Overview: Library concepts
Library concepts describe how a catalogue identifies, groups and presents media independently of its physical file layout.
A folder tree is one way to store a collection; a library adds item identities, content models and relationships that can span that tree. Collections and playlists then organize items for different purposes. These concepts explain what the viewer is navigating before any particular movie, album or series convention is applied.
What is a media library?
A media library is a catalogue that relates media resources to descriptive information, browsing views and playback state.Library content models
A library content model determines which entities and relationships a catalogue expects to find in a media collection.Virtual library organization
Virtual library organization builds browsing views from catalogue relationships without requiring the media files to share the same folder layout.Media item identity
Media item identity distinguishes a catalogue entry, the work or episode it describes, and the particular resources that can play it.Collections
A media collection groups catalogue items by a chosen relationship without requiring their files to share a directory.Playlists
A playlist stores an ordered sequence of media references whose entries can differ from the distinct media items they point to.