Having some trouble with .strm files

[EthanShotz]

Hey Jellyfin community,
I’m having some trouble with .strm files in my local Jellyfin setup, and I could really use some advice.  .strm files with valid MP4 links aren’t showing up in my Jellyfin library, even when I use the public test MP4 links below. Direct .mp4 files in the same folder work fine.


Setup Overview:

• Jellyfin Version: 10.10.3 (Windows installation)
  
• OS: Windows 11
  
• Media Directory:
  • My .strm files are located in C:\Users\Username\Videos\cloudinary
    
  • This folder is added to a Jellyfin library under the "Home Videos" category.
    
    
• Tested Links in .strm Files:
  
  
  1. A direct link to an MP4 file hosted on Cloudinary:
     https://res.cloudinary.com/dwvdawzby/vid...8akjti.mp4
     
     
  2. A direct MP4 link from a public resource:
     https://www.learningcontainer.com/wp-con...4-file.mp4
     

[TheDreadPirate]

Does the strm file contain ANYTHING other than the URL?

Also, have you considered rclone?

[EthanShotz]

Hey there! Thanks for the quick response!

I have an interesting update: I decided to install a fresh copy of Jellyfin on another computer to troubleshoot further. Here's what I discovered:

1. I created a new .strm file with the name new.strm, and it worked perfectly. The file appeared in the Jellyfin UI and played the video just fine.
   
2. Then I changed the file name back to sample.strm, and it disappeared from the UI!
   
3. When I switched the name back to new.strm, it showed up again and worked.
   

So it seems like the issue is tied to the term "sample" being in the filename? Maybe it's a bug or some kind of reserved or blacklisted word in the repository code?

[TheDreadPirate]

Ah. "sample" is a reserved word for certain functionality in Jellyfin

https://jellyfin.org/docs/general/server...#file-name

Look at that list and avoid naming files with these words unless you are using them for the intended purpose.

[EthanShotz]

Copy that! Thanks DreadPirate!