Audio Language Setting: Prefer Original Language

Feature Suggestions
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1

There’s a separate feature request that touches on this, but I think my request is different in that it is something far simpler.

Right now, you can set the preference for audio language to numerous static options, but there is nothing that would default to the original audio language. Both IMDb (TV and movies) and TMDB have this info. TVDB does not for now.

Plex can introduce a checkbox called Prefer Original Audio Language and rename the current language drop-down as “Native Language Preference”. What I was thinking is that if I prefer the original audio language, then Plex defaults to the audio language track that matches this metadata tag. If the original language is not found among the tracks, it can execute the current logic: it searches for the native language track, and if the native language is not found, it goes to the first audio track. Subtitles would be shown with foreign audio, i.e. audio that does not match my native language, which is how it behaves right now anyways. Most of this functionality would require zero changes since the relationship between the existing fields would be exactly the same with only a name change to the existing option. The only new logic would be to search for original audio language first if the option was ticked.

What I’m trying to accomplish is to just watch content in their original language. I have anime or foreign movies that may have English tracks that are dubs or commentary. I don’t want Plex to default to these tracks if I have the original audio language track as well. I chose English because most content I have is originally in English anyways, so it would capture most of the population. I also chose it so that Plex knows to play subtitles automatically if the track is not in English. By just checking this box, I’d be able to enhance the experience when playing foreign media while maintaining the functionality when playing English media.

Plex’s language settings would instantly become more versatile. This also does not seem like a major change at all, at least from my perspective.

2

I started a thread where I was trying to sort this issue out myself. I thought you might find it interest and I would welcome your thoughts.

Account Audio/Subtitle Settings: How to get Plex to choose original audio?

Your approach here is quite different then what I was hypothesizing. In any case, I am happy to vote for your suggestion, as it is my single biggest annoyance with PLEX. I have also proposed a much simpler solution here that might interest you as well:

Give Option to Play Default or First Audio Track

cheers,

-a

3

This would be fantastic.

4

Agree

5

Definitely should be an option, in addition to language and subtitle settings per library.

Anime has a separate library for a reason and I should be able to set a separate preference for that library vs movies, for example.

6

Huge yes for this on me. It would be nice to have the convinence of the automatic language/sub picker but have original language, highest quality as the default audio source.

7

Surely people wanting to watch their films without having bad dubs or voice over commentary being played by default should be an important inclusion?

I read this thread and was amazed at the replies by Plex employees. The answer is staring them in the face, surely: we have metadata from TVDB/TMDB which includes ‘original language’. If the field is present, try to select an audio track that matches. I don’t know why everyone is so hung up on it needing to be metadata included in the file itself.

2 Likes
8

Only being able to set one language is so limiting.
I prefer Swedish, but if I can’t get that I’d want English with Swedish subtitles, if I can’t get any of those then it’s OK to use the French audio track (that happens to be first on the media file with swedish or english subtitles

9

This would be a great addition. They could even read “original language” tag of MKV files. In addition to this, reading “commentary” tag would also be great as to avoid a behavior of defaulting to commentary track that happens to be in the language of your preferences. I.E. film is in non-English and file has English commentary track. Plex would currently default to English commentary track rather than choosing non-English main audio since it has no context about it being a commentary track. It just knows it’s English and matches the language preference.

1 Like
10

Yes yes yes or default audio track selection on a per-movie basis by server admin

11

I would love to have this feature because my server has movies in English, Japanese, Korean, Chinese, and so on. I hope to use the original language audio tracks when they are available, rather than a specified language, because I don’t want to watch dubbed versions. I hope a feature to prefer the original language can be added.

12

Just bumping this suggestion because it would be a great quality of life addition. I have media in all different languages and would love to just default to the original language. Sometimes this is the first audio track sometimes not, so defaulting to just the first audio track would not be a good solution. Right now the best work around is using Plex Auto Languages from github, but a native solution would be preferred.

2 Likes
13

I dont understand why this is not already an option. Sonarr and Radarr already have handling for this exact feature, and have had it for a very very long time. Its not complicated. Cross-reference it from the same public sources where Plex is getting the rest of the content metadata. Plex already recognizes the language tracks inside the media https://support.plex.tv/articles/204985278-account-audio-subtitle-language-settings/ all that is missing is the option for it to automatically prefer the language track that matches the media’s original language.

I have a lot of users who are very confused and complaining because a significant number of items have multiple audio tracks in different languages, and for foreign language media some weird unwanted track plays by default because Plex has no concept of what the Original Language should be (even though literally every other app on the planet does).

this is a no-brainer, especially for a product that Plex now insists should cost you a minimum of $250 USD for Plex Pass access. Free Open Source projects have this feature so its pretty ridiculous that Plex does not.

1 Like