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Library export is one of the most useful features in Kodi.

If you intend to rebuild your entire library the current export function is great. If you intended to make a small library change, the export function isn't as efficient.

Scenarios:

I am replacing a few of my MP3 albums with Flac. I don't want to lose my ratings and playcount so, I export. Problem is, I only wish to export an album or 2 but I am forced to export entire music library, delete the MP3 albums, scan the Flac albums and import the entire library.
I wish to convert a movie to an episode because the movie is actually part of a TV Show and it fits better as an episode in the show than as a standalone movie. Makes watching easy and more interesting. Again, I have to export entire library to get NFO file of the movie, edit it into an episode but at least this time, I only scan the one movie as an episode, unlike in music library where I had to import entire library.
There are many scenarios where a user may only wish to export a movie, an album, a track, a tv show, an episode but this is currenlty not possible, you have to export entire video or music library. This takes time if your library is gigantus and even worse if your system has mickey mouse computing power.
I am thinking of an option in the context menu to export, maybe in the Manage submenu.

I understand this might involve a lot of work but if a dev picks this up and implements it in Kodi 21, I will be one happy Kodi user.

**PatK** · 2022-12-03, 19:34

I think your observations and suggestions are spot on.

Some work-rounds that I have found useful. Using 3rd party programs that gather & scrape meta-data and place this data with the named target folder (updating by individual source or folder is possible). Exporting only the meta-data (.nfo) leaving graphics behind makes for much faster updates. Most of my storage drives are off-line, only when I'm updating are they in play, leaving exports to select sources a bit quicker if there is no writes. (cleaning is another matter obviously).

DJ_Izumi · 2022-12-04, 19:43

Single series would be great for me, as sometimes I'm doing cold storage archiving of various series, and it'd be great to export all necessary metadata next to the archived files for easy restoration even in a state without internet access or such.

HLLLLLLLLL · 2022-12-16, 12:03

I'd love this too. Would also help with not ovewriting all the artwork files, which, from what I gather, is always done from cache and so, if done multiple times, resuls in quality degradation.

**Karellen** · 2022-12-16, 12:07

(2022-12-16, 12:03)HLLLLLLLLL Wrote: Would also help with not ovewriting all the artwork files

Select "No" when asked if you want to export artwork.

HLLLLLLLLL · 2022-12-16, 12:13

(2022-12-16, 12:07)Karellen Wrote:
(2022-12-16, 12:03)HLLLLLLLLL Wrote: Would also help with not ovewriting all the artwork files
Select "No" when asked if you want to export artwork.

Sometimes you do want to export it for the new additions, but leave the old stuff alone. Other times you want to update the info and/or artwork on only one/some items. OPs request makes sense, IMHO.

**Karellen**

(2022-12-16, 12:13)HLLLLLLLLL Wrote: Sometimes you do want to export it for the new additions, but leave the old stuff alone

Use Artwork Dump which downloads the original images... https://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=360078

HLLLLLLLLL · 2022-12-16, 20:41

(2022-12-16, 19:26)Karellen Wrote:
(2022-12-16, 12:13)HLLLLLLLLL Wrote: Sometimes you do want to export it for the new additions, but leave the old stuff alone
Use Artwork Dump which downloads the original images... https://forum.kodi.tv/showthread.php?tid=360078

Looks cool, thank you!

buongiorgio · 2023-09-20, 14:23

Hello,
I would like that feature too.

My scenario: very big video library (1000+ movies and 30ish TV shows), I add one or two movies at a time.

Should I ask in "Feature Request" section of the forum?

Thanks!
Gio

**Karellen** · 2023-09-20, 22:07

(2023-09-20, 14:23)buongiorgio Wrote: Should I ask in "Feature Request" section of the forum?

You did post in the Feature Request section.

It certainly would be nice to have selective export, but I don't think that will ever happen.
I don't use my main Kodi installs for scraping. I use a Portable Install for all my scraping, then run Artwork Dump and the Export for my artwork and nfo files. Once that is done, I then scan the folder using my main Kodi's.

buongiorgio · 2023-09-24, 14:06

(2023-09-20, 22:07)Karellen Wrote: I use a Portable Install for all my scraping, then run Artwork Dump and the Export for my artwork and nfo files. Once that is done, I then scan the folder using my main Kodi's.

Well, my goal is streamlining my workflow, so that wouldn't work for me, but thank you for the suggestion.

**ashlar** · 2023-09-24, 16:15

(2023-09-20, 22:07)Karellen Wrote: I don't use my main Kodi installs for scraping. I use a Portable Install for all my scraping, then run Artwork Dump and the Export for my artwork and nfo files. Once that is done, I then scan the folder using my main Kodi's.

Hi! I'd like to read about the motivation behind this peculiar approach. I'm sure there's a logic to it.

**jbinkley60**

(2023-09-24, 14:06)buongiorgio Wrote: Well, my goal is streamlining my workflow, so that wouldn't work for me, but thank you for the suggestion.

Many folks who have larger libraries leverage various sharing solutions , metadata addons and similar to manage multiple Kodi instances. These solutions have various tools to streamline the workflow. I am not sure if you are running a single instance or multiple instances but there are tools available in both instances to assist. My library is over 40K items shared across 10+ Kodi instances. I leverage a sharing solution which is almost zero maintenance for library management

I've thought about writing a simple addon to do an individual item library export such as the request here. If there is enough interest I'll consider writing it, even though I would likely never use it except for testing.

Thanks,

Jeff

**Karellen** · 2023-09-24, 23:02

(2023-09-24, 16:15)ashlar Wrote: Hi! I'd like to read about the motivation behind this peculiar approach. I'm sure there's a logic to it.

The motivation - it is easier to work at my desk, rather than sit on my couch and fiddle around with a little keyboard balanced on my knees.

I have my testing installs of Kodi on my office PC. Currently versions 19, 20, & 21 with stable and nightly releases and numerous Kodi Data Folders for each.
When I rip blurays, that all happens on my office pc. So it makes sense to continue working with them at my office pc.
I then pick and download poster and fanart images. Artwork Dump downloads the other image types.
I use one of the test Kodi's to scrape. Artwork Dump downloads my artwork. Then I export nfo files and actors images.
I edit the nfo files to fix genre, add some tags, and remove all actors that don't have an artwork link. (I was sick of seeing all those blank actors images)
Once all done, I move the folder to one of my sources then scan it into Kodi on my main setup.

Sounds like a bit of work, but the scraping and fixing takes only a few minutes.
Yes, if you decide to do your 3,000 movie library all at once, this method won't work. But for one or two moves/tv shows every now and then, it works quite well.

**ashlar** · 2023-09-25, 13:09

(2023-09-24, 23:02)Karellen Wrote:
(2023-09-24, 16:15)ashlar Wrote: Hi! I'd like to read about the motivation behind this peculiar approach. I'm sure there's a logic to it.
[cut]

Sounds like a bit of work, but the scraping and fixing takes only a few minutes.
Yes, if you decide to do your 3,000 movie library all at once, this method won't work. But for one or two moves/tv shows every now and then, it works quite well.

Thanks a lot for articulating the process. Makes sense in your environment.