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Help players won't find music on sd card

owura143 said:
Silly question: How do I mount and unmount my external SD? I followed all the steps but was unsure of how this is done so i removed and re-inserted my external SD before turning off the phone and I am still having the problem. Also, Music Hub is not on my phone so I just cleared cache/data /force stop for music player. Any help will be appreciated.
Click to expand...

Settings>More tab>Storage>SD card>Unmount SD card
 
Read this and many other threads I found through Googling. Nothing worked (including the unmounting/remounting bit) until I had the bright idea to move my music to a different (new) folder (from "Media" to "My Music") in the SD card. At that point, all my music players (Native & Rocket Player) saw *all* of my music.

I noticed that the "Media" folder showed as having one item/file left after I moved all the music/album folders. But when I went into the folder, I could not see anything. My guess, maybe somehow a file slipped in there (an invisible one at that) that disabled the folder as a Music folder. Since I'm not rooted (and don't intend to be) I can't tell what this file was (.nomedia ?). Anyway, I'm a happy boy again, with all my music.
 
I had the same issues after updating my firmware to 4.3. I tried to reboot the phone, