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Managing Libraries

Libraries are the core of Mydia's media organization system. Each library represents a collection of media files in a specific directory.

See Library Types for the full list of supported types and their capabilities.

Creating Libraries

Via Environment Variables

Configure libraries at container startup. MOVIES_PATH and TV_PATH each create a default library automatically; use the numbered LIBRARY_PATH_<N>_* variables to add more:

# Default libraries
MOVIES_PATH=/media/library/movies
TV_PATH=/media/library/tv

# Additional libraries using numbered variables
LIBRARY_PATH_1_PATH=/media/music
LIBRARY_PATH_1_TYPE=music

LIBRARY_PATH_2_PATH=/media/books
LIBRARY_PATH_2_TYPE=books

Via Admin UI

  1. Navigate to Admin > Configuration, then the Library tab
  2. Click New in the Library Paths panel
  3. Fill in the form:
  4. Path (required) is the path inside the container
  5. Type (required) is Movies, Series, Mixed, Music, Books, or Adult
  6. Monitored controls whether scan-all includes this library
  7. Automatic scanning picks a scan schedule, or Off
  8. TV metadata source appears for Series and Mixed libraries only
  9. Auto-import, auto-organize, write NFO, and auto-rename toggles
  10. Click Add Library

Libraries have no name of their own; they are identified by their path. There is no per-library quality profile field in this form either.

Library Scanning

Scanning discovers media files that Mydia did not add itself, such as files you copied into a library folder by hand. Files that arrive through the download and import pipeline are added automatically and do not need a scan.

Scanning is manual by default. You can enable automatic scanning per library.

Automatic Scanning

Set Automatic scanning on a library to have Mydia rescan that folder on a schedule. Choose from six presets: Off (manual only, the default), every 15 minutes (the shortest supported interval), every hour, every 6 hours, every 12 hours, or daily. There is no free-form interval entry.

Scheduled scans are spread out by a random delay of up to 30 minutes so that many self-hosted instances do not all contact the metadata service at once. Manual scans start immediately.

You can also set this with the LIBRARY_PATH_<N>_SCAN_INTERVAL environment variable, in seconds. When that variable is set it takes precedence and the value is reapplied on every restart. When it is not set, your choice in the admin interface is preserved.

Manual Scanning

Trigger a scan at any time from the library page or the admin interface. Manual scans work whether or not automatic scanning is enabled.

Monitored

Monitored controls whether a library is included when you trigger a scan of all libraries. It does not by itself enable automatic scanning, but a library must also be Monitored for its automatic scanning schedule to run. Unmonitoring a library pauses both its inclusion in scan-all and any automatic schedule you have set for it.

Path Management

Mydia uses relative path storage for media files:

  • Flexible Relocation - Change library root paths without breaking file references
  • Path Independence - Database records are portable
  • Automatic Migration - Paths convert automatically on upgrade

Changing Library Paths

Via Environment Variables:

MOVIES_PATH=/new/path/movies
TV_PATH=/new/path/tv

Via Admin UI:

  1. Navigate to Admin > Configuration, then the Library tab
  2. Edit the library and change its Path
  3. Save

The path is not checked when you save

Mydia validates that the path is present and unique, and nothing else. It does not check that the directory exists inside the container, that it is readable, or that it is writable. A typo saves cleanly and then produces an empty or failing scan.

After changing a path, run a scan and check the result before assuming it worked.

When a path is set by an environment variable, the environment wins and the value is reapplied on every restart. See Configuration Reference for the precedence order, and Why Configuration Is Layered for the reasoning behind it.

Next Steps