JELLYFIN - NFO Files

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Example of an NFO File for a Movie

The NFO file for a movie might look like this:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<movie>
    <title>Inception</title>
    <year>2010</year>
    <rating>8.8</rating>
    <plot>Dom Cobb is a thief with the rare ability to enter people's dreams and steal their secrets. He is offered a chance to have his criminal record erased in exchange for implanting an idea into a target's subconscious.</plot>
    <genre>Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi</genre>
    <runtime>148</runtime>
    <director>Christopher Nolan</director>
    <actor>Leonardo DiCaprio</actor>
    <actor>Joseph Gordon-Levitt</actor>
    <actor>Ellen Page</actor>
</movie>

In this example:

• `<title>` specifies the name of the movie.
• `<year>` specifies the release year.
• `<rating>` provides the average user rating.
• `<plot>` gives a summary of the movie.
• `<genre>` lists the genres associated with the movie.
• `<runtime>` indicates the duration of the movie in minutes.
• `<director>` lists the director's name.
• `<actor>` tags list the primary actors.

Example of an NFO File for a TV Show

For TV shows, the NFO file can be slightly different, including season and episode details:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="utf-8"?>
<tvshow>
    <title>Breaking Bad</title>
    <year>2008</year>
    <rating>9.5</rating>
    <plot>High school chemistry teacher Walter White turns to cooking methamphetamine to secure his family's future after being diagnosed with cancer.</plot>
    <genre>Crime, Drama, Thriller</genre>
    <runtime>47</runtime>
    <season>
        <number>1</number>
        <episode>
            <number>1</number>
            <title>Pilot</title>
            <plot>Walter White receives a life-changing diagnosis and begins his journey into the world of meth production.</plot>
        </episode>
    </season>
</tvshow>

This example includes:

• `<tvshow>` root element.
• `<season>` and `<episode>` tags to organize content by season and episode.
• The `<number>` tag identifies the season and episode number.

Using NFO Files in Jellyfin

When Jellyfin scans a media library, it looks for NFO files to enhance the metadata it gathers for the items. The NFO file should be named the same as the media file (e.g., `movie.mkv` and `movie.nfo`). Jellyfin will automatically read the NFO file if it is present in the same folder as the media file.

Creating NFO Files Automatically

Jellyfin does not natively create NFO files. However, you can use third-party tools like *Ember Media Manager* or *TinyMediaManager* to generate NFO files for your media collection. These tools allow you to scrape metadata from online databases and save it in NFO format, which can then be imported into Jellyfin.

Manual Editing of NFO Files

In some cases, you may need to manually edit the NFO files to fix or update metadata. NFO files are simple text files in XML format, so they can be edited with any text editor. However, it is essential to maintain the correct XML structure for Jellyfin to parse the information correctly.

Common Issues and Troubleshooting

There are several issues you might encounter when working with NFO files in Jellyfin. Below are some common problems and their solutions.

NFO Files Not Being Read by Jellyfin

If Jellyfin is not reading the NFO file, make sure the following are true:

• The NFO file is in the same directory as the media file.
• The NFO file has the same name as the media file (excluding the extension). For example, `movie.mkv` and `movie.nfo`.
• The NFO file is in valid XML format. Even a small error in the XML can prevent Jellyfin from reading the file.

Incorrect Metadata Displayed

If the metadata displayed in Jellyfin doesn't match the contents of the NFO file, try the following:

• Verify that the NFO file follows the correct XML schema.
• Refresh the metadata by selecting the media file in the Jellyfin web interface and choosing "Refresh Metadata."
• Ensure that there are no conflicting metadata sources, such as online scraping services that override the data from NFO files.

NFO File Encoding Issues

If the NFO file contains special characters and Jellyfin is unable to display them correctly, ensure that the NFO file is saved with UTF-8 encoding. This can be set in most text editors when saving the file.

Useful Links

• [Jellyfin Official Website](https://jellyfin.org)
• [Jellyfin Documentation](https://jellyfin.readthedocs.io)
• [Ember Media Manager](https://www.embermediacenter.com/)
• [TinyMediaManager](https://tinyMediaManager.github.io/)
• [XML Validator](https://www.xmlvalidation.com/)