Kodi library integration is a hot topic as of late because users are comfortable with how easy it is to group your favorite movies and TV shows, but Kodi developers are moving away from the feature in favor of Trakt. Read on to find out why we think Trakt is a better solution rather than Kodi library integration!
At first glance, Kodi library integration is a nice feature. You can add any show or movie from a single Kodi add-on into your library, creating a quick shortcut that links back into that add-on. It saves you time searching for your show every time you want to watch an episode and saves a few clicks navigating through the Kodi add-on.
However, Kodi library integration is very basic and is a hassle to maintain the code. Kodi developers have been moving together towards more Trakt use and we think this is a great idea!
If you aren’t familiar, Trakt is an online service that allows you to add movies and shows to a library (called a collection) similar to the Kodi library integration, but it also does a lot more! Once you have an account setup, there are tons of Trakt apps so that you can keep everything organized from your phone! I use an app for the iPhone called SeenIt, but the official Trakt website maintains a list of add-ons that allow for Trakt account management.
Here are some reasons why Trakt is superior over traditional Kodi library integration:
Reason #1 – Trakt Support Goes Across Multiple Add-ons
The number one reason why Kodi library integration sucks is because it only provides a shortcut into the one single add-on you used to save a show to your library! This means that if Exodus ever stops working and all of your library is added from there, it is useless. When you add a show to your collection, you can view your collection in any add-on that supports Trakt. The only thing that changes is that when you are in Exodus, all your shows link to the Exodus stream select. Likewise, in Velocity all of your shows link to the Velocity stream select. Your Kodi library is automated for every add-on.
Reason #2 – Update your collection on-the-go
When you add a show into your Trakt collection, your collection is viewable in Exodus, Velocity, SALTs, or any other Trakt-supported add-on. You can always view your collection from your mobile phone app and add, delete, and edit on the go as you please and it will all be updated when you get home and boot up Kodi! You no longer have to spend a bunch of time in the Kodi menus adding shows to your library.
Reason #3 – Other Trakt features
In addition to being a movie and TV library, Trakt also comes with other features:
- Add TV Shows and Movies to your watch list and turn on reminders when a new episode is about to air
- Share what you’re watching with your friends on Facebook and Twitter and give everything a rating.
- A custom calendar so you can see when all of your TV shows air.
- Get recommended TV shows and movies based on your viewing habits.
Some of these features require other Kodi add-ons to be installed, such as the Next Aired add-on to know when the next new episode of a TV show airs. Keep your Kodi setup streamlined and move this functionality to Trakt, where you can get the information quickly on your phone without booting into Kodi.
Tip: Trakt Collection Shortcut
Create a shortcut to your Trakt collection inside of your favorite add-on and link to it from your Kodi main menu the same way your Kodi library integration works now and you get all of the benefits above with the same look and feel as the default library integration. Some skins, like Arctic Zephyr, provide an easy interface for setting up shortcuts on the main menu. In less than five minutes, I changed my TV Shows main menu shortcut to be my TV Show collection in Exodus.
