Kodi with Synology: Setup Guide

Updated 14 November 2026 · Standard formula, shown below

This guide walks you through connecting Kodi to your Synology NAS so you can stream your movies, TV shows, music, and photos from one central library on any device that runs Kodi. You’ll learn how to share folders on the NAS, add them as media sources in Kodi, and set up automatic library scanning. No advanced networking knowledge is required, but you should have basic familiarity with both the Synology DiskStation Manager (DSM) and Kodi’s menu system.

What You’ll Need

A Synology NAS with DSM 6.x or 7.x, connected to your local network.
A device running Kodi (Windows, macOS, Linux, Android, Raspberry Pi, etc.) on the same network.
Your media files (movies, TV shows, music) already stored on the NAS.
Admin access to the NAS to create shared folders and set permissions.
Kodi’s default skin (Estuary) is fine; no special add-ons are required.

Step-by-Step

Enable file sharing on your Synology NAS. Log into DSM, go to Control Panel > File Services, and ensure SMB (or AFP if you’re on macOS) is enabled. SMB is the most compatible with Kodi on all platforms.
Create or identify a shared folder for your media. In DSM, go to Control Panel > Shared Folder. If you don’t have one, create a new folder (e.g., Media) and inside it place subfolders like Movies, TV Shows, and Music. Organizing by type makes Kodi’s scrapers work correctly.
Set permissions for the shared folder. Select the folder, click Edit, go to the Permissions tab, and give your user account (or a dedicated Kodi user) Read/Write access. If you have a guest account, you can enable it for read-only access, but a dedicated user is more secure.
Note your NAS’s IP address. Go to Control Panel > Network > Network Interface to find the IP (e.g., 192.168.1.100). You’ll need this when adding the source in Kodi.
Open Kodi on your client device. From the home screen, go to Videos > Files (or Music > Files for music).
Add a media source. Click Add videos… (or Add music…). A dialog appears asking for the path.
Enter the network path. Click Browse, then select Windows network (SMB) (or Network File System (NFS) if you prefer). You’ll see a list of workgroups and devices. Navigate to your Synology NAS, then to the shared folder you created. If browsing doesn’t work, type the path manually: smb://192.168.1.100/Media or nfs://192.168.1.100/volume1/Media (the exact path depends on your NAS volume).
Enter credentials. When prompted, enter the username and password for your Synology account (or the dedicated Kodi user). Check Remember to avoid re-entering each time.
Set content type. After adding the source, Kodi asks “Would you like to set the content type?” Click Yes. Choose Movies for the Movies folder, TV Shows for the TV folder, etc. This enables Kodi to scrape metadata (posters, descriptions) from online databases.
Run the scraper. Select the scraper (e.g., The Movie Database) and click OK. Kodi will scan the folder and add items to your library. Repeat steps 6-10 for each media folder (Movies, TV Shows, Music, etc.).
Set up automatic updates (optional). Go to Settings > Media > Library and enable Update library on startup. You can also install the Watchdog add-on to monitor the NAS folders for new files in real time.

Common Mistakes

Using the wrong IP address. If your NAS IP changes (DHCP), Kodi loses the connection. Set a static IP on the NAS or use the hostname (e.g., smb://myNAS/Media).
Incorrect folder structure. Kodi scrapers expect movies in a single folder per movie, and TV shows in a folder per show with season subfolders. If your files are loose, the library will be messy.
Permissions not set. If you get “Permission denied,” the user you’re using in Kodi doesn’t have access to the shared folder. Double-check the DSM permissions.
Using the wrong protocol. SMB1 is disabled by default in newer Kodi and Windows. Ensure your Synology is using SMB2 or SMB3 (DSM 6+ uses SMB2 by default).

Tips

Use NFS instead of SMB if you’re on Linux or a Raspberry Pi; it’s often faster and more stable.
Create a dedicated Kodi user on the NAS with read-only access to your media folders. This prevents accidental deletions and is safer than using an admin account.
Organize your media properly: For movies, name the file like Movie Name (Year).mkv and put it in its own folder. For TV shows, use Show Name/Season 01/Show Name S01E01.mkv.
Enable “Export library” in Kodi (Settings > Media > Library) to create a backup of your metadata and playlists.
Use the Synology Download Station to fetch media directly to the NAS, then Kodi auto-scans if Watchdog is installed.

Troubleshooting

Kodi can’t see the NAS in Browse. Try typing the path manually. Also check that SMB is enabled on the NAS and that your firewall allows SMB (ports 445 and 139).
“Permission denied” error. Verify the user credentials in Kodi (Settings > Media > Sources, edit the source, update the username/password). Also check the shared folder permissions in DSM.
Slow browsing or scanning. If you have a large library, scanning can take a while. Use NFS instead of SMB, and consider upgrading your network to gigabit. Also, disable thumbnail generation for network sources if it’s too slow.
Library doesn’t update when new files are added. Install the Watchdog add-on, or manually trigger a scan by pressing Ctrl+R (or Cmd+R on macOS) on the Videos screen.
Scraper fails to find metadata. Ensure your NAS is accessible from the internet (for the scraper to reach TMDB) or that Kodi has network access. You can also set a different scraper in the content settings.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use Kodi on the Synology itself? Yes, you can install Kodi on a Synology NAS that has an x86 processor (via the Package Center or manually), but it’s not recommended for playback on the NAS itself—it’s better to use Kodi on a client device and stream from the NAS.

What is the best protocol to use: SMB or NFS? For most users, SMB is easiest and works everywhere. NFS is faster on Linux/Raspberry Pi and avoids some SMB issues, but it requires more setup (enabling NFS in DSM and setting export rules).

How do I set a static IP on my Synology? Go to Control Panel > Network > Network Interface, select your LAN, click Edit, choose Manual setup, and enter an IP outside your router’s DHCP range (e.g., 192.168.1.200).

Why is Kodi asking for a username and password every time? Kodi saves credentials per source, but if you’re using a guest account or the credentials are wrong, it will prompt. Edit the source in Kodi and update the username/password, or enable “Remember” when prompted.

Can I stream 4K HDR from my Synology to Kodi? Yes, if your network is gigabit and your client device can decode 4K. Use a wired connection for the best experience. SMB or NFS both work.

How do I remove a source from Kodi? Go to Videos > Files, highlight the source, press the Context Menu (right-click or long-press), and select Remove source. This does not delete the files on the NAS.

Method: the standard formula for this calculation, rounded as each result states. See how the calculators work or report an error.