Emby.MCP - Connect an LLM to Your Emby Server

[thoth23 5]

Hi all,

I have created a Model Context Protocol (MCP) server that connects Emby to an AI client such as Claude Desktop. Think of it as a DIY version of Amazon Alexa (tm) that works with any MCP compliant LLM and operates on your own private media collection. This was a learning project to explore MCP and code for the first time in Python (I've been a long-time coder in other languages). It is built using the Emby client SDK and the MCP Server SDK. It runs locally to the AI client on your PC/Mac (not as an Emby server plugin).

Current features:

• Log on to & log out of an Emby media server;
• Retrieve a list of media libraries;
• Select a specified library;
• Retrieve a list of genres used in that library;
• Search for items in that library by genre, title, album, release year, and lyrics/description - returns rich metadata per item;
• Retrieve playlists, create new playlists, add items to playlists & re-order them, and share playlists with other Emby users;
• Retrieve a list of accessible media players known to Emby;
• Retrieve the current play queue of a specified media player;
• Control the playing, pausing, seeking, etc of a specified media player, including transferring the queue to another player.

I've released it under GPL at https://github.com/angeltek/Emby.MCP if anyone is interested in playing with it. Detailed instructions are provided.

I'll post a (long) demo transcript as a reply so as to keep this post tidy.

[thoth23 5]

Demo of Claude + Emby.MCP with Audio Drama Files

My Emby server contains a lot of BBC Radio audio drama files that have rich mp3/mp4 metadata including a long description with full cast list in the Lyrics field. This is good material for demonstrating Emby.MCP. In the transcript below, my requests to Claude are in bold blockquotes and Claude's reply runs until the horizontal line (insert here for clarity).

During processing, Claude shows the tool name it is about to use (eg 'search_for_item' and 'select_library'), along with parameter values and the verbatim return data. These are then visually rolled up leaving just the tool name in the transcript.

For some requests, Claude is clearly just using a simple tool in the simple way that the tool's documentation suggests. However for the request to find all items that feature two named actors Claude has understood that the search tool can only find one actor at a time, so has reasoned that it must search for the second actor itself within the results returned by a tool search for the first actor - I did not explicitly tell it to do so.

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list emby libraries

I'll help you explore your Emby library. Let me start by checking what libraries are available on your Emby server.

Your Emby server has several libraries available:

Music - Main music library

Playlists - Your saved playlists

Movies - Movie collection

BBC Sounds - BBC audio content

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search for artist Julian Simpson and add everything to a new playlist

I'll search for Julian Simpson and create a new playlist with all the results. Let me start by searching for this artist.

search_for_item

Let me first select a library to search in. I'll start with the Music library since we're looking for an artist.

select_library

Now let me search for Julian Simpson in the Music library:

search_for_item

No results in the Music library. Let me try the BBC Sounds library since Julian Simpson might be there:

search_for_item

Great! I found 81 Julian Simpson items in the BBC Sounds library. Now I'll create a new playlist with all these tracks. Let me collect all the item IDs first and create the playlist.

create_playlist

Perfect! I've successfully created a new playlist called "Julian Simpson Collection" containing all 81 audio items by Julian Simpson from your BBC Sounds library.

The playlist includes:

The Lovecraft Investigations series (all episodes and bonus content)

Who is Aldrich Kemp? series

Who Killed Aldrich Kemp? series

Aldrich Kemp and The Rose of Pamir series

Temporal series

Mythos episodes

Various standalone dramas like "Bad Memories," "Blackout," and "Friday Drama" episodes

Multiple trailers and bonus episodes

The playlist has been created with playlist ID 67303 and contains a comprehensive collection of Julian Simpson's work spanning from 2011 to 2024, including his acclaimed supernatural thrillers, sci-fi dramas, and investigative audio productions.

Would you like me to do anything else with this playlist, such as reorder it by series or year, or would you like to explore any specific content from the collection?

