Adding music to the library: Difference between revisions

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=Why should you prepare your music?=
{{DISPLAYTITLE:Scanning Music}}
Adding your music to XBMC is easy. This allows you to play your music using XBMC. If you are like most XBMC users you'll want a bit more than just navigate to a album and select a number to play from it. You want more... you want to search for music from a certain artist, genre, etc. If thats the case than your music should be tagged (add meta-information to your music files).
{{MusicLibraryCreate}}
{{mininav|[[Music library]]}}


These days most music files already have these tags. But sometimes you're out of luck and need to correct this yourself. In this article we take a look at the best tools to fix music tags and organizing and cleaning your songs.
= Introduction =
<section begin="intro"/>This page details the following:
*Adding and removing Sources
*Scan (import) your music collection into the Music Library.
*Troubleshooting common problems <section end="intro"/>


A well tagged MP3 collection makes everything from organization to playback easier.
A reminder of the following:
*Ensure the setting ''[[Settings/Media/Music#Fetch_additional_information_during_updates|Fetch additional information during updates]]'' is disabled
*Ensure you have taken care to correctly tag your music and set up your [[Artist information folder]]


{|
| valign="top" |


= Apps to edit music Tags =
Your audio files '''MUST''' have correct audio tags to use the Music Library mode. Without tags you're limited to the fileview in XBMC. There are several tools out there that will allow you to manipulate music ID tags. Consult the homepages of these tools how to tag your music collection.


The most populair (free)tag apps are:
= Adding Music to Library =
* [http://www.mp3tag.de/en/download.html Mp3Tag] [Win]
*'''Populating the music library is a two step process.'''
* [http://puddletag.sourceforge.net/ puddletag] [Lin]
**The first step reads the tags embedded in the music files. This is referred  to as '''scanning'''. If there is any embedded artwork, this will also be scanned and cached.
* [http://musicbrainz.org/doc/MusicBrainz_Picard MusicBrainz Picard] [Win][Lin][Mac]
**The second optional step fetches additional artwork, artist and album information. This information and artwork can be downloaded from either online sources or fetched from local nfo files. This is referred to as '''scraping''' and is covered in detail in the next step of the guide.  
{{-}}




'''Some alternatives:'''
== Initial Set Source & Scan ==
* [http://www.mediamonkey.com/ MediaMonkey] [Win]
<section begin="First Time Music Setup" />
* [http://kid3.sourceforge.net/ kid3] [Win][Lin][Mac]
This process achieves the following:
* [http://easytag.sourceforge.net/ Easytag] [Lin][Mac]
*Sets your music '''source(s)''' in {{Kodi}}. Simply explained, this points {{kodi}} to your music files
* [http://code.google.com/p/quodlibet/ Ex Falso] [Win][Lin][Mac][BSD]
*Allows {{kodi}} to '''scan''' the tags in the music files and import that data into the library
* [http://team.thenexusnet.com/nexus/AAA/ Album Art Aggregator] [Win]
* [http://sourceforge.net/projects/album-art/ Album Art Downloader] [Win]
* ''Most  media players allow users to manipulate ID tags, but these are often less user friendly. ''




