Emby Metadata Guide (2026): Fix Wrong Posters, TMDB Matching, NFO Files, and Custom Artwork

Emby Metadata Guide (2026): Fix Wrong Posters, TMDB Matching & Custom Artwork

Metadata is what transforms a folder of video files into a polished media library. When it goes wrong wrong posters, misidentified movies, missing episode descriptions the experience breaks down fast.

This guide covers every method to fix, customize, and automate metadata in Emby in 2026.

How Emby Fetches Metadata

When you add media to a library, Emby:

1. Reads the filename to identify the title and year
2. Searches TMDB (movies) or TVDB/TMDB (TV shows) for a match
3. Downloads title, description, cast, ratings, posters, and backdrops
4. Stores everything in your config folder or alongside your media files

The quality of this process depends entirely on your file naming.

File Naming: The Foundation

Emby is strict about naming. Follow these formats exactly:

Movies

/media/movies/
  Inception (2010)/
    Inception (2010).mkv
  The Dark Knight (2008)/
    The Dark Knight (2008).mkv

• Always include the year in parentheses
• Put each movie in its own folder
• Avoid special characters in filenames

TV Shows

/media/tv/
  Breaking Bad/
    Season 01/
      Breaking Bad - S01E01 - Pilot.mkv
      Breaking Bad - S01E02.mkv
    Season 02/
      Breaking Bad - S02E01.mkv

• Use S##E## format for episodes
• Season folders are optional but strongly recommended

Fixing Wrong Metadata: Identify Feature

When Emby picks the wrong movie or show:

1. Navigate to the item in Emby
2. Click the three-dot menu → Edit → Identify
3. Search by title, year, or TMDB/TVDB ID
4. Select the correct match
5. Emby re-fetches all metadata from the correct source

Using TMDB/TVDB IDs for exact matching

For ambiguous titles (remakes, foreign films), add the database ID to the folder name:

The Fly (1986) [tmdbid-4511]/
  The Fly (1986).mkv

Emby reads the [tmdbid-XXXX] tag and matches exactly no guessing.

NFO Files: Local Metadata Override

NFO files let you store metadata locally alongside your media files. Emby reads them and uses them instead of (or in addition to) online sources.

Movie NFO example

Create movie.nfo in the movie folder:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?>
<movie>
  <title>Movie Name</title>
  <year>2024</year>
  <plot>Your custom description here.</plot>
  <tmdbid>12345</tmdbid>
  <genre>Action</genre>
  <genre>Thriller</genre>
  <director>Director Name</director>
  <rating>8.5</rating>
</movie>

TV Show NFO

Create tvshow.nfo in the show root folder:

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?>
<tvshow>
  <title>Show Name</title>
  <tvdbid>12345</tvdbid>
  <plot>Show description.</plot>
</tvshow>

Enable NFO reading in Emby

Dashboard → Libraries → [Library] → Edit → Metadata readers → enable Nfo

Set NFO as the first reader to prioritize local data over online sources.

Custom Artwork

Emby supports local artwork files placed alongside your media.

Supported artwork files

Place these files in the same folder as your media. Emby detects them automatically on the next scan.

Uploading artwork via the UI

1. Navigate to any item
2. Three-dot menu → Edit → Images
3. Upload a custom image or paste an image URL
4. Set as primary poster

Bulk Metadata Management

Refresh all metadata for a library

1. Dashboard → Libraries → [Library] → three-dot menu → Refresh Metadata
2. Choose: Replace all metadata / Replace missing only

Warning: "Replace all metadata" overwrites any manual edits. Use "Replace missing only" to preserve customizations.

Lock metadata to prevent overwrites

After manually fixing an item, lock it:

1. Edit the item → scroll to the Lock section
2. Toggle lock on each field you want to preserve
3. Locked fields are never overwritten by automatic refreshes

Metadata Providers: Configuration

Dashboard → Libraries → [Library] → Edit → Metadata providers

Recommended order for movies

1. TMDB (primary best coverage and artwork)
2. OMDB (secondary adds Rotten Tomatoes scores)
3. Nfo (local override)

Recommended order for TV shows

1. TVDB (primary best episode data)
2. TMDB (secondary better artwork)
3. Nfo (local override)

Fixing Common Metadata Issues

Automating Metadata with Kometa

Kometa (formerly Plex Meta Manager) supports Emby and can:

• Apply custom collections automatically (Marvel, DC, Best of 2024)
• Set custom posters from MDBList or TMDB
• Add overlays (4K badge, HDR label, ratings)
• Sync ratings from Trakt, IMDb, and Letterboxd

# kometa config.yml snippet for Emby
libraries:
  Movies:
    metadata_path:
      - pmm: basic
      - pmm: imdb
    overlay_path:
      - pmm: resolution
      - pmm: ratings

Metadata for Anime Libraries

Anime metadata is notoriously tricky. Emby handles it better with the right plugins:

• AniDB plugin most accurate anime identification
• AniList plugin good for seasonal anime
• MyAnimeList plugin popular community ratings

For anime, use absolute episode numbering and let the AniDB plugin handle matching.

FAQ

Where does Emby store metadata? In your config folder (Docker: /config/metadata/) or alongside media files if you enable "Save artwork and metadata into media folders" in library settings.

Can I use both NFO files and TMDB? Yes. Configure the provider order NFO first means local data takes priority, TMDB fills in missing fields.

How do I fix metadata for an entire season at once? Navigate to the season → three-dot menu → Refresh Metadata → applies to all episodes in that season.

Does refreshing metadata reset watch history? No. Watch history is stored separately from metadata.

Why do my custom posters keep getting replaced? You need to lock the image field after uploading. Edit the item → Images → lock the poster.

Monitor Your Emby Server After Metadata Scans

Large metadata refreshes can spike CPU and RAM especially when fetching artwork for thousands of items simultaneously.

EmbyWatch lets you monitor your server during scans:

• Real-time CPU and RAM usage
• Active session tracking (ensure streams are not affected during scans)
• Push notifications if the server becomes unresponsive
• Schedule scans during off-peak hours from the dashboard

Your Emby library looks perfect now monitor who is watching it. Download EmbyWatch on Google Play real-time server monitoring, session tracking, and push notifications for Emby admins on Android.

Also running Jellyfin? Download JellyWatch on Google Play the same complete monitoring experience for Jellyfin.