Today, an increasing number of people are ditching their cable subscriptions and opting for streaming services. However, keeping track of new platforms emerging every year becomes difficult. Kodi helps users organize their media and subscriptions in one place. It has rapidly become a one-stop destination for entertainment.
Did you know that you can also use it for digital marketing analytics? Content on Kodi is streamed through add-ons. Evidently, it’s not easy to find one that helps you with this task. So, how can you go about it? Keep reading to discover the answer.
Kodi as a Tool for Digital Marketing Analytics
Kodi isn’t inherently used for digital marketing. There are tons of add-ons and builds available for entertainment. But not for market analysis. The best workaround is to create your addon. The media player is open-source. This means you can use the publicly available Python code to create add-ons for particular tasks (in this case, digital marketing).
To create your own addon, you can use the Jen Template. It’s a tool created for developers. Keep in mind that this process requires you to possess certain coding skills. So, if you are ready to create your addon for digital marketing analysis, follow the steps below.
Creating a Kodi Addon for Digital Marketing Analysis
The Jen Template is a shell of the Kodi software. It has all the complex Python code worked out for the user. So, using it to create an addon is fairly easy. Here are the steps to follow.
- Go to the Jen Template’s GitHub page to download it.
- Tap the ‘Download’ button and choose ‘Download ZIP.’
- Unzip the files once they are downloaded. It will let you access the plugin.video.jen-master folder.
- Access the folder. Now, open addon.xml in a text editor. Addon.xml has the summary information and dependency information regarding your addon.
- Change the blue areas to correspond with the information in your add-on. Here’s what you need to do.
- a. Addon id – Type out the name of your addon in place of ‘jen.’ There should be no spaces in the name.
- b. Name – Input the full name of your custom addon.
- c. Version – This is your addon’s version number.
- d.Provider-name – Input your username.
- e. Summary – Information about your digital marketing add-on in one line.
- f. Description – Explain your addon in at least two full lines.
- e. Website (Optional) – The address of your website.
- Now, open the settings.xml file in the Resources folder. This is the configuration file for your addon. You will find some configuration by default.
- After opening settings.xml, change the four cases of ‘jen’ to the addon you specified in the above steps.
- Now, change the Jen Template folder so it matches your addon ID. Do this by replacing ‘jen-master’ with your addon ID. This step will prevent you from overwriting another Jen Template when installing your custom addon in the media player.
Creating API Keys
The next part involves entering API Key information for TMDB, TVDB, and Trakt. These are metadata providers. It enables Kodi to fetch the information you want automatically.
Create Your TMDB API Key
- a. Create a free account on the TMDB website.
- b. Now, tap your Profile icon and choose ‘Settings.’
- c. Tap ‘API’ followed by ‘Create.’
- d. Fill out a form by giving the relevant information. In the end, you will be provided with a TMDB API Key.
Create Your TVDB API Key
- a. Create a free account on the TVDB website.
- b. Now, head to the Creatw TVDB API Key page.
- c. Input your project name and website name (optional).
- d. Tap ‘Retrieve API Key.’
- e. You will find the API Key at the page’s bottom.
Create Your Trakt API Key
- a. Create a Trakt account. Then, navigate to the ‘Create a Trackt.tv API App’ page.
- b. Sign up for the Trakt API application.
- c. Fill out the form that appears. Enter your API name and description. Input a redirection link from Google.com. Tick the check-in and scrobble fields and hit ‘Save.’
- d. Copy the Client ID and Client Secret and paste them somewhere where you can access them later.
Once your API Keys are generated, access the default.py file. Input the keys in between brackets of the first four code lines.
That’s it. Now, you can install your custom Kodi addon and use it for digital analytics purposes.
What To Do If Your Addon Isn’t Working?
At times, your Kodi addon stops working. This is a common issue. You’ll find it not only with your custom addon but also with addons used for streaming content like The Crew, Umbrella, etc. In such a case, try the following fixes.
- Reinstall the addon and check for updates: This is the very first thing recommended for those complaining about streaming addons, such as The Crew Kodi addon not working. You can also use this fix for your custom add-on. Reinstalling fixes any technical glitches in the addon. You should also check whether you are using an updated version of your addon. If an update is available, it will be in the ‘My Addons’ section.
- Clear Kodi’s cache: Kodi can malfunction if there’s an accumulated cache. Clear the cache on a streaming device like Firestick by going to ‘Settings’ and choosing ‘Applications.’ Choose ‘Manage Installed Applications.’ Tap ‘Kodi’ followed by ‘Clear Cache.’
- Restart your device and check your internet connection: Restarting your device can resolve problems with the software. Also, check your internet connection. The working of your addon depends on the stability of your internet connection.
Wrapping up
Kodi is a versatile software. It can do a lot, from streaming content to performing technical processes like digital marketing analysis. Creating your custom addon is an exciting process, and you’ll surely feel a sense of accomplishment after developing one. Follow the instructions carefully and use the media player for any specific purpose.
