How to Create and Manage a Media Library in Lyrion Music Server

Lyrion Music Server (LMS) builds its library by scanning folders of music files you already own, then reading the metadata stored inside those files. To create a library, install LMS, point it at your music folder, and run a scan; to manage it well, keep your tags consistent and use the dedicated guides for metadata and classical music. This applies to local files on the machine or storage that LMS can reach — it is not a streaming catalog.

What "creating a media library" means in LMS

LMS does not host or download music. It indexes files from a location you specify, which is why the official documentation treats library creation as two connected tasks:

• Getting the files in place — a folder structure LMS can read.
• Getting the metadata right — tags that determine how albums, artists, and tracks appear.

The site's documentation groups this under Creating a media library, with two companion guides: Getting the most out of LMS metadata and Guide to classical music on LMS.

Steps to create the library

1. Install LMS. Follow Getting Started with LMS → Download & Installation. The site also offers platform-specific beginner guides, including a full-featured LMS on a Raspberry Pi, Docker on Synology, Docker on QNAP, Docker on OMV, and getting started on macOS.
2. Confirm your files are accessible to the LMS host — local disk, attached storage, or a mounted share.
3. Point LMS at your music folder so it knows which directory to scan.
4. Run a scan and let LMS read the files and their tags.
5. Verify the result by browsing albums and artists, then fix any entries that appear wrong or split.

The exact menu path depends on your LMS version and skin, so rely on the Beginner's guide for your platform rather than a fixed click sequence.

Managing metadata so the library stays usable

Metadata is what turns a folder of files into a browsable library. The Getting the most out of LMS metadata guide is the reference here. In practice, the decisions that matter most are:

• Consistent artist and album artist tags — inconsistent values are a common cause of one album appearing as several.
• Album and track numbering — needed for correct ordering.
• Compilation handling — so multi-artist albums group sensibly.
• Artwork — embedded or stored alongside the files.

Treat tagging as ongoing maintenance: when you add music, tag it before scanning rather than after.

Classical music needs its own approach

Classical libraries break assumptions built for pop and rock — composer, conductor, soloist, and work are all distinct roles. LMS documents this separately in the Guide to classical music on LMS, and there is also a #CURTRACK Guide. If classical is a significant part of your collection, read that guide before bulk-tagging, because reworking a large classical library later is far more work than setting conventions first.

When to use the advanced and platform guides

Note that LMS 9.0 introduced changes to music handling, so check the New Music changes in 9.0 page if you are upgrading and your library behaves differently than expected.

Where to get help

The site's Help Guides and FAQs section collects troubleshooting material, and the Community forums are the place for questions the guides do not cover. Because LMS is open-source and community-maintained, forum answers often reflect the version and platform you are actually running — include both when you ask.