To add personal media to Kodi, add a video source and set its content to Movies; add music through the Music file browser. Kodi matches movies using file or folder names and online information providers, but builds the music library from tags embedded in the audio files. You can use files on a local drive or a network share.
Before you add media: organize folders and sources
Keep movies and music in separate folders and add them to Kodi as separate sources. A source should contain one media class; if your collection is split across drives or folders, create an additional source for each location. Kodi does not require new hardware if your existing storage has room.
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For movies, use clear folder and file names. A separate folder for each movie, named with the title and release year where useful, can reduce mistaken matches. Kodi uses filenames or folder names to identify video titles, so ambiguous naming can make it harder for the information provider to find the right entry.
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Add movies to Kodi
- In Kodi, open Videos > Files > Add videos.
- Browse to the folder containing your movies and select it. Give the source a recognizable name.
- Set the directory’s content to Movies. Choose or configure an information provider if needed.
- Accept the prompt to scan the source into the library. Kodi will try to match titles and may retrieve metadata and artwork from the selected provider.
For the full video-source workflow, consult Kodi’s Adding video sources guide and its video-library guide.
Fix a movie that did not appear or matched incorrectly
Check Kodi’s Event Log for items that were not added, then review the file and folder names. Incorrect naming is a common cause of failed matches. Online scraping depends on third-party information providers, so a title may be absent from a provider or remain unmatched even when its name is clear.
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For a home movie or a title missing from online catalogs, you can supply local metadata in an NFO file. Kodi recommends an NFO named like the video with an .nfo extension; movie.nfo is also supported when the separate-movie-folder setting is enabled. Follow the documented patterns in Kodi’s NFO file guide.
Add music to Kodi
- Open Music, then open the music file browser.
- Choose Add music, browse to the folder containing your audio files, and select it.
- Name the source and accept the prompt to add it to the library.
Kodi scans the embedded tags to create the music library. Retrieving additional artist, album, and artwork information is optional and can be done after the scan; it is not required for tagged files to appear. See Kodi’s music-scanning guide for the source and scan options.
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Use a local drive or network storage
A local hard disk and a network share are both options. To add a shared folder, Kodi’s video-source guide recommends a file-sharing protocol such as SMB. Kodi says UPnP cannot be used to create a library, so use a supported shared-folder source instead. A NAS or external drive is optional storage—not a prerequisite for adding media.
Which metadata method should you use?
| Media or situation | How Kodi identifies or organizes it | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Movies listed by an online provider | Matches using file or folder names and the selected information provider. | Use clear names, set the source content to Movies, and scan it. |
| Home movies or titles missing from provider catalogs | Online matching may not provide suitable metadata. | Add a correctly named local NFO file using Kodi’s documented conventions. |
| Music files | Reads embedded audio tags, especially artist and album. | Correct the tags and scan the music source; fetch extra metadata or artwork only if desired. |
Kodi version and menu labels
Kodi’s FAQ lists v21.3 Omega as its most recent stable release on the page consulted. Menu labels and release status can change; check Kodi’s FAQ and current download information if the paths above do not match your installation.
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