Emby is a powerful and versatile media server that enables you to organize, manage, and stream your personal media content such as videos, music, and photos to a wide range of devices. This guide will walk you through the detailed steps to install Emby Media Server on Ubuntu 22.04. We’ll cover everything from initial server setup to configuring the Emby server for optimal performance.

Step 1: Initiating Instance Creation

  • To create a new instance, click on the blue “Create” button located in the top-right corner of the page.
  • Selecting Instance Type
  • You’ll be presented with options to create different types of resources. Click on “Add New Instance” to begin setting up a new virtual machine.
Shape.host Resources dashboard showing the Create menu and available instance templates.

Step 2: Choosing a Location

  • On the “Create New Instance” page, you’ll see a list of available locations. Select your preferred data center location. In this example, “Amsterdam, Netherlands” is highlighted.
Shape.host instance form with Amsterdam selected as the data center location.

Step 3: Selecting a Plan

  • Choose a plan that fits your needs. The screenshot shows various options ranging from $3.5 to $22 per month, with different specifications for CPU, memory, storage, and bandwidth.
  • Choosing an Operating System
  • Scroll down to the “Choose an image” section. You can select from various distributions such as AlmaLinux, CentOS, Debian, Fedora, FreeBSD, RockyLinux, Ubuntu, Windows, and Windows Server. In this case, Ubuntu 22.04 is selected.
Shape.host instance form with the $22 monthly plan and Ubuntu image selected.

Step 4: Authentication Method

Choose between SSH keys (recommended for better security) or a password for root access. The password option is selected in the image.

To complete the process, you would click the “Create Instance” button at the bottom of the page, which is not visible in the provided screenshots.

Shape.host instance form showing authentication, hostname and instance creation options.

Step 5: Update Your System

First, update your system to ensure all packages are up-to-date.

apt update -y
apt upgrade -y
Terminal showing APT package management commands and output.

Step 6: Install Required Dependencies

Emby Media Server requires certain dependencies to function correctly. Install them with the following command:

apt install apt-transport-https software-properties-common wget -y
Terminal showing APT package management commands and output.

Step 7: Add the Emby Repository

Next, add the official Emby repository to your system. This ensures that you get the latest version of Emby.

wget https://github.com/MediaBrowser/Emby.Releases/releases/download/4.8.3.0/emby-server-deb_4.8.3.0_amd64.deb
Terminal showing file download commands and transfer output.

Update your package list to include the Emby repository:

dpkg -i emby-server-deb_4.8.3.0_amd64.deb
apt install -f
Terminal showing APT package management commands and output.

Step 8: Install Emby Media Server

Now, install the Emby Media Server package:

apt install emby-server -y
Terminal showing APT package management commands and output.

Step 9: Start and Enable Emby Server

Start the Emby server and enable it to start on boot:

systemctl start emby-server
systemctl enable emby-server
Terminal showing systemd service management commands or output.

Check the status of the Emby server to ensure it is running:

systemctl status emby-server
Terminal showing systemd service management commands or output.

You should see an output indicating that the Emby server is active and running.

Step 10: Configure Firewall

To access Emby from a web browser, you need to allow the necessary ports through the firewall. Emby uses port 8096 for HTTP and port 8920 for HTTPS.

ufw allow 8096/tcp
ufw allow 8920/tcp
ufw allow ssh
ufw enable
Terminal showing firewall configuration commands and rules.
Terminal showing firewall rule configuration messages.

Step 11: Access the Emby Web Interface

Open your web browser and navigate to http://your-server-ip:8096. You will be greeted by the Emby setup wizard.

Language Selection: Choose your preferred language and click “Next”.

Emby setup interface.

Administrator Account: Create an admin account by entering a username and password, then click “Next“.

    Emby setup form for creating the first user.

    Media Library Setup: Add media libraries by specifying the type (Movies, TV Shows, Music, etc.) and the path to your media files, then click “Next”.

    Emby setup interface.

    Metadata Language: Choose your preferred metadata language and click “Next”.


    Finish: Review your settings and click “Finish”.

      Emby setup completion screen with a Finish button.
      Emby preferred metadata language and country selectors.

      Step 12: Additional Configuration

      After completing the initial setup, you can further configure your Emby server through the web interface:

      1. Library Settings: Configure the media libraries by specifying advanced options such as metadata fetching, library scan intervals, and more.
      2. User Management: Create and manage user accounts to control access to your media content.
      3. Plugins: Install plugins to extend Emby’s functionality. Popular plugins include subtitle fetchers, Kodi integration, and more.
      4. Live TV: Set up Live TV if you have a compatible TV tuner or IPTV service.

      For a seamless hosting experience, consider using Shape.Host’s Cloud VPS services. Shape.Host provides scalable resources, robust security, and 24/7 support, ensuring your Emby Media Server runs efficiently and reliably. Visit Shape.Host for more information on their Cloud VPS services and how they can enhance your hosting environment.