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{{mininav|[[Music library]] }}
{{mininav|[[Music library]]}}
{{cleanup}}
{{DISPLAYTITLE:Music Navigation & Playback}}
== Navigating your library ==
{{See also|Keyboard controls}}
=== Side bar ===
The library organizes your music into many categories, allowing you to find a specific song using one of many possible criteria. Below you can see root menu showing the different sections.
{|
|
[[File:Library.music.controls.jpg|right|360px]]
| valign="top" |
; View:
: You can the toggle between the different display options, amongst others; List, Icons and Big Icons.
; Sort By:
: You can choose what criteria to sort your music by. Note the arrow to the right which controls whether the items are sorted in ascending or descending order.
; Library Mode
: This control allows you to switch between Library Mode and [[Music#Files View|File View]]. (used to be called Switch View)
; Party Mode
: See below.
; Misc Options
; Search
: You can search for a string anywhere in the [[The XBMC Database|XBMC music database]], see more below.
; Filter
: Allows you to filter the library to only show albums, artists or songs that include the specified string in the name.
; Hide Fanart
: Hides Fanart in the chosen view.
; Small Fanart
: Shows a smaller version of the fanart instead of a scraped artist picture.
|}


=== File mode ===
File mode is the most basic way of browing your music. In file mode, you browse through your sources folder by folder, in the exact same way they are stored. What you see in file mode is the same as you would see if you were to browse the folders on your computer.


=== Library mode ===
The library mode is much more advanced and has many more features than the Files View. It has features like song, album and artist info to name a few.
In order to utilize library mode, you first need to scan your music into the Music library using the [[#Contextual menu]].


== Searching your Library ==
= Aim =
The search button is available on the left side of the '[[Music]]' window, and is also available in the root listing of your music library. Select it to begin your search. A keyboard will pop-up where you may enter search terms (SMS style with the remote, or just using the virtual keyboard). As you enter more letters, the search will be performed in the background, and results displayed in the search node of the music library. Previous searches are saved, so if you return to the search node later on, it will have the results of your previous search. Artists and Albums are shown on top, followed by matching songs. If the search string you enter is less than 3 characters, XBMC will just search in the first word of each artist/album/song. Otherwise it will do a full word search. '''NOTE: In order to search within words as well as just for words beginning with your search string, place a % sign in front of the match.'''
<section begin="intro" />This page will provide information to navigate around the music section and the various ways to play your music.<section end="intro" />


== Party Mode ==
If you have not already setup your library then you are strongly urged to follow the Music setup guide here... '''''[[HOW-TO:Create_Music_Library|Create your Music Library]]'''''
{{main|Smart playlists}}
Selecting ''Party Mode'' from the sidebar will play ALL valid media scanned into your libraries in a random order that meet the conditions specified in the Smart Playlist.


The ''Party Mode'' option allows you to randomly play music from your entire music or [[Music Videos|music video]] collection based on criteria specified in the '''[[PartyMode.xsp]]''' smart playlist which is stored in the [[The UserData Folder]].


Simply edited the "[[Playlists#Smart Playlists|Party mode playlist]]" item in the Playlist menu.


To play any playlist in ''Party Mode'', you can bring up the [[Music library#Context Menu|context menu]] and select "Play in party mode". This can be done for any valid playlist.
= Keyboard Controls =
{{kodi}} is primarily designed to be used with a correctly programmed remote control.


== Context Menu ==
Using a keyboard is possible, but can be awkward at times. If you are using a keyboard, shortcuts can be found here... '''''[[Keyboard_controls]]'''''
In the default configuration you pop up the Context Menu using the 'C' key on your keyboard. If you are navigating XBMC using a remote control, the default button is, for some releases, the 'title' button. If your remote control has no 'title' button then you may need to [[HOW-TO:Modify keyboard.xml|remap]] the ContextMenu action to another button.


