Keep a cached copy of images in the server's metadata folder

[jmariani 24]

I don't know if maybe I'm not getting it right, but I have "Keep a cached copy of images in the server's metadata folder" setting unchecked, and what I see in the log is a lot of (e.g.)

"2025-08-25 15:00:56.902 Info ProviderManager: Saving image to /Users/xxx/.config/emby-server/metadata/library/95/956213f8bf567d0c467423a9faef2153/poster.jpg"

Shouldn't having this setting unchecked prevent saving images to the server's metadata folder? It's taking up a lot of space in my main disk.

[TMCsw 246]

Do you have the top one on? it needs to be.

[jmariani 24]

Yes I do.

 

[Happy2Play 9780]

39 minutes ago, jmariani said:

I don't know if maybe I'm not getting it right, but I have "Keep a cached copy of images in the server's metadata folder" setting unchecked, and what I see in the log is a lot of (e.g.)

"2025-08-25 15:00:56.902 Info ProviderManager: Saving image to /Users/xxx/.config/emby-server/metadata/library/95/956213f8bf567d0c467423a9faef2153/poster.jpg"

Shouldn't having this setting unchecked prevent saving images to the server's metadata folder? It's taking up a lot of space in my main disk.

Has nothing to do with cached images.  You may have to go to that location to see what that image is as it suggests you have library/libraries that don't same with media.

[jmariani 24]

Went there. The image is the album's cover.

[Happy2Play 9780]

4 minutes ago, jmariani said:

Went there. The image is the album's cover.

Okay then that suggest either library setting for structure or your actual music library structure.

What is the library structure setting?

What is your actual Music library structure?

As if they don't match the setting Emby will same to /metadata folder.

[jmariani 24]

That one.

[Happy2Play 9780]

Yes, so the next question would be does your music library explicitly follow that structure?

[jmariani 24]

I think so.

[Happy2Play 9780]

Looking at your library path I don't think so as your music folder is not specifically /Music/Artist/Album/tracks.  As you have specific alphabet folders.

 

[jmariani 24]

Yes. Because if not, it's going to be a very large folder.

But, I don't know how that relates to Emby ignoring the "Don't keep a cached copy". It should not trigger image extraction if not set. Or at least, it should not copy an image to the server's metadata folder.

What I expect from Emby is to use the images embedded in the music file.

[Happy2Play 9780]

13 minutes ago, jmariani said:

What I expect from Emby is to use the images embedded in the music file.

Seems like a lot of redundant work if Emby had to continually read the files for the images all time.  In the end it will be cached/store somewhere.   And since Emby does not truly understand your provide structure it will dafault to /metadata/library since or in some cases save images to wrong locations as your set structure is not Artist/Album.

[jmariani 24]

Maybe. On one hand, yes, but for a few files. On the other hand, it fills the disk with images that may never be read again, because they will not get played or shown (very plausible when you have a library of around 1.2m songs

Another solution might be to do the image extraction only when the file is played or shown, and if the image wasn't already saved to the cache, and if it's different from the one stored in the cache.

Also, it saves an image for each file (song), not for each album. Also redundant. Maybe a setting like "Save images per album, not per song" may help.