<gallery mode="packed" widths="500px" heights="283px">
File:Estuary_home_music.png|'''Step 1:''' On the Home menu select '''Music''' from the menu items.
File:Estuary_music_file_browser.png|'''Step 2:''' In the '''Music File Browser''' select '''Add music'''. In some cases you may need to select '''Files''' to access this.
File:Estuary_add_music_source.png|'''Step 3:''' In the '''Add music source''' window select '''Browse'''.  You can also manually add your source by selecting the box with '''<None>''' then typing in your path.  If you chose to do it this way skip to '''Step 5'''
File:Estuary_music_browse_source.png|'''Step 4:''' In the '''Browse for new share''' window, navigate to where your music is stored, select the folder and then select '''OK'''.
File:Estuary_music_name_source.png|'''Step 5:''' You will now be taken back to the '''Add music source''' window. Under '''Enter a name for this media source''' you can optionally name your media source to replace the suggested name. Select '''OK'''
File:MusicScanSource01.jpg|'''Step 6:''' You will now be asked if you wish to add your media source to the library.  If you do, then select '''Yes''', if you do not, then select '''No'''.  By selecting '''No''' you will only have the option of accessing your media though the '''Music file browser'''
File:MusicScanSource02.jpg|'''Step 7:''' Choosing '''Settings''' in the previous step allows fetching additional info, setting up the scrapers and adding the Artist Information Folder if these have not been done yet. For the first scan, leave these disabled.
File:Estuary_music_scanning_library.png|'''Step 8:''' If you selected '''Yes''' in step 6, Kodi will begin scanning your source to the library. Once finished, you can back out to the Main Menu. There is no ability to queue processes so wait until the first scan is finished before adding more sources.
File:Estuary_home_music_library.png|'''Step 9:''' Once your library is scanned you will be able to see & access '''Recently added albums, Random albums, Random Artist & Unplayed albums''' on the Home menu.
</gallery>
<section end="First Time Music Setup" />


= Technical Explanation: File tags =
<center>{{green|'''At this point you should have a functioning Music Library'''}}</center>
''Skip this section if you're not interested a technical explanation of this subject. You don't need this information to use what is explained in the previous section.''  




For many categories, such as genres and artists, XBMC supports multiple values in the one field.  By default it uses the character sequence " / " to divide the entry into multiple values.  This divider may be changed via [[advancedsettings.xml]].
== Adding Additional Music Sources ==
<gallery widths=500px heights=313px>
File:Music-CategoryList.jpg|To add additional sources to your library, from the Main Menu enter '''Music'''.  Navigate to the to the bottom of the page and select '''Files'''.  Then repeat the steps from '''Step 2''' in the previous section.
</gallery>


== Artist Tags - Resolving Compilations and Multiple Artists ==
XBMC reads the ''Album Artist'' tag in ID3, Ogg, APE and MP4 tags and uses it if available to assign an artist to the album (independently of the track's artist information).  This is the "Album Artist" tag (in ID3 this is represented by the "TPE2" tag; in vorbiscomment (ogg) files "ALBUMARTIST", "ALBUM ARTIST" and "ENSEMBLE" are all supported).  Multiple artists for either a track or album artist can be specified in "Artist1 / Artist2 / Artist3" format.


If no ''Album Artist'' tag exists, XBMC will use the first (primary) artist from the tracks as the ''Album Artist''.  Essentially we do a string comparison of all the track artists, and assign the common artists as the ''Album artist''. This is generally the TPE1 tag in ID3.


As many users don't yet use the ''Album Artist'' tag, XBMC has an additional filter system for identifying compilation albums, where each track normally has a different artist.  As XBMC scans a folder, it does the following:
== Scan to Library ==
In step 6 above, you were asked ''Do you want to add the media from this source to your library?''  


# Identifies albums based on ''Album'' name alone in the folder and groups the songs that have the same ''Album'' name together as an album.
Click the below link if you selected '''No''' and would now like to add the music files into the library
# Runs through each album's assigned songs.  If there is 2 or more tracks with the same ''Track'' number, the group of songs must come from 2 or more albums, so the ''Album'' name is ruled out as a possible compilation.
# If any of the songs assigned to the ''Album'' name have an ''Album Artist'' tag, then XBMC assumes the user knows what they're doing, and this album is also ruled out from being a compilation.
# If two or more songs assigned to the ''Album'' name then have different primary artists, then the ''Album'' name is considered to be a group of songs from a compilation, and the ''Various Artists''" tag is assigned as the album artist.
# Otherwise, if all the songs have the same primary artist but don't have the same full artist list (eg a song or two has an additional artist) then the album is assigned the primary artist as it's ''Album Artist'', and we assume the additional artists are guest artists.