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show me the full details of this playlist

retrieve_playlist_list

Now let me get the detailed list of all items in the playlist:

retrieve_playlist_items

Here are the full details of your Julian Simpson Collection playlist:

Playlist Overview

Name: Julian Simpson Collection

Description: Complete collection of Julian Simpson audio dramas, investigations, and productions from BBC Radio

Total Runtime: 36 hours, 20 minutes, 39 seconds

Total Items: 81 tracks

Created: July 3, 2025

Playlist ID: 67303

Genres Included:

Drama, Thriller, Horror_Supernatural, SciFi_Fantasy, Historical

User Access:

AI: Full Control

Dom: None

Katie: None

Major Series & Collections:

The Lovecraft Investigations (Complete Series)

All episodes from "The Case of Charles Dexter Ward"

"The Whisperer in Darkness" series

"The Shadow Over Innsmouth" series

"The Haunter of The Dark" series

Multiple bonus episodes and trailers

Aldrich Kemp Universe

Who is Aldrich Kemp? (5 chapters)

Who Killed Aldrich Kemp? (5 chapters)

Aldrich Kemp and The Rose of Pamir (5 chapters)

Temporal (Complete Series)

8 chapters plus end credits

Science fiction time travel drama

Co-written with Richard MacLean Smith, Bec Boey, and Nosa Igbinedion

Standalone Productions

Mythos: "Albion" episode

Bad Memories (Friday Drama, 2011)

Blackout (Dangerous Visions series, 2016)

Various other BBC Radio 4 productions

Notable Cast Members Featured:

Nicola Walker, Phoebe Fox, Ferdinand Kingsley, Kyle Soller

Barnaby Kay, Jana Carpenter, Mark Bazeley, Steven Mackintosh

Tim McInnerny, Karla Crome, Susan Jameson

Many other acclaimed British actors

The playlist spans Julian Simpson's work from 2011 to 2024, showcasing his evolution as a writer and director of supernatural thrillers, mysteries, and science fiction audio dramas. All productions are from BBC Radio with Sweet Talk Productions, demonstrating Simpson's long-standing relationship with quality British radio drama.

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tell me about episodes in Who is Aldrich Kemp

Based on the playlist details, here's the complete breakdown of "Who is Aldrich Kemp?" series:

Series Overview

"Who is Aldrich Kemp?" is Julian Simpson's first series featuring the character, starring Phoebe Fox as Clara Page alongside Nicola Walker, Tim McInnerny, Ferdinand Kingsley, and Kyle Soller. It's described as "a heightened and fun journey to glamorous and sometimes improbable locations, encountering Euro-villains and murderous housekeepers."

Complete Episode List:

Chapter One: Clara Page (29:36)

Premiered: February 18, 2022

The washed-up body of a man presumed dead 7 years earlier marks the beginning of Clara Page's mission to find the elusive Aldrich Kemp

Introduces the main cast and sets up the mystery

Chapter Two: Themis House (27:49)

Premiered: February 25, 2022

Clara finds herself in a mysterious village where the shopkeepers all look remarkably similar

More questions are raised than answered by the occupants of Themis House

Introduces The Underwood Sisters (Jana Carpenter)

Chapter Three: The Black Windmill (27:34)

Premiered: March 4, 2022

Clara and Kennedy find parallels in their quests

A new name crops up: Conrad Spijker (Steven Mackintosh) - but whose side is he on?

Features Kennedy Fisher (Jana Carpenter), connecting to The Lovecraft Investigations universe

Chapter Four: The Spirit of the Age (27:44)

Premiered: March 11, 2022

Clara and her mission are in ever-increasing peril

Questions are asked "with varying degrees of politeness" across London and Europe

Features additional characters including Margot (Louise Brealey)

Chapter Five: Kholat (29:56)

Premiered: March 18, 2022

As the water rises, Clara Page is under more pressure than ever

Clara learns some surprising family history

Can Aldrich Kemp and the team save her? Will she finally know all the answers?

The climactic finale of the first series

Main Cast:

Clara Page - Phoebe Fox

Mister Bartholomew - Tim McInnerny

Aldrich Kemp - Ferdinand Kingsley

Mrs Boone - Nicola Walker

Sebastian Harcourt - Kyle Soller

Nakesha Kemp - Karla Crome

Aunt Lily - Susan Jameson

The Underwood Sisters - Jana Carpenter

Conrad Spijker - Steven Mackintosh

Production Details:

Created and Written by: Julian Simpson

Director: Julian Simpson

Producer: Sarah Tombling

Executive Producer: Karen Rose

Music: Tim Elsenburg

Sound Design: David Thomas

Production Company: Sweet Talk for BBC Radio 4

Recorded: On location in Hove, London, and The Royal Pavilion in Brighton

Total Series Runtime: 2 hours, 32 minutes, 43 seconds

This series established the foundation for Julian Simpson's Aldrich Kemp universe, which would continue with "Who Killed Aldrich Kemp?" and "Aldrich Kemp and The Rose of Pamir." The show blends mystery, thriller elements, and Simpson's signature wit in what's described as a heightened, globe-trotting adventure.

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share playlist with dom so he has full control.

