Jellyfin Media Server Installation (Docker on Windows 10/11)

Published January 16, 2026 | By Adblockdude

This guide walks you through installing Jellyfin Media Server in a Docker container on Windows 10/11 using Docker Desktop with the WSL2 backend. This approach keeps Jellyfin fully isolated from your main system while still giving it access to your Windows-based media folders.

By the end of this guide, you’ll be able to stream your movies, TV shows, and music to any device in your home — and optionally access them remotely. If you want to install Jellyfin in Docker on macOS, be sure to use this alternative guide.

What is Docker?

Docker lets you run applications in lightweight, self-contained environments called containers. Rather than installing Jellyfin directly on Windows, we run it inside a container that includes all required dependencies. This results in a cleaner setup, easier updates, simpler backups, and painless migrations.

What is Jellyfin?

Jellyfin is an open-source media server that organizes and streams your local media files to phones, TVs, tablets, and web browsers. It automatically fetches metadata, artwork, and episode info for a Netflix-like experience.

Requirements

  • Windows 10 or 11 (64-bit)

  • Admin access

  • At least 8 GB RAM recommended

  • Virtualization enabled in BIOS

  • Internet connection

Step 1 – Enable WSL2 on Windows

Open PowerShell as Administrator and run:

wsl --install

Reboot when prompted.

After reboot, confirm:

wsl --status

You should see Default Version: 2

Step 2 – Install Docker Desktop

  1. Download Docker Desktop for Windows:
    https://www.docker.com/products/docker-desktop/

  2. Run the installer

  3. Check “Use WSL2 instead of Hyper-V” when prompted

  4. Finish install and reboot

Open Docker Desktop and wait until it says “Docker is running”

Step 3 – Create Your Media & Config Folders

Choose where you want your media stored. Example:

D:\Media\Movies
D:\Media\TV
D:\Media\MusicD:\Jellyfin\Config
D:\Jellyfin\Cache

Create these folders in File Explorer.

Your structure should look like:

D:\
├─ Media\
│ ├─ Movies\
│ ├─ TV\
│ └─ Music\
└─ Jellyfin\
├─ Config\
└─ Cache\

Step 4 – Create the Docker Compose File

Open PowerShell or Command Prompt, then:

mkdir C:\jellyfin-docker
cd C:\jellyfin-docker
notepad docker-compose.yml

Paste this:

services:
jellyfin:
image: jellyfin/jellyfin:latest
container_name: jellyfin
ports:
- "8096:8096"
volumes:
- D:/Jellyfin/Config:/config
- D:/Jellyfin/Cache:/cache
- D:/Media:/media
restart: unless-stopped

Save and close.

Important:
Docker on Windows requires forward slashes in paths:
D:/Media NOT D:\Media

Step 5 – Start Jellyfin

From the same folder:

docker compose up -d

Verify:

docker ps

You should see jellyfin running.

Step 6 – Initial Jellyfin Setup

Open a browser and go to:

http://localhost:8096

or

http://<your-pc-ip>:8096

Then:

  1. Choose language → Next

  2. Create admin user → Next

  3. Add Media Libraries:

    • Movies → /media/Movies

    • TV Shows → /media/TV

    • Music → /media/Music

  4. Keep defaults → Next

  5. Finish → Log in

Step 7 – Add Media

Copy files into:

D:\Media\Movies
D:\Media\TV
D:\Media\Music

Then in Jellyfin:

  • Menu → Refresh Metadata

Your content will appear.

Play Jellyfin on Devices

Install Jellyfin on:

  • Android TV / Apple TV / Roku

  • iPhone / Android

  • Web browser

Log in using:

Server: http://<your-pc-ip>:8096
Username / Password

Optional (But Strongly Recommended) Improvements

A) GPU Hardware Transcoding (Windows)

If your PC has:

  • Intel iGPU

  • NVIDIA GPU

  • AMD GPU

Docker Desktop can pass through the GPU to Jellyfin.

This dramatically improves performance when streaming remotely.

Important: GPU support on Windows is still evolving and depends on WSL2 + driver support. If you tell me:

  • Your GPU model

  • Windows version

…I’ll give you the exact working config. (This part is very hardware-specific.)

B) Remote Access (Do Not Just Port Forward 8096)

If you want to stream outside your house, the clean options are:

  • Tailscale (easiest, zero ports)

  • Cloudflare Tunnel

  • Reverse proxy with HTTPS

I strongly recommend Tailscale for Windows users. It takes 3 minutes and avoids exposing your PC to the internet.

If you want, I can write that section cleanly as well.

C) Backups

Back up:

D:\Jellyfin\Config

That contains:

  • Users

  • Watch history

  • Libraries

  • Metadata

You can rebuild the container anytime if you have that folder.

D) Updating Jellyfin

From C:\jellyfin-docker:

docker compose pull
docker compose up -d
docker image prune -f

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