== Ratings in ID3 tags ==
:'''See: [[Update_Music_Library#Scan_Source_to_Library|Scan Source to Library]]'''
Ratings in ID3 tags are read via the POPM field, and (if this doesn't exist) in a custom (TXXX) field named "RATING".  For the RATING field, we accept 1-5 as valid ratings.  For the POPM field things are more complicated, as there is no established standard in place.  We currently most closely respect what Mediamonkey does, and also have some support for what Windows Media Player 11 does.  The POPM tag takes a value from 0..255, with 0 meaning no rating, 1 the worst, and 255 the best.  We currently map these as follows:


{| class="wikitable"
 
|- class="userrow"
 
| class="usercell" |
= Troubleshooting =
'''POPM value'''
{| width="100%"
| class="usercell" |
{{FAQ|
'''Star rating'''
| BGcolor=WhiteSmoke
|- class="userrow"
| Question=Library contains random or duplicated entries
| class="usercell" |
| Answer= This is a result of errors in tagging.
0
#Take note of the errors and correct them by following the recommended procedure in the previous step of the guide- Music Files and Tagging
| class="usercell" |
#Once errors are corrected follow the steps detailed in '''Remove A Source'''
|- class="userrow"
#Re-add the source using the '''Initial Set Source & Scan''' procedure detailed above
| class="usercell" |
}}
1
| class="usercell" |
'''*''' This is a special case for Windows Media Player
|- class="userrow"
| class="usercell" |
2-8
| class="usercell" |
|- class="userrow"
| class="usercell" |
9-49
| class="usercell" |
'''*'''
|- class="userrow"
| class="usercell" |
50-113
| class="usercell" |
'''**'''
|- class="userrow"
| class="usercell" |
114-167
| class="usercell" |
'''***'''
|- class="userrow"
| class="usercell" |
168-218
| class="usercell" |
'''****'''
|- class="userrow"
| class="usercell" |
219-255
| class="usercell" |
'''*****'''
|}
|}


== Embedded Album Art ==
XBMC supports embedded album art in files with ID3 tags, WMA tags and MP4 tags only. It does not support embedded album art in APE, Ogg or FLAC tags currently. To have album art for these formats, see the [[Thumbnails]] portion of the manual.


[[Category:Thumbnails]]
 
[[Category:Scraper]]
= Network Sources =
[[Category:Library]]
Kodi gives you the ability to listen to music from a variety of sources.
[[Category:Music Library]]
<br />
Some examples of sources that allow you to easily access all your digital music collection:
* On your computer or a NAS (Network Attached Storage) device/system, which supports [[SMB]] file sharing
* Stored directly on the hard drive
* On CDs/DVDs
* Streamed from the Internet
<br />
 
{{Top}}
 
<div style="{{linear-gradient|left|#f5d3ff, #12b2e7}}">{{next|[[Artist_information_folder|Artist Information Folder]]}} </div>
 
 
{{updated|18}}
[[Category:Index]]
[[Category:Guides]]
[[Category:Manual]]
[[Category:Karellen]]
[[Category:First time user]]
[[Category:Music library]]
[[Category:Quick Start Guide]]

Latest revision as of 19:52, 22 February 2023

Steps to create your Music Library
Nuvola apps kscd.png
1. Guide Main Page
2. Music Settings
3. Music File Tagging
4. Scanning Music Into Library
5. Artist information folder
6. Scraping Additional Music data
7. Update Music Library
8. NFO Files
8.1 Music NFO Files
9. Artwork
9.1 Music Artwork
10. Import-export library
10.1 Music Import-Export
11. Backup & Recover
Zappy.png
Home icon grey.png   ▶ Music library ▶ Adding music to the library

Introduction

This page details the following:

  • Adding and removing Sources
  • Scan (import) your music collection into the Music Library.
  • Troubleshooting common problems

A reminder of the following:


Adding Music to Library

  • Populating the music library is a two step process.
    • The first step reads the tags embedded in the music files. This is referred to as scanning. If there is any embedded artwork, this will also be scanned and cached.
    • The second optional step fetches additional artwork, artist and album information. This information and artwork can be downloaded from either online sources or fetched from local nfo files. This is referred to as scraping and is covered in detail in the next step of the guide.



Initial Set Source & Scan

This process achieves the following:

  • Sets your music source(s) in Kodi. Simply explained, this points Kodi to your music files
  • Allows Kodi to scan the tags in the music files and import that data into the library


  • Step 1: On the Home menu select Music from the menu items.

    Step 1: On the Home menu select Music from the menu items.

  • Step 2: In the Music File Browser select Add music. In some cases you may need to select Files to access this.

    Step 2: In the Music File Browser select Add music. In some cases you may need to select Files to access this.

  • Step 3: In the Add music source window select Browse. You can also manually add your source by selecting the box with <None> then typing in your path. If you chose to do it this way skip to Step 5

    Step 3: In the Add music source window select Browse. You can also manually add your source by selecting the box with <None> then typing in your path. If you chose to do it this way skip to Step 5

  • Step 4: In the Browse for new share window, navigate to where your music is stored, select the folder and then select OK.

    Step 4: In the Browse for new share window, navigate to where your music is stored, select the folder and then select OK.

  • Step 5: You will now be taken back to the Add music source window. Under Enter a name for this media source you can optionally name your media source to replace the suggested name. Select OK

    Step 5: You will now be taken back to the Add music source window. Under Enter a name for this media source you can optionally name your media source to replace the suggested name. Select OK

  • Step 6: You will now be asked if you wish to add your media source to the library. If you do, then select Yes, if you do not, then select No. By selecting No you will only have the option of accessing your media though the Music file browser

    Step 6: You will now be asked if you wish to add your media source to the library. If you do, then select Yes, if you do not, then select No. By selecting No you will only have the option of accessing your media though the Music file browser

  • Step 7: Choosing Settings in the previous step allows fetching additional info, setting up the scrapers and adding the Artist Information Folder if these have not been done yet. For the first scan, leave these disabled.

    Step 7: Choosing Settings in the previous step allows fetching additional info, setting up the scrapers and adding the Artist Information Folder if these have not been done yet. For the first scan, leave these disabled.

  • Step 8: If you selected Yes in step 6, Kodi will begin scanning your source to the library. Once finished, you can back out to the Main Menu. There is no ability to queue processes so wait until the first scan is finished before adding more sources.

    Step 8: If you selected Yes in step 6, Kodi will begin scanning your source to the library. Once finished, you can back out to the Main Menu. There is no ability to queue processes so wait until the first scan is finished before adding more sources.

  • Step 9: Once your library is scanned you will be able to see & access Recently added albums, Random albums, Random Artist & Unplayed albums on the Home menu.

    Step 9: Once your library is scanned you will be able to see & access Recently added albums, Random albums, Random Artist & Unplayed albums on the Home menu.


At this point you should have a functioning Music Library


Adding Additional Music Sources

  • To add additional sources to your library, from the Main Menu enter Music. Navigate to the to the bottom of the page and select Files. Then repeat the steps from Step 2 in the previous section.

    To add additional sources to your library, from the Main Menu enter Music. Navigate to the to the bottom of the page and select Files. Then repeat the steps from Step 2 in the previous section.


Scan to Library

In step 6 above, you were asked Do you want to add the media from this source to your library?

Click the below link if you selected No and would now like to add the music files into the library

See: Scan Source to Library


Troubleshooting


Library contains random or duplicated entries

This is a result of errors in tagging.

  1. Take note of the errors and correct them by following the recommended procedure in the previous step of the guide- Music Files and Tagging
  2. Once errors are corrected follow the steps detailed in Remove A Source
  3. Re-add the source using the Initial Set Source & Scan procedure detailed above


Network Sources

Kodi gives you the ability to listen to music from a variety of sources.
Some examples of sources that allow you to easily access all your digital music collection:

  • On your computer or a NAS (Network Attached Storage) device/system, which supports SMB file sharing
  • Stored directly on the hard drive
  • On CDs/DVDs
  • Streamed from the Internet


Return to top


Next step: Artist Information Folder


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