=== File mode ===
The context menu allows you to interact with the individual media items. The following options are available whilst in [[Music#Files View|File Mode]], selecting an album:
{|
|
[[File:Context.files.mymusic.jpg|310px]]
| valign="top" |
; Queue Item
: Adds the item to the [[Now Playing]] playlist
; Play or (Play using...)
: Plays the selected file. (Play using... depends on players available on your platform e.g. [[PAPlayer]] or [[DVDPlayer]]
; Add to Favourites
: Adds the item to your [[Favourites]] menu.
; Album Information
: Displays information about the item from [http://allmusic.com allmusic.com]. You can also highlight the item and press the Info button on the remote.
; Delete
: Delete selection from your sources (will delete actual files)  Must be enabled in [[Appearance Settings#View Options|Appearance Settings]].
; Rename
: Rename selection to something more to your liking. Must be enabled in [[Appearance Settings#View Options|Appearance Settings]].
; Scan Item to Library
: Scans the item into the the [[Music Library]]. Performing this on a folder will cause every item in the folder to be scanned.
; Switch Media
: Allows you to switch to playback of other types of media (e.g. video files).
; Go to Root
: Takes you to the "Music" root folder.
; Now Playing...
: Takes you to the [[Now Playing]] screen that shows what is currently playing and what the next queued files are.
; Settings
: Opens the [[Music Settings]] menu.
|}
'''Other possible menu items'''
;Search
:Allows you to search for specific media


=== Library mode ===
You perform actions on your music files using the [[General Navigation#Context Menus|Context Menu]]. In Library Mode selecting an album, the following options are available:
{|
|
[[File:Context.library.mymusic.jpg|300px]]
|
; Queue Item
: Adds the item to the [[Now Playing]] playlist.
; Play
: Plays the selected file.
; Add to Favourites
: Adds the item to your [[Favourites]] menu.
; Album / Song Information
: Shows the relevant information from [http://allmusic.com allmusic.com].
; Query Info For All Albums
: Queries information from [http://allmusic.com allmusic.com] for all albums in the path.
; Change scraper
: Change scraper from current. '''''see also:''''' [[set content]]
; Update Library
: Checks if files in the Library have been changed, added or removed, modifies the database accordingly and runs a cleaning routine. Adds missing media to the database.
; Go to Root
: Takes you to the Music Library root.
; Now Playing...
: Takes you to [[Now Playing]] screen that shows what is currently playing and what the next queued files are.
; Settings
: Opens the [[Music Settings]] menu.
|}