I'll share the Julian Simpson Collection playlist with Dom and give him full control access.

share_playlist_user_access

Perfect! I've successfully shared the "Julian Simpson Collection" playlist with Dom, giving him Full Control access.

This means Dom can now:

View and play all 81 Julian Simpson tracks in the playlist

Add or remove items from the playlist

Modify the playlist name and description

Reorder tracks

Share the playlist with other users

Delete the playlist if needed

Dom now has the same level of access to the playlist as you do. He should be able to see it in his playlists section and start enjoying Julian Simpson's extensive collection of BBC Radio dramas!

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find all items that feature Steven Mackintosh and Nicola Walker as cast in the description

I'll search for items that feature both Steven Mackintosh and Nicola Walker in the cast. Let me search for Steven Mackintosh first and then filter for items that also mention Nicola Walker.

search_for_item

Based on the search results, I found several items that feature both Steven Mackintosh and Nicola Walker in their cast descriptions. Here are the productions where both actors appear together:

Items featuring both Steven Mackintosh and Nicola Walker:

1. Bad Memories (2011)

Series: Friday Drama

Runtime: 56:05

Genre: Drama

Cast:

Nicola Walker as Rachel Weir

Steven Mackintosh as Phillip Gibson

Also featuring Rupert Graves, Jana Carpenter, Anthony Calf

Plot: A supernatural thriller about a house holding murderous secrets, where audio files might solve a mystery involving bodies found with a time of death from 1926

2. The Lovecraft Investigations Series - Multiple Episodes

Both actors appear throughout this supernatural horror podcast series:

a) Bonus Episodes of "The Shadow Over Innsmouth"

Nicola Walker as Eleanor Peck

Steven Mackintosh as Jasper

3 bonus episodes (11:57, 3:38, and 4:31 runtime)

b) The Case of Charles Dexter Ward (Trailer & Episodes)

Nicola Walker as Eleanor Peck

Steven Mackintosh as Dr Mark Lyman

Multiple episodes in this H.P. Lovecraft-inspired investigation

c) The Whisperer in Darkness (Trailer & Episodes)

Nicola Walker as Eleanor Peck

Steven Mackintosh as Contact (aka Jasper)

3. Temporal Series (2024)

Series: Science Fiction Drama (8 chapters + credits)

Cast:

Nicola Walker as Goethe (on Mars)

Steven Mackintosh as Ged Schwarzach (on Earth)

Plot: Time travel drama about Mars colonists investigating Earth's mysterious "Vanishing"

4. Multiple Aldrich Kemp Series Episodes

Both actors appear in Julian Simpson's Aldrich Kemp universe:

a) Who is Aldrich Kemp? - Chapter Five: Kholat

Nicola Walker as Mrs Boone

Steven Mackintosh as Conrad Spijker

b) Who is Aldrich Kemp? - Chapter Four & Chapter Three

Same character roles in multiple episodes

c) Aldrich Kemp and The Rose of Pamir Series

Nicola Walker as Mrs Boone

Steven Mackintosh as Lionel

Multiple chapters (28:12 to 29:02 runtime each)

Summary:

Steven Mackintosh and Nicola Walker frequently collaborate in Julian Simpson's productions, particularly in:

The Lovecraft Investigations (supernatural horror)

Temporal (sci-fi time travel)

Aldrich Kemp series (thriller/mystery)

Bad Memories (standalone supernatural thriller)

They appear to be regular collaborators in Julian Simpson's BBC Radio drama universe, often playing significant supporting roles across multiple series and episodes.

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which media players can I use?

Let me check what media players are available on your Emby server.

retrieve_player_list

You have 3 media players available on your Emby server:

Available Media Players:

1. Emby Web (Google Chrome Windows)

Client: Emby Web

Device: Google Chrome on Windows

Location: Local to media server (same network)

Supported Media: Audio, Video

Status: Not currently playing anything

2. Dom's S21U

Client: Emby for Android

Device: Dom's Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra

IP Address: 10.x.x.x

Location: Remote (not local to server)

Supported Media: Audio, Video

Status: Not currently playing anything

3. Lounge AVR

Client: Emby Server DLNA

Device: AV Receiver in the lounge

IP Address: 10.x.x.x

Location: Network device (not local to server)

Supported Media: Audio, Video, Photo

Status: Not currently playing anything

Best Options for Your Julian Simpson Collection:

Emby Web (Chrome) - Great for listening at your computer

Dom's S21U - Perfect for mobile listening since Dom now has access to the playlist

Lounge AVR - Excellent for high-quality audio playback through your home sound system

All players support audio playback, so you can use any of them to enjoy your Julian Simpson collection. The Lounge AVR would probably give you the best audio quality for those atmospheric BBC Radio dramas!

