Kodi Skins for Music

By request, I have created instructions on how to install and setup one of my favourite Skins for Kodi Music listening.

By using this skin you get this user interface in Kodi:

While playing any tagged audio file, you see tagged data, sample rates etc, album cover and rotating disc image (if any). The background image cahnges every 7 seconds (an Artist Slideshow):



The Kodi main menu is customised and can show a random set of artist fanart from your music collection (when music is not playing):



I whacked the instructions into a PDF file with (hopefully) easy to follow instructions with images:

Download link here:
https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B67BGVX7nHIlSmpBZXZBRWNadFU/view?usp=sharing


EDIT: I have all my Artist fanart, logos, and other images and metatdata plus many of the disc images in a zip file if anyone using Kodi wants to use these.

Otherwise you can get your own quite easily using MediaElch software (free - donationware):
http://www.kvibes.de/en/mediaelch/

Example screen shot. MediaElch automatically finds and downloads Artist images, logo and metadata plus for each album the disc images (if any)






More coming in future posts

Oh, MAN! This is fantastic stuff. My Kodi is the BOMB!

When you are all ready to make the leap to playing all your discs through a computer or server, just read everything Garry's written on here since July. I am stunned at the coolness within.

dr. simple said:

Oh, MAN! This is fantastic stuff. My Kodi is the BOMB!

When you are all ready to make the leap to playing all your discs through a computer or server, just read everything Garry's written on here since July. I am stunned at the coolness within.

Click to expand...

Great to be of assistance Paul.

Go on, post some screen shots!

Here's the first one in which I've uploaded my own scan for the artist background rather than using the one that MediaElk finds. Pretty cool!!!

Okay, I just realized that my first screenshot was of a 16/44 stereo source. Here's something a little more sophisticated, from a 5.1 SACD. But of course, on this the titles are so long that they are truncated in the screenshot. In reality, they are scrolling.

Hi Garry,

I have downloaded MediaElch but have no clues on the set-up aspect: particularly linking remotely with my Kodi device (Raspberry Pi 3)

Are there any tips on this you can provide?

Will this version of skins allow banners and artist logo's to appear on Kodi- it seems to be slightly different to the one I have downloaded and wonder whether this is enhanced functions or whether my labelling and file structure is at fault.

Regards

Woody

Hi Woody,

MediaElch needs to have a path to your media file Root Folder - it does not need to know about your RPi but a direct path to your storage location (you can map a drive if required)

There is a setup option in MediaElch where your choose your media folders (typically on your NAS/Server for an RPi) and you also set whether each folder is Music, Movies, Concerts etc.

Once that's done MediaElch will scan the subfolders to find all your music artists and album folder (or movies etc) and load them into its user interface.

MediaElch requires your music to be in folders formatted: [Music Root Folder]\Artist Name\Album Name\Music Files

You must Scrape (download) each artist and album one by one (button at top). MediaElch needs artists to be named exactly (Is the band The Rolling Stones or Rolling Stones etc) same with Album Names so if it doesn't find an artist or album it is probably the folder names/spelling so you should rename.

Also the Kodi Artist Slideshow needs to match the Artist Name tag in your music file with the Artist folder name to find the Artist images etc so tags and folder names must be the same.

That should get you started.

Garry

I must be doing something wrong with MediaElch. I gets to the root music directory OK. When I select music to scrape I have to select at least two artists to get the right window to come up that has a "start scraping" command. Then it scrapes the info for the first artist. There is a larger window that appears if I only select a single artist, but I cant see a way to activate it. Anyway, it creates an artist.nfo file properly, but the only thing in it is the artist name.

Any guidance would be appreciated.

LuvMyQuad said:

I must be doing something wrong with MediaElch. I gets to the root music directory OK. When I select music to scrape I have to select at least two artists to get the right window to come up that has a "start scraping" command. Then it scrapes the info for the first artist. There is a larger window that appears if I only select a single artist, but I cant see a way to activate it. Anyway, it creates an artist.nfo file properly, but the only thing in it is the artist name.

Any guidance would be appreciated.

Click to expand...

Could be one of two things:

• You may need to update your MediaElch version as the last official one is now broken for scraping (you'll need to donate to download the fixed version - in the nightly builds list when you login after donating)
• The Artist and Album names must be exact matches (no spelling mistakes etc).

Hi all,

Has anyone tried to install Aeon Nox Silvo into a Raspberry Pi device via a Mac?

I've tried from a couple of different angles including installing the zip file to my NAS and linking the device path to this- with no success to date.

Would love to have the extra 'logo's', 'banners', etc.

Thanks!

Woody

woody said:

Hi all,

Has anyone tried to install Aeon Nox Silvo into a Raspberry Pi device via a Mac?

I've tried from a couple of different angles including installing the zip file to my NAS and linking the device path to this- with no success to date.

Would love to have the extra 'logo's', 'banners', etc.

Thanks!

Woody

Click to expand...

I successfully installed Aeon Nox Silvo on my QNAP NAS which is Linux based. Since I don't have a clue about Linux, I copied the Aeon Nox Silvo zip file to my root music directory and directed Kodi to "install repository from zip file". I pointed Kodi to the zip file and it worked perfectly. What I realized later on, is there is no option to install "skin shortcuts" from the Kodi repository. It just isn't available in the repository listing. It could be because I'm using a Jarvis version that is custom designed for QNAP devices. QNAP has since pulled Kodi from its application pool, so there is no longer an upgrade path from QNAP. I'm at a dead end until I can figure out how to get an upgraded version of Kodi on the NAS.

LuvMyQuad said:

I successfully installed Aeon Nox Silvo on my QNAP NAS which is Linux based. Since I don't have a clue about Linux, I copied the Aeon Nox Silvo zip file to my root music directory and directed Kodi to "install repository from zip file". I pointed Kodi to the zip file and it worked perfectly. What I realized later on, is there is no option to install "skin shortcuts" from the Kodi repository. It just isn't available in the repository listing. It could be because I'm using a Jarvis version that is custom designed for QNAP devices. QNAP has since pulled Kodi from its application pool, so there is no longer an upgrade path from QNAP. I'm at a dead end until I can figure out how to get an upgraded version of Kodi on the NAS.

Click to expand...

Maybe time to buy a Media Player?

HomerJAU said:

Maybe time to buy a Media Player?

Click to expand...

I been thinking about it. Something windows based, so I can understand it. Been looking at Shuttle bare bones units... but sailing season is right around the corner. A man has his priorities...

LuvMyQuad said:

I been thinking about it. Something windows based, so I can understand it. Been looking at Shuttle bare bones units... but sailing season is right around the corner. A man has his priorities...

Click to expand...

An Intel i3 NUC would be good but expensive (and then pay $$ for Windows license > Media Player)

A Kodi build using LibreElec (Linux) is very easy to use and you can do everything from a Windows PC connected to Linux over a network. You don't need to know Linux at all, just the names of the folders to copy stuff.

WETEK Hub is only about USD100 and now handles all hires audio including MCH FLAC with LibreELEC/Kodi.

HomerJAU said:

Maybe time to buy a Media Player?

Click to expand...

I too have a QNAP NAS- but never had Kodi running as an application on it (never has there been an option available to do so in the applications available since my purchase a few months back.)

My version of Kodi is Leia.

I saved the zip file to my NAS, and pathed it via my Kodi on Raspberry pi- but get an installation error msg.

Regards Woody

woody said:

I too have a QNAP NAS- but never had Kodi running as an application on it (never has there been an option available to do so in the applications available since my purchase a few months back.)

My version of Kodi is Leia.

I saved the zip file to my NAS, and pathed it via my Kodi on Raspberry pi- but get an installation error msg.

Regards Woody

Click to expand...

Are you trying to install the Repository zip or the full skin? You should install the latest SiLVO repository from the Kodi forum.

woody said:

My version of Kodi is Leia.

Click to expand...

Kodi Leia is not released yet it is an alpha version. I wouldn't use that I'd use Krypton which is the latest stable release version.

HomerJAU said:

Kodi Leia is not released yet it is an alpha version. I wouldn't use that I'd use Krypton which is the latest stable release version.

Click to expand...

Sorry. I got it wrong. I am using Krypton.

HomerJAU said:

An Intel i3 NUC would be good but expensive (and then pay $$ for Windows license > Media Player)

A Kodi build using LibreElec (Linux) is very easy to use and you can do everything from a Windows PC connected to Linux over a network. You don't need to know Linux at all, just the names of the folders to copy stuff.

WETEK Hub is only about USD100 and now handles all hires audio including MCH FLAC with LibreELEC/Kodi.

Click to expand...

I looked into it some time ago when it was having some issues with MC files. I looked into it just now and it doesn't appear to be sold in the US anymore. Even the store at the Wetek site says its unavailable.

LuvMyQuad said:

I looked into it some time ago when it was having some issues with MC files. I looked into it just now and it doesn't appear to be sold in the US anymore. Even the store at the Wetek site says its unavailable.

Click to expand...

Looks like the WETEK Hub is out of stock. I'd check back as they'll no doubt get more in. It's happened before with their older Core model. Looks like they manufacture in batches.