= Library Mode =
To use the Library mode you must, at a minimum, have '''[[Adding_music_to_the_library|Scanned]]''' your music into the library. If you have not already completed this step, the Library mode will be unavailable to you.
Either follow the [[HOW-TO:Create_Music_Library|Create your Music Library Guide]] or read File Mode below.
== General Navigation ==
The Music section of Kodi can be accessed from the Kodi Home Screen as seen in this image...
<gallery widths=500px heights=313px>
File:Estuary_home_music_library.png|Image 1
File:Music-CategoryList.jpg |Image 2
</gallery>
'''Image 1'''<br />
This image displays the {{kodi}} Home Screen with a scanned library. The left quarter of the screen shows the vertical menu and the remainder of the screen shows the Home Screen for the selected menu item. In this image we have highlighted the Music menu option and the right portion of the screen is displaying the Music Home Screen.
The information displayed on the Music Home Screen is as follows:
#Music Categories
#Recently played albums
#Recently added albums
#Random albums
#Random artists
#Unplayed albums
#Most played albums
'''Image 2'''<br />
Selecting Music from the main menu will display the default Music Category list as shown in Image 2. From this screen you select how to navigate your music library eg. Artists, Albums, Songs etc.
You are able to create your own Category Nodes by selecting Edit Nodes in the Left [[Music_navigation#Sideblade_Menu|Sideblade Menu]] or in the Settings menu. '''''See: [[Add-on:Estuary/Settings#Main_Menu_Items_Settings|Main Menu Items]]'''''
= File Mode =
Using File Mode is a very limited way of using the Music Library. It is similar to using the File Browser in your operating system to navigate your music files in the folder structure you created.
== General Navigation ==
<gallery widths=500px heights=313px>
File:Estuary_home_music.png|Image 1
File:Estuary_music_scanning_library.png|Image 2
</gallery>
To access your music files:
#Select '''Enter files section''' as seen in Image 1
#Select the Source which contains the music you want to access, as seen in Image 2
#Navigate to your desired album or song.
= Sideblade Menu =
[[File:EstuarySideBarMenu_small.gif|right]]
The Sideblade Menu can be accessed using the Library or File Modes. There is limited functionality when using File Mode.
You can bring up the sidebar menu either by:
* bringing the mouse cursor to the left side.
* pressing the {{keypress|left}} key, when browsing Files in Files Mode
* pressing the {{keypress|left}} key, when browsing the Category nodes listing as well as within each Category view in Library Mode
{{-}}
[[File:Estuary-player-sidebar-music.jpg|210px|right]]
The image to the right shows the Sidebar Menu with Party Mode activated. If Party mode is deactivated, the entries below Party Mode will not be available.
'''Available Options'''
;ViewType
:Change current library view. Options differ depending upon location.
:Not available in File Mode
;Sort by
:Select how the list of Music is sorted. Available options differ between categories
;Order
:Once the ''Sort by'' is selected, do you want the order Ascending or Descending
;Filter
:Allows you to filter (aka Search) your list on certain criteria which differ between Categories. eg Artists, Albums, Genre, etc
:Not available in File Mode
;Update library
:Scans the library for newly added Music Files
:Not available in File Mode
;Party Mode
:[[Music_navigation#Party_Mode|Party Mode]] is context sensitive. The music used in the Party Mode Playlist will depend on which screen you invoked Party Mode from.
The following entries become visible when Party Mode is enabled
;Go to playlists
:Will open the currently playing Party Mode playlist
;Bottom Icons- From Left to right
*Pause
*Stop
*Skip to next Songs
*Open Play Mode screen. Displays Fanart and song information. aka Now Playing screen.
= Playing Music =
[[File:Music-ArtistContextMenu.jpg|500px]]
To commence music playback locate the desired song, album, artist or any other category and select the item to be played with the appropriate remote control button, ''Enter'' on a keyboard or use the Context menu.
The most common methods for commencing playback
;Individual Song selection
:Select a song for immediate playback using your remote or keyboard. Alternatively, using the Context Menu for the highlighted song, either play or queue the item into the playlist as shown in the above image.
;Album or Artist playback
:Highlight any Album or Artist. Call up the Context Menu and select Play for immediate play or Queue item to add the selection into the playlist as shown in the above image.
;Category playback
:Highlight any Category item such as year, genre etc. Call up the Context Menu and select Play for immediate play or Queue item to add the selection into the playlist as shown in the above image.
When selecting music for playback, a temporary Playlist is created and allows continuous playback. See the [[Music_navigation#Playlist|Playlist]] section on this page for further information
= Now Playing Controls =
[[File:Music-NowPlaying Controls.jpg|500px]]
Once playback has commenced, the now playing screen is invoked by one of the following methods:
* After a period of inactivity the Now Playing screen will display automatically
* Use the the {{keypress|TAB}} key on a keyboard or equivalent on a remote control
* From the [[Music_navigation#Sideblade_Menu|Sideblade Menu]] as described in the previous section
From the Now Playing screen, the controls as shown in the above image are available. The Now Playing Controls can be accessed by:
* Use the {{keypress|ENTER}} key on a keyboard or equivalent on a remote control
* Moving the mouse around the screen.
The controls will disappear after a period of inactivity
The controls along the bottom of the screen from Left to Right are:
*'''Previous Track'''
*'''Pause'''
*'''Stop'''
*'''Next Track''' <br /><br />
*'''Song Play Time / Song Duration'''<br /><br />
*'''Your Rating'''- Allows you to rate the song out of 10
*'''Repeat:'''- On/Off- Allows you to repeat the song. Not available in Party Mode
*'''Random:'''- On/Off- Changes play mode to Random. Not available in Party Mode
*'''Lyrics'''- Select to Install CU LRC Lyrics Initially. Then used to Activate CU LRC Lyrics
*'''Settings'''
**Visualisation- Enable or Disable
**Visualisation Settings
**Lyrics add-on
**Lyrics add-on Settings
= Playlist =
A playlist is a collection of songs that can be played sequentially. Kodi uses two types of playlists:
*Temporary or Default playlist that is auto-created to enable immediate music playback
*User playlists are created by the user to meet specific requirements.
== Temporary Playlist ==
When music is selected and playback commences, a temporary Playlist is created. This playlist will contain the song selected for playback, plus the remaining songs in the list which enables continuous playback. For example, if a song is selected from an album, then all songs in the album will be added to the playlist with playback always commencing at the selected song.
The temporary playlist is populated differently, depending on where the songs were added from. For example...
*If a song is selected from the Song Category, then all songs in the library are added to the playlist.
*When a song is selected from an Album, the playlist will contain only the songs from the selected Album
*When selecting a Category for playback the playlist will contain only the songs from the selected Category
*etc
<br />
The temporary playlist will remain available until one of the following occurs
*Kodi is shut down
*Another song selection is made
*A user created playlist is selected <br />
== User Playlists ==
{{Main|Playlists}}
These playlists are created by the user for specific requirements. The two types of playlists available for user creation are:
* {{big|'''[[Basic playlists]] -'''}} {{#lst:Basic playlists|intro}}
* {{big|'''[[Smart playlists]] -'''}} {{#lst:Smart playlists|intro}}
== Playlist Controls ==
The playlist is accessible as follows:
#Extend the [[Music_navigation#Sideblade_Menu|Sideblade Menu]] from any location within Music
#Select ''Go to playlist''
[[File:Music-Playlist.jpg|500px]]
The above image shows the Playlist screen displaying the list of songs, the sideblade menu and the Context Menu activated. The following controls are now available:
;Sideblade Menu
*'''Shuffle'''- Disabled by default. Once enabled, songs will playback in random order.
*'''Repeat'''- Off by default. When enabled, will repeat the playlist once the end of the list is reached.
*'''Save'''- Save the current playlist. This allows you to create playlists to be saved and easily played back.
*'''Clear'''- Will clear the playlist. Once the current playing song ends, music playback will end.
*'''Icons'''- From left to right
**Pause
**Stop
**Next Track
**Now Playing Screen
;Context menu- for individual selected song
*'''Information'''- Shows Artist information
*'''Play using'''- Allows the use of other players for playback
*'''Add to favourites'''- Add the selected song to your Favourites list
*'''Move up'''- Move the selected track up in the queue
*'''Move down'''- Move the selected track down in the queue
*'''Remove'''- Remove the selected song from the playlist
= Party Mode =
The Party Mode is a quick and simple option to create a continuous playlist of all music in the library. This mode uses Random order and Repeat playlist to ensure music never ends. As the name implies, a great way to set and forget music playback for parties.
Normal navigation controls such as pause, stop and next track are accessible. Previous Track is not available.
The Party Mode of Music and Music Video playlists are the only predefined [[smart playlists]] in a new installation. The default behavior is to select items from the entire associated library and to play the selections in random order.
Not available in Files Mode
:'''''See also: [[Party_Mode|Party Mode]]'''''
= Search / Filter =
A Music search function is available from the Left Sideblade Menu. It is named '''Filter'''
The search function is context sensitive so will only return results relevant to the Category where the search is performed. eg, searching in Artists Category will only find Artists
A global search function is availabe from the Home Screen and is the Search Icon at the top left of the screen next to the Settings Icon. The Global Add-on is required to be installed for this to function.
= Useful Links =
{{main|UPnP}}
{{#lst:UPnP|intro}}<br /><br />
{{main|AirPlay}}
{{#lst:AirPlay|intro}}<br /><br />
{{Main|Internet video and audio streams}}
{{#lst:Internet video and audio streams|intro}}<br /><br />
{{main|Music nodes}}
{{intro|Music_nodes}}<br /><br />
{{Top}}
{{updated|18}}
[[Category:FAQ]]
[[Category:Index]]
[[Category:Guides]]
[[Category:Manual]]
[[Category:Karellen]]
[[Category:First time user]]
[[Category:Music library]]
[[Category:Music library]]
[[Category:Manual]]
[[Category:Advanced topics]]
[[Category:Quick Start Guide]]