Would you like me to start playing the playlist on any of these devices?

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Play of Temporal on Emby Web

I'll start playing the Temporal series on your Emby Web player. Let me get the item IDs for all the Temporal episodes first.

From the Julian Simpson Collection, the Temporal series includes these episodes:

Chapter One: What is The Vanishing?

Chapter Two: Roswell

Chapter Three: Tunguska

Chapter Four: North by Northwest

Chapter Five: Roanoke

Chapter Six: The Observer

Chapter Seven: Penang

Chapter Eight: Fractures

End Credits

control_media_player

Perfect! I've started playing the complete Temporal series on your Emby Web player (Google Chrome).

The series will play in order:

Chapter One: What is The Vanishing? (39:41) - Currently starting

Chapter Two: Roswell (21:52)

Chapter Three: Tunguska (30:17)

Chapter Four: North by Northwest (24:53)

Chapter Five: Roanoke (35:33)

Chapter Six: The Observer (36:26)

Chapter Seven: Penang (31:48)

Chapter Eight: Fractures (43:02)

End Credits (3:24)

Total runtime: 4 hours, 26 minutes

You're in for a treat! This is Julian Simpson's gripping science-fiction drama about time travel, conspiracy theories, and unexplained phenomena - featuring an excellent cast including Nicola Walker, Phoebe Fox, and many others. Enjoy the journey from Mars colonies to the mysteries of Earth's past!

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next track

control_media_player

Done! I've skipped to the next track. You should now be playing Chapter Two: Roswell (21:52) from the Temporal series on your Emby Web player.

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show queue

retrieve_player_queue

Current Play Queue - Temporal Series

Currently playing: Chapter Two: Roswell (after skipping from Chapter One)

Upcoming Queue:

 Chapter One: What is The Vanishing? (39:41) - Previously played

 Chapter Two: Roswell (21:52) - Currently playing

Chapter Three: Tunguska (30:17) - Next up

Chapter Four: North by Northwest (24:53)

Chapter Five: Roanoke (35:33)

Chapter Six: The Observer (36:26)

Chapter Seven: Penang (31:48)

Chapter Eight: Fractures (43:02)

End Credits (3:24)

Album: Temporal by Storypunk
Artists: Julian Simpson, Richard MacLean Smith, Bec Boey, Nosa Igbinedion
Production Year: 2024
Remaining runtime: Approximately 3 hours, 44 minutes (from current position)

You're currently listening to the Roswell chapter - the investigation into mysterious phenomena continues!

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transfer queue to Dom's phone and play from current position

I'll transfer the current Temporal queue to Dom's phone and continue playing from the current position (Chapter Two: Roswell).

control_media_player

Perfect! I've successfully transferred the Temporal series queue to Dom's S21U and started playing from Chapter Two: Roswell (the current position).

The queue on Dom's phone now contains:

 Chapter Two: Roswell (21:52) - Now playing

Chapter Three: Tunguska (30:17)

Chapter Four: North by Northwest (24:53)

Chapter Five: Roanoke (35:33)

Chapter Six: The Observer (36:26)

Chapter Seven: Penang (31:48)

Chapter Eight: Fractures (43:02)

End Credits (3:24)

Dom can now continue listening to the Temporal series on his phone from where you left off. The playback has seamlessly moved from your Emby Web player to his Android device!

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stop emby web

control_media_player

Done! I've stopped playback on your Emby Web player (Google Chrome).

The Temporal series continues playing on Dom's S21U from Chapter Two: Roswell, while your web player is now stopped and ready for other use.

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show details of current player

Let me check the current status of all players to show you the details.

retrieve_player_list

Current Active Player: Dom's S21U

Now Playing:

Track: Chapter Two: Roswell

Artists: Julian Simpson, Richard MacLean Smith, Bec Boey, Nosa Igbinedion

Album: Temporal

Track Number: 2 of 9

Playback Status:

Current Position: 00:00:50 (50 seconds in)

Total Duration: 00:21:52 (21 minutes, 52 seconds)

Remaining Time: ~21 minutes

Status:  Playing (not paused)

Device Details:

Client: Emby for Android

Device: Dom's Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra

IP Address: 10.x.x.x

Connection: Remote (not local to server)

Supported Media: Audio, Video

Other Players:

Emby Web (Chrome): Stopped/Idle

Lounge AVR: Stopped/Idle

Dom's phone is actively playing the Temporal series and has progressed about 50 seconds into Chapter Two: Roswell. The episode is just getting started!

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