Jellyfin, an open-source media server that offers a free alternative to commercial services like Plex, has released version 12.0, its most significant update in recent years. This update marks a shift in how the software is versioned, moving from a complex format like "10.11.11" to a simpler system meant to better reflect major changes. This follows a transition in the software’s data model that began in the previous major release, Jellyfin 10.11. One of the key improvements in Jellyfin 12.0 is how playlists and collections are stored. Previously, all items in a playlist were stored as a single list, which made it harder to manage individual items efficiently. Now, each item in a playlist is stored as a separate entry in the database. This change allows for better performance, such as faster counting, pagination, and modification of specific items without affecting the rest of the playlist. The update also includes several performance enhancements. Jellyfin now uses FFmpeg 8.1, a widely used multimedia framework, to improve media handling. It supports .ogg audio files and has integrated features for managing books and digital comics directly into the core software, rather than relying on a separate extension. This integration allows the server to read metadata, generate book covers, and extract chapters from audiobooks more effectively. Jellyfin 12.0 also adds the ability to manage multiple files for the same TV episode, a feature previously reserved for movies. The update introduces a new "Modern" interface as the default for desktop and mobile users, enhancing the overall user experience. Additionally, plans to remove internal support for secure connections (TLS/SSL) have been delayed to a future release. Security improvements are also included, addressing vulnerabilities such as potential unauthorized access to files outside of permitted folders, an install assistant that could be restarted without authentication, and cross-site scripting issues in the web interface. Users are advised to back up their data and configuration files before upgrading, as third-party extensions will need to be recompiled for compatibility with the new version. A full library scan after installation is also recommended, which may take longer than usual. The full details of this update, along with downloadable files, are available on Jellyfin’s GitHub page. This release comes at a time when Plex, a major competitor, has increased the price of its lifetime license to 690 euros, prompting some users to seek alternatives like Jellyfin.