Revision as of 03:26, 1 September 2019

Home icon grey.png   ▶ Music library ▶ Music navigation



Aim

This page will provide information to navigate around the music section and the various ways to play your music.

If you have not already setup your library then you are strongly urged to follow the Music setup guide here... Create your Music Library


Keyboard Controls

Kodi is primarily designed to be used with a correctly programmed remote control.

Using a keyboard is possible, but can be awkward at times. If you are using a keyboard, shortcuts can be found here... Keyboard_controls


Library Mode

To use the Library mode you must, at a minimum, have Scanned your music into the library. If you have not already completed this step, the Library mode will be unavailable to you.

Either follow the Create your Music Library Guide or read File Mode below.


General Navigation

The Music section of Kodi can be accessed from the Kodi Home Screen as seen in this image...

Image 1
This image displays the Kodi Home Screen with a scanned library. The left quarter of the screen shows the vertical menu and the remainder of the screen shows the Home Screen for the selected menu item. In this image we have highlighted the Music menu option and the right portion of the screen is displaying the Music Home Screen.

The information displayed on the Music Home Screen is as follows:

  1. Music Categories
  2. Recently played albums
  3. Recently added albums
  4. Random albums
  5. Random artists
  6. Unplayed albums
  7. Most played albums


Image 2
Selecting Music from the main menu will display the default Music Category list as shown in Image 2. From this screen you select how to navigate your music library eg. Artists, Albums, Songs etc.

