Kodi Setup Guide: Building a Powerful Media Center on Any Device

Kodi is an award-winning, free, and open-source media player that serves as a comprehensive entertainment hub. It runs natively on Android, Linux, BSD, macOS, iOS, tvOS, Windows, and webOS—effectively supporting nearly any processor architecture available today.

While Kodi functions perfectly well as a standard desktop player, its true strength lies in the living room. It was engineered specifically for Home Theater PCs (HTPCs), featuring a clean interface that is legible from across a room and optimized for use with a remote control while you are leaning back on the couch.

Kodi supports almost every audio and video format in existence. It is also built for seamless streaming, utilizing standard network protocols to pull multimedia from a basement network drive or directly from the internet.

By pointing Kodi to your media folders, the software scans your files to build a rich, personal library complete with posters, plot summaries, cast photos, and fanart. Beyond simple playback, you get playlists, slideshows, weather forecasts, and immersive audio visualizations. Once configured, your device ceases to be a mere computer and transforms into a dedicated multimedia jukebox.

Download and Install

Kodi supports a vast array of hardware and operating systems. Users can choose between the final stable release for daily use or a development build for testing new features.

Supported Platforms

• Windows
• Linux
• Android
• Raspberry Pi
• macOS
• iOS
• tvOS
• webOS

Official Remote Controls

Both official remote applications are free and open-source, mirroring Kodi's own development philosophy: • Kore™ (Android)
• Official Kodi Remote (iOS)

Legacy Releases and Source Code

Development for the v20 "Nexus" series has concluded. If you encounter a bug in v20, it is recommended to test the issue in v21 "Omega" first. If the bug persists in the latest version, please file a report against v21. While we suggest using the most recent stable builds, older versions remain accessible through various mirror sites for specific legacy needs.

Active development is hosted in a Git repository. You can browse the source code online, download a snapshot, or clone it directly from GitHub:

$ git clone https://github.com/xbmc/xbmc.git

Quick Start Guide

Basic Navigation

Spend some time exploring the menus to familiarize yourself with the layout. The "Basic Controls" documentation provides a detailed walkthrough of the interface.

Library Mode

Library Mode is the core of the Kodi experience. Rather than browsing a list of filenames, you are presented with rich metadata including artwork, summaries, and cast lists. • Video Library: Accessible through "Movies," "TV Shows," or "Music Videos" on the main menu.
• Music Library: Accessible through the "Music" section.

To enable these views, you must add your media collections to the library. Kodi manages the Music and Video libraries separately, and each has its own configuration process.

File Mode

If you prefer not to use the library features, you can still browse your media via Videos → Files. However, this treats Kodi as a basic player, stripping away the artwork, organization, and extended information that define the platform. In this mode, Kodi functions essentially as a file explorer with a play button.

Live TV and Radio

When paired with compatible PVR backend software and a tuner card, Kodi acts as a frontend for watching and recording live television. It provides a robust alternative to traditional DVR systems, offering significantly more customization.

Games

Note that native game support was introduced in Kodi v18 "Leia." The "Games" section allows you to launch standalone titles or ROMs via emulators directly from the interface. While this feature currently functions as a file launcher rather than a database-driven library, it fully supports gamepads, joysticks, keyboards, and mice.

Add-ons

Add-ons function like apps for your media center, expanding Kodi’s capabilities. A massive community maintains an official repository of plugins, while third-party developers often provide unofficial repositories that can be added manually.

Managing Your Media Library

Video Library

• Creating and Editing: Follow the step-by-step indexing guide to ensure your content is categorized correctly.
• Playback Controls: Master the player commands, access the on-screen display (OSD), and adjust video, audio, or subtitle settings during playback.
• Artwork: High-quality posters and fanart define the visual experience. You can also install add-ons to display rotating fanart backgrounds while listening to music.
• Content Management: Guides are available for adding new items, refreshing metadata, deleting titles, or excluding specific folders from library scans.
• Backup: To avoid hours of manual rebuilding after a hardware failure, regularly back up your Kodi configuration and database.
• Scrapers: These automated tools retrieve metadata from online databases. It is essential to learn how to configure them for the best results.
• NFO Files: These files allow you to provide local metadata for home movies or obscure footage that online scrapers cannot identify.
• Exporting: Kodi can export its database to facilitate backups or to migrate your library to a different device.

Music Library

• Setup and Maintenance: A straightforward guide for new users that focuses on essential setup while highlighting advanced options that can be explored later.
• Music Videos: These files appear in both the Music and Video libraries and are compatible with Party Mode and smart playlists.
• Navigation: Discover various ways to browse and manage your audio collection.
• Audiobooks: Kodi natively supports .m4b and .mka files with chapter markers, requiring no additional plugins.
• Scrapers: Specific details on installing and using music-focused metadata fetchers.
• Settings Locations:
• Library tools: Media → Library.
• Music display options: Settings → Media → Music.
• Audio CD settings: Settings → Player → Discs.
• Playback preferences: Settings → Player → Music.

Live TV and PVR

The Basics

PVR (Personal Video Recorder) in Kodi refers to integrating traditional broadcast signals—such as antenna, satellite, or cable—directly into the interface.

Key Features

• Watch, pause, and rewind live broadcasts.
• Record programming for later viewing.
• Schedule one-time recordings or series timers.
• Use keyword-based rules to record any show containing specific terms.
• Access an Electronic Program Guide (EPG) and set viewing reminders.

Common Troubleshooting

• Why are there no channels?
Kodi does not have a built-in tuner. It is a frontend that requires a "tuner card" to capture the signal, "backend software" to process it, and a "PVR add-on" within Kodi to link the two.
• What tuner card should I buy?
Kodi is hardware-agnostic regarding tuners; your choice depends on what is compatible with your operating system and chosen backend software.
• Which backend is best?
Several options exist depending on your OS (e.g., NextPVR, Tvheadend, or MythTV). Research which fits your specific hardware.
• Where do I find PVR add-ons?
Navigate to "PVR Clients" in the official Kodi repository. Linux users may need to install these via their package manager (e.g., apt on Ubuntu).
• Is a tuner required for every device?
No. You only need one backend server with a tuner. Other Kodi instances on your network can connect to that single backend via the PVR client add-on.
• Can I integrate Netflix or Amazon Prime here?
No. Those are streaming video add-ons rather than PVR sources. They are located in the "Add-ons" menu.

Settings

Settings Level

The "Settings Level" toggle determines the complexity of the options shown, ranging from Basic to Expert. You can adjust this at the bottom of any settings screen to reveal or hide advanced configuration items.

Advanced Settings

The advancedsettings.xml file is not created by default; you must create it manually within your user data folder. This file is used to configure options that lack a graphical toggle in the UI, such as custom network cache behaviors, specific port assignments, or episode naming rules. The file must be named exactly advancedsettings.xml to function.