Kodi is a free and open-source multimedia center, available for a large number of systems and devices, which allows us to seamlessly play any type of content, be it photos, videos or music, from our smartphone, tablet or qny other device without depending on other additional applications. In addition to the standard functions of playing multimedia content, this tool is also capable of offering us much more, all through what is known as Kodi add-ons.
But where do I get the addons? This is where repositories come into play, which are basically servers. They are identified by a name, but also by a URL, and are the main source of addons. They are the first thing that we should install in Kodi to be able to have the best addons that exist for the multimedia player, as long as we do not want to spend a little more time installing them manually with a file for each of them.
In Kodi there are two key concepts: repositories and addons . Kodi is a simple software; in reality, it is nothing more than a multimedia player with wide format support. But if we want to obtain multimedia content that can be played, then we have to resort to accessories, which is where videos, movies, series, documentaries and also video games or karaoke are available.
Repositories are places where a set of add-ons that can be installed on Kodi are stored, so by adding them to Kodi you can access the various add-ons that they offer you. Kodi has its own official add-on repository, but in addition, you can also install various repositories and unofficial add-ons provided by third parties.
Official add-ons can be installed and enabled directly from Kodi. On the other hand, unofficial ones can be installed through different sources or repositories that you will have to add manually or through ZIP files that are available for download.
In this guide you will see how to install both official and unofficial addons on Kodi 18 Leia. The process described below refers to the desktop version of Windows, but it shouldn’t be different for Mac or Linux users, as long as they are running this same version.
In case you use Kodi on your television, use the navigation buttons on your remote control to move from one option to another. Press «OK» to choose an option and the «Back» button to go to the previous page. If you’re on a PC, hit “Enter” on your keyboard to choose an option and “Backspace” to go back to the previous page.
Installation of official Addons on Kodi
Setting up Kodi for the first time may seem a bit complicated for some users due to all the options and functionalities that Kodi offers to more advanced users. But once you have downloaded and installed Kodi from the official website , you will see that installing official Kodi addons is one of the easiest things you can do. Follow the steps below to get started:
Launch Kodi and click on the Sysytem Settings Icon
Select Add-ons Package Installer
Now click on “Install from repository“.
Select Kodi Add-on repository. This the official repo for Kodi
The screen you are on now shows a series of categories that you can choose from , so you can choose between add-ons related to music, movies, videos, weather or anything else. For the sake of this tutorial, we are going to add a video add-on. We will use this example for the rest of the process.
Scroll through the list on the right using the scroll wheel on your mouse or the arrow keys on your keyboard (up / down) until you find the add-on you want. Let’s try installing the CrackleAddon for Kodi.
Once you’ve found your preferred option, click on it. Then you will see the screen shown below. Now you just have to click on the “Install“
A box will popup showing all the dependencies and add-ons that will be install Click OK
After a few seconds, you will see a pop-up saying that you have successfully installed the Addon.
You can always repeat the process to install any add-on on your device.
Although the installation of add-ons from the official Kodi repository is very simple, not all the Addons or add-ons available for Kodi are in the official repository. To download and install the add-ons that have not yet been approved by Kodi or the XBMC Foundation for one reason or another, you will need to look elsewhere. You can do this from third-party repositories and from ZIP files that are available online, but be careful, as installing some of them may be illegal.
Enable installation from unknown sources
The most interesting Kodi Add-ons are included in unofficial repositories . In this guide you will see the steps to install them. The first thing you have to do is enable installation from unknown sources . You must follow these steps
Go to the main menu and select the option “Settings” by clicking on the icon with a gear that you can see in the upper left panel.
On the next page, click on “System Settings” as shown in the image below.
In the “Add-ons” tab of the left panel, make sure that the “ Unknown sources ” option is activated.
The option is disabled by default for privacy and security reasons, but you must enable it before you can install add-ons from outside the official Kodi repository.
Installing Unofficial Addons on Kodi
Downloading unofficial Kodi add-ons from third-party repositories differs somewhat from the method described above, but it is a process that we can divide into two steps. The second part of that process is almost identical to the method described above, but to get to this point, you will need to install the unofficial third party repositories first , which can be confusing for beginners.
To get new repositories you will need to adjust the settings a bit. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to do the whole process. For the purpose of this article, we will install a popular repository called ” The Crew Repository“, which is one of the greatest repos for movies and TV shows and even for live sports. However, as a legal warning, we have to remind you that some of the Add-ons that you will find in third-party repositories are copyright infringement, so you will have to be careful what you do. To avoid legal trouble, make sure to protect yourself with a VPN connection before you start using these repositories.
Now you can install third-party repositories. In this guide, as an example, we will install an Addon from the ” The Crew Repository” . To do so, follow these steps:
Launch Kodi and click on the “System Settings” Icon.
From the list of available options, select «File manager»
Then select «Add source»
Double click «<None>»
Enter this link: https://team-crew.github.io/in the box at the top of your screen. Be sure to type this exactly as provided. Click OK
Your repo needs a name ” Crew“ in the box below> then Select “Ok“.
Return to the System Settingshome screen> and Click the Add-ons Package Installer
Select “Install from zip file“
Find your repo under Crewname
Select repository.thecrew-0.3.1.zip.
Wait for the top right to popup THE CREW REPOSITORY INSTALLED.
And this has been all regarding the repository installation. It is a valid process for any third party repository. It will only change the path to the repository.
That’s it. Now that you have The Crew Repo installed on Kodi, you can repeat the process for practically any third-party repository you want to add. You can install add-ons from the official Kodi repository, The Crew Repo or any other repository you have installed.
However, you still have to install the Add-ons. Now that you have
The Crew Repo on your system, you need to know how to install Add-ons.
To install Add-ons from The Crew Repo, go to the Main Menu and Highlight Addons and click Install from repository
Click The Crew Repository
Then Video add-ons
Select The Crew
Click Install
A box will popup showing all the dependencies and add-ons that will be install Click OK
On the top right, a pop-up will let you know that your add-on is installed
Now go back to kodi home screen, Find Add-ons tab on the left side menu and enjoy the best Movies and Tv Shows on The Crew Addon.
You can then install Addons from the repository in the same way as described in the first section of this guide.
You can also install individual Addons in the same way, as long as you know the exact download address of the ZIP file.