You are able to create your own Category Nodes by selecting Edit Nodes in the Left Sideblade Menu or in the Settings menu. See: Main Menu Items


File Mode

Using File Mode is a very limited way of using the Music Library. It is similar to using the File Browser in your operating system to navigate your music files in the folder structure you created.


General Navigation


To access your music files:

  1. Select Enter files section as seen in Image 1
  2. Select the Source which contains the music you want to access, as seen in Image 2
  3. Navigate to your desired album or song.


Sideblade Menu

EstuarySideBarMenu small.gif

The Sideblade Menu can be accessed using the Library or File Modes. There is limited functionality when using File Mode.

You can bring up the sidebar menu either by:

  • bringing the mouse cursor to the left side.
  • pressing the key, when browsing Files in Files Mode
  • pressing the key, when browsing the Category nodes listing as well as within each Category view in Library Mode


Estuary-player-sidebar-music.jpg

The image to the right shows the Sidebar Menu with Party Mode activated. If Party mode is deactivated, the entries below Party Mode will not be available.


Available Options

ViewType
Change current library view. Options differ depending upon location.
Not available in File Mode
Sort by
Select how the list of Music is sorted. Available options differ between categories
Order
Once the Sort by is selected, do you want the order Ascending or Descending
Filter
Allows you to filter (aka Search) your list on certain criteria which differ between Categories. eg Artists, Albums, Genre, etc
Not available in File Mode
Update library
Scans the library for newly added Music Files
Not available in File Mode
Party Mode
Party Mode is context sensitive. The music used in the Party Mode Playlist will depend on which screen you invoked Party Mode from.


The following entries become visible when Party Mode is enabled

Go to playlists
Will open the currently playing Party Mode playlist
Bottom Icons- From Left to right
  • Pause
  • Stop
  • Skip to next Songs
  • Open Play Mode screen. Displays Fanart and song information. aka Now Playing screen.


Playing Music

Music-ArtistContextMenu.jpg

To commence music playback locate the desired song, album, artist or any other category and select the item to be played with the appropriate remote control button, Enter on a keyboard or use the Context menu.

The most common methods for commencing playback

Individual Song selection
Select a song for immediate playback using your remote or keyboard. Alternatively, using the Context Menu for the highlighted song, either play or queue the item into the playlist as shown in the above image.
Album or Artist playback
Highlight any Album or Artist. Call up the Context Menu and select Play for immediate play or Queue item to add the selection into the playlist as shown in the above image.
Category playback
Highlight any Category item such as year, genre etc. Call up the Context Menu and select Play for immediate play or Queue item to add the selection into the playlist as shown in the above image.

When selecting music for playback, a temporary Playlist is created and allows continuous playback. See the Playlist section on this page for further information


Now Playing Controls

Music-NowPlaying Controls.jpg


Once playback has commenced, the now playing screen is invoked by one of the following methods:

  • After a period of inactivity the Now Playing screen will display automatically
  • Use the the Tab  key on a keyboard or equivalent on a remote control
  • From the Sideblade Menu as described in the previous section

From the Now Playing screen, the controls as shown in the above image are available. The Now Playing Controls can be accessed by:

  • Use the  Enter key on a keyboard or equivalent on a remote control
  • Moving the mouse around the screen.

The controls will disappear after a period of inactivity


The controls along the bottom of the screen from Left to Right are:

  • Previous Track
  • Pause
  • Stop
  • Next Track

  • Song Play Time / Song Duration

  • Your Rating- Allows you to rate the song out of 10
  • Repeat:- On/Off- Allows you to repeat the song. Not available in Party Mode
  • Random:- On/Off- Changes play mode to Random. Not available in Party Mode
  • Lyrics- Select to Install CU LRC Lyrics Initially. Then used to Activate CU LRC Lyrics
  • Settings
    • Visualisation- Enable or Disable
    • Visualisation Settings
    • Lyrics add-on
    • Lyrics add-on Settings


Playlist

A playlist is a collection of songs that can be played sequentially. Kodi uses two types of playlists:

  • Temporary or Default playlist that is auto-created to enable immediate music playback
  • User playlists are created by the user to meet specific requirements.


Temporary Playlist

When music is selected and playback commences, a temporary Playlist is created. This playlist will contain the song selected for playback, plus the remaining songs in the list which enables continuous playback. For example, if a song is selected from an album, then all songs in the album will be added to the playlist with playback always commencing at the selected song.


The temporary playlist is populated differently, depending on where the songs were added from. For example...

  • If a song is selected from the Song Category, then all songs in the library are added to the playlist.
  • When a song is selected from an Album, the playlist will contain only the songs from the selected Album
  • When selecting a Category for playback the playlist will contain only the songs from the selected Category
  • etc


The temporary playlist will remain available until one of the following occurs

  • Kodi is shut down
  • Another song selection is made
  • A user created playlist is selected


User Playlists

These playlists are created by the user for specific requirements. The two types of playlists available for user creation are:

  • Basic playlists - The Basic Playlist is a user created list of music or video that does not require a correctly scraped library as it uses the folder paths to the media files. As the playlist is based on paths, different classes of media can be mixed, like movies and episodes. The list can be created within Kodi or transferred from another media player.
  • Smart playlists - Smart Playlists are a versatile feature that allow you to create customised lists of media that may be more suited to your browsing preference. They are a set of rules/filters that allow you to display a sub set of the media in your library.


Playlist Controls

The playlist is accessible as follows:

  1. Extend the Sideblade Menu from any location within Music
  2. Select Go to playlist

Music-Playlist.jpg

The above image shows the Playlist screen displaying the list of songs, the sideblade menu and the Context Menu activated. The following controls are now available:

Sideblade Menu
  • Shuffle- Disabled by default. Once enabled, songs will playback in random order.
  • Repeat- Off by default. When enabled, will repeat the playlist once the end of the list is reached.
  • Save- Save the current playlist. This allows you to create playlists to be saved and easily played back.
  • Clear- Will clear the playlist. Once the current playing song ends, music playback will end.
  • Icons- From left to right
    • Pause
    • Stop
    • Next Track
    • Now Playing Screen


Context menu- for individual selected song
  • Information- Shows Artist information
  • Play using- Allows the use of other players for playback
  • Add to favourites- Add the selected song to your Favourites list
  • Move up- Move the selected track up in the queue
  • Move down- Move the selected track down in the queue
  • Remove- Remove the selected song from the playlist


Party Mode

The Party Mode is a quick and simple option to create a continuous playlist of all music in the library. This mode uses Random order and Repeat playlist to ensure music never ends. As the name implies, a great way to set and forget music playback for parties.

Normal navigation controls such as pause, stop and next track are accessible. Previous Track is not available.

The Party Mode of Music and Music Video playlists are the only predefined smart playlists in a new installation. The default behavior is to select items from the entire associated library and to play the selections in random order. Not available in Files Mode

See also: Party Mode


Search / Filter

A Music search function is available from the Left Sideblade Menu. It is named Filter

The search function is context sensitive so will only return results relevant to the Category where the search is performed. eg, searching in Artists Category will only find Artists

A global search function is availabe from the Home Screen and is the Search Icon at the top left of the screen next to the Settings Icon. The Global Add-on is required to be installed for this to function.


Useful Links

Kodi can be used as a UPnP Server that will stream its library contents to other players on the network, or it can be used as a UPnP Client that can receive music and video from a UPnP Server on the network.

As of v11 (Eden), Kodi has very limited support for being an AirPlay target, allowing any device/platform that can run Kodi to receive some AirPlay content.

Various internet video and audio streams can be played back in Kodi as if they were locally stored on your media center by using STRM files. As long as the format and streaming-method (network-protocol) is supported by Kodi, stream can be added. These are basic text files that look like <name>.strm and contain a URL to the internet stream. STRM files can also be added to the video library and can have cover art, summaries, etc.

Some internet sites may have an add-on available that can also access these media streams, rather than having to manually create STRM files. See Add-ons for more information on how to find and install add-ons.

Music nodes are defined views that are used to organize your media from the music menu. In the past Kodi has had a number of standard nodes such as Artist, Album, Tracks that were hard coded. As of v15 Isengard, Kodi introduces the ability to customize these nodes using an XML file. Using XML files really gives great flexibility in how you display your media and lets you browse large collections quickly. Don't want your country music in your main album node... exclude it. Want a genre in a separate node, create it. Don't like how Top 100 Played is presented, change it.

To get full functionality from custom nodes, you need to use a skin that allows you to deploy them as you would like (e.g. latest builds of Aeon Nox). Confluence will show your nodes, but doesn't allow you to decide exactly where.



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