How to Install Amazon Prime Video on Kodi

Amazon Prime Video is one of the oldest and most popular streaming platforms today, with over 100 million active members. If you are interested in viewing thousands of hours of quality content, then you definitely want to check out Amazon’s streaming platform.

However, because of DRM (digital restrictions management) regulations, this platform is not readily available on all types of devices like other similar services.

Fortunately, if you have Kodi installed on your TV, there is a workaround to this issue. Talented programmers come out with add-ons that can make your viewing experience as good as on the official platform, and you can download them online for free. Keep in mind that this does not mean you get the Amazon Prime video content for free, and you will still need a subscription to their service.

What it means is that if you have a TV or another device that does not support their platform, you can use an add-on to get the Amazon VOD platform. Sideloading regular APK files will not work with this app since their software keeps you from logging in on unsupported devices.

Today we are sharing with you the full guide to downloading and installing the right add-on on Kodi so that you can enjoy your subscription to the fullest. Stay tuned for our guide on how to use the platform and a few troubleshooting tips in case you run into streaming issues.

Features of Amazon Prime Video on Kodi

Amazon Prime is available in over 200 countries and has gained more and more popularity over the last few years. In select places like the US, Canada, India, Italy, and France, Amazon also provides a variety of exclusive regional shows for you to enjoy.

Depending on your location, you might have access to live streaming sports TV channels as well. All in all, people agree across the board that a subscription to this service is worth the money. You can get an account right on their dedicated website and see what type of content is available for you.

Kodi is an open-source software that is completely free and can be installed on a large number of operating systems, starting from Android and iOS to the modified Amazon Fire TV OS. This system allows add-ons, including the one we are sharing with you today. It is an extremely helpful tool for people looking to stream content on any type of device. If you already have it on your TV, installing the Amazon VOD add-on will be a breeze.

There are quite a few people that make add-ons for streaming on GitHub, and the most popular one for Amazon Prime used to be the xLordX Repository. Unfortunately, it does not work properly anymore, and Kodi users should look for a more recent add-on. In our search, we came across Sandmann79’s add-on that currently pairs great with Kodi software and lets you stream all of your favorite shows without fail.

The difference with this add-on is that it is reinforced with InputStream.Adaptive, which imitates the DRM protocol from Amazon. This way, the platform recognizes your device as suitable and grants you access to log into Amazon Prime. The add-on works smoothly on the latest version of Kodi, as well as in compatibility mode on Kodi v17.x Krypton.

The Sandmann79 add-on is available to use without an issue in every country, from the United States, and Germany, to Japan and the United Kingdom. Surprisingly, it also works as intended in countries where the Amazon Prime Video app is not available for use.

People from places like Australia, India, and Canada can only officially watch the available Amazon shows and movies on the primevideo.com website, but with this add-on, you can have the full platform to yourself.

The Kodi add-on offers you plenty of features, such as editing your video library and watchlist to your heart’s content. The Inputstream user interface is equipped with a number of playback options, such as the Amazon Prime Video app, browser, and the regular Kodi player. You can even import content to the software’s library for easy access.

A small drawback to this add-on is that you will not be able to watch content in 4K resolution, as it is limited by default. The Sandmann79 add-on allows you to watch series in 1080p and movies in 1088×464 resolution. Only a few select Android devices get HD and Full HD content.

With that being said, for a free solution that enables you to watch Amazon Prime Video on any device, this add-on is fantastic.

Reasons to Install Amazon Prime Video Add-on on Kodi

You can view all of the Amazon Prime content from your subscription on any device that is not recognized by the DRM restrictions;
The add-on works without an issue in any of the over 200 countries that support Amazon Prime subscriptions;
You can easily access and edit your video library and watchlist for a better viewing experience;
On select devices, you can watch content in 1080p HD and Full HD resolution as well;
You can make use of multiple fallback playback methods;
The add-on offers solutions to add closed captions in any language that Kodi supports.

Installation Guide for Amazon Prime Video on Kodi

We broke down this process into three big sections so that you can understand and easily follow the steps needed to install Amazon Prime Video on Kodi.

The Sandmann79 add-on is a third-party tool that will not be available in the official Kodi repository. This means that you need to allow unknown download sources on your software before starting the installation process. Afterward, we will walk you through how to add the Sandmann79 repository to your device, and finally, how to install your desired Amazon Prime platform.

