Downloads
Usenet with SABnzbd or NZBGet: High-Quality Music Downloads
Usenet remains the most reliable way to get an exact release at an exact bitrate, which makes it the natural counterpart to a strict quality profile — provided the two containers can see each other's paths.
The layout that works
Run the Usenet client in its own container with its own config volume, and give it a path to the same media root that Aurral sees. Aurral drives the client through its queue API, so downloads complete inside the client and Aurral then inspects the resulting file.
Where the two containers cannot mount identical paths, add a remote path mapping in Aurral under Download clients. This is the same mechanism Lidarr uses, and it is the fix for most Windows-host setups.
Configuring the client
Add the client with its URL as Aurral can reach it — in Docker that is an internal service name rather than localhost — plus an API key. NZBGet uses a different field set than SABnzbd; Aurral adapts to whichever you configure.
Give it a name you will recognise later. When a download fails and the log mentions a client by name, an opaque label makes diagnosis slower for no benefit.
Review behaviour and upgrade priority
Usenet results go to review immediately, for the same reason deemix does: identity is declared by the release, so a duration mismatch is meaningful.
For quality upgrades, Usenet is the second source consulted, after slskd and before deemix. Aurral stops at the first valid, better file and then waits for the next interval before retrying that track.
| Purpose | Source order |
|---|---|
| Quality upgrade | slskd, then Usenet, then deemix |
| Missing track | Your configured priority order across all clients |
| Review | Usenet and deemix go immediately; Soulseek and yt-dlp wait |
Cancellation and cleanup
Removing a playlist or track cancels its downloads first, then clears the job. If a client finishes a request after the removal, Aurral does not import the result, though the client may still show the work until it reports it as cancelled or finished.
Aurral does not delete Usenet files it cannot prove it owns. That rule exists precisely for this integration, because the client owns its completed-download folder and may still be writing into it.
Frequently asked questions
SABnzbd or NZBGet — does it matter?
Either works. Aurral adapts to whichever you configure, and both are supported through their queue APIs.
Why do Usenet downloads need review so often?
Identity is declared by the release, so a duration mismatch is a strong indicator the file is not what was requested. Reviewing immediately is more honest than retrying quietly.
Is Usenet better for lossless than Soulseek?
Generally yes, because a named release carries a predictable bitrate and sample rate, which is exactly what a strict quality profile needs.
Everything else
All integrations
Library
The music manager decides what ends up on disk. Aurral never writes into someone else's library folder.
Downloads
Where the audio actually comes from. Source order decides which client gets asked first.
Playback
Playback stays where it is. Aurral publishes playlists into the server you already run.
Listening history
History is the strongest recommendation signal you already own. Wire it in and the picks improve.
Alerts and shows
Optional signals that turn a static library into something that keeps moving.
Connect Usenet to the rest of your stack
Nothing here requires restarting anything else. Add it when it becomes the piece you were missing.