-impaired subtitles for accessibility
    • Exclude Audio: Don't download subtitles for this language if the audio matches it

  3. Cutoff Language: (Optional) Stop searching other languages once this language is found

Example

  • Profile: English, Dutch, German, French with cutoff Dutch
  • If Dutch found → Download Dutch and stop searching
  • If Dutch not found → Continue searching German and French
  • English only downloaded if nothing else matches

Tag-Based Automatic Language Profile Selection

Assign language profiles to shows/movies automatically based on Sonarr/Radarr tags.

Enable for Series / Enable for Movies

Toggle to enable tag-based profile assignment.

How It Works:

  1. Bazarr checks tags assigned to a series/movie in Sonarr/Radarr
  2. Finds the FIRST tag that exactly matches a Bazarr language profile tag
  3. Assigns that profile to the series/movie

Warning

If multiple tags match, there's no guarantee which one is used. Choose tag names carefully to avoid ambiguity.

Remove Profile Tags

Enter tags that, when present on a show/movie, remove any assigned language profile.

Example

Tag a show "no-subtitles" and add it to Remove Profile Tags. Shows with this tag won't have a profile applied, even if another tag matches a profile.

Note

Conflict Resolution: If a show has both a matching profile tag and a removal tag, the removal tag takes priority.

Default Language Profiles for Newly Added Content

Automatically apply a language profile to new content added to Bazarr.

Series Default Setting

Enable to automatically assign a language profile to all new TV shows added to Bazarr.

Note

Only applies to shows added AFTER enabling this option. Existing shows are not affected.

Movies Default Setting

Enable to automatically assign a language profile to all new movies added to Bazarr.

Note

Only applies to movies added AFTER enabling this option. Existing movies are not affected.