#1 Allow Unknown Sources for your Kodi Add-ons

Open up Kodi on your desired device;
On the sidebar, you will see a Gear icon that represents the Settings and Configuration menu. Click on it to open up and then go to the Settings tab;

Here, you will find a new sub-menu called System, which will open up a new page;
Scroll down to the Add-ons button to show related options;
Under Show notifications, you will find a toggle slider for Unknown sources. Make sure it is on;

You will get a standard warning alert that you can close by selecting Yes.

#2 Download and Install the Sandmann79 Repository for Kodi

Now that you have that out of the way, you can look for the Sandmann79 repository on GitHub. If you have the Git Browser already installed on Kodi, all you need to do is search their username, and you will find the repository with ease.

Otherwise, you can use a regular browser to search for GitHub and look up Sandmann79. Once you have the file downloaded, you can move on to the installation process:

Follow the same steps described above to reach the Settings menu on Kodi;
Here, select Add-ons and go to Install from zip file;

Kodi will prompt you with a list of sources. Select the drive you have downloaded your file on;

Look for the sandmann79.plugins-1.0.3-leia.zip file that you downloaded from GitHub and click on it.

Wait for the installation process to be done and move on to the final set of steps.

#3 Get the Amazon Prime Video Add-on on Kodi

Open up the Add-on browser section on Kodi and click on Install from repository;
Select the Sandmann79 Repository Leia option to open up the available add-ons;
On the next page that opens up, click on Video add-ons;

Choose the add-on called Amazon VOD and select the Install button;

Next up, click OK and wait for the add-on to be installed.

When the process is finished, you will get a notification that says Amazon VOD Add-on installed. Go back to the Add-ons menu and select Amazon VOD (Prime Video) from the Video Add-Ons section to open up the app.

How to Log Into Amazon Prime Video on Kodi

Once you have the Amazon Prime Video add-on open, you will notice that it sent you straight to the Settings menu. This is where you can log into your account. Here is how to do it:

Click on the Connection sub-menu located on the left side of the screen;
Under a few other options, you will see a Sign in… button that you can click on;

Follow the on-screen instructions and fill in your email address and password that you set up for your Amazon Prime account earlier;
Wait for the “Login successful” message to appear on your screen, and then select OK.
Now you can have fun exploring the add-on that is divided into helpful categories such as Collections, Search, Watchlist, and Everything. You can scroll through Amazon’s curated choices in the Collection tab or scroll through all of the available content in the Everything section. You can also look up shows and movies that you are interested in with the Search bar and then introduce them to your Watchlist for easy access.

Solutions for Common Issues with Amazon Prime Video on Kodi

We have noticed there are a few minor problems that can arise when streaming Amazon Prime on Kodi, so we compiled a list of solutions right into this guide. This way, if you notice a problem right away, you can come back to our article and find the fix with ease.

Sometimes people report that the player drops frames and is a bit choppy overall. This can be solved by decreasing the resolution value on your add-on or by limiting its bandwidth usage.

Go to the Settings menu once again, then select General;
Look for Inputstream Addon Settings… and highlight it to open up another sub-menu;
You will find a section entitled Resolution general decoder. Insert a lower value and try streaming content again;
In the same place, you will find a section for your bandwidth usage. You can decide to limit it in case the resolution fix does not work to solve your issue.

Other people find that their shows and movies tend to buffer a lot. Here is how to fix it:

Select the Settings menu again, then go to General;
Here you will see a section called Preferred Host that is most likely set to Auto;
You can manually change CDN (like Limelight, Akamai, and Cloudfront) to solve your buffering issue. Return back to your player to see if the new CDN chosen allows you to watch content smoothly.

Next up: changing the language of your subtitles. This is not exactly an issue but a quick tip to help you out in the future. More than likely, the closed captions are set to English, but you can change them to your native language as well.

All that you need to do is go to the Kodi Settings menu and select Player. Here, look for subtitle language and choose the one you are looking for. The settings from your software will automatically apply to your new add-on as well.

As a final note, the Sandmann79 add-on does not pair well with VPN connections. You might get connection errors if you are trying to find content from another country through your VPN.

Last Words

Amazon Prime is one of the top streaming platforms on the planet, but sadly its app cannot be accessed on all devices. The Kodi add-on is a free solution to this issue that gives you access to all the content associated with your subscription.

Bear in mind that this is not an official solution that Amazon recognizes, so there are risks associated with inputting your log-in information into the Kodi add-on.