UPnP/Server

XBMC has (since the 24th of January 2007) a built-in UPnP A/V media server (UPnP-server). Originally added to help share files to other XBMC instances as a UPnP media source, XBMC's UPnP server also enables you to share media with other UPnP-clients on your local network. XBMC's UPnP server can share files that are normally only locally accessible on the Host XBMC device, as well as metadata (summaries, cover art, etc) to supporting clients. As of XBMC v12, the UPnP server can also share files that are not scanned into the library.

UPnP server settings
To turn on the UPnP server in XBMC, go to Settings -> Services -> UPnP and enable "Share video and music libraries through UPnP".