Create a Kodi video playlist from explicit local paths

The useful distinctions

• Basic playlists refer to media paths rather than requiring scraped metadata.
• Kodi-generated basic playlists use M3U.
• Video playlists have no built-in playlist editor in the documented workflow.
• Transferred playlists require paths valid on the receiving installation.

Choose an explicit sequence

A training session often combines clips that share no useful catalogue tag. In that situation, an explicit path list expresses the intended sequence more directly than a metadata query. Decide whether the sequence should remain fixed when new files are added. If the answer is yes, write the list deliberately and keep a short note explaining why the clips belong together.

Make location part of the design

A filename that looks the same on two computers can still refer to different locations. Use paths that the Kodi installation itself can resolve, rather than paths copied from an editing workstation. The example uses a synthetic local media root and avoids credentials or network addresses. If you later move the files, review the list as part of the move instead of assuming the player will rediscover them.

Check every transition

Test both entries individually and then test the transition between them. Opening the playlist successfully only proves that the playlist file could be read; a later entry may still have an invalid path. Keep the rehearsal list short until the path convention is established. For a longer event, retain an order manifest so missing files can be replaced without losing the planned sequence.

A focused way to proceed

1. Identify two authorised files and their paths on this Kodi device.
2. Create a plain-text M3U containing those local paths in order.
3. Save it in the appropriate active-profile playlists/video folder.
4. Open the playlist and verify the first and second entry separately.

Worked example · synthetic

#EXTM3U
/media/workshop/01-introduction.mp4
/media/workshop/02-demonstration.mp4

Read the comparison

A path-based playlist preserves a selection and order; it does not copy media into the playlist.

When to stop or ask for help

If one entry fails, inspect its exact path and file visibility on the Kodi device before changing the playlist format.