[primaeval]

This is a useful post about why Kodi can't write to external drives or cards.
https://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid...pid2535198

Someone has found a way round it on the next page but you need root access.
https://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid...pid2720242

So it looks like it is either adopted storage or bust for your situation.

When you set the card as Adopted Storage it becomes part of the internal storage and won't work as a normal sdcard until you reformat it.
I think the apps get put in the most sensible place by default without you having to move them around manually.
These days I doubt if you'll need to swap sdcards very often, if ever, so using it as adopted storage is probably sensible as you need more space for recordings.
Just make sure you have a backup solution for your photos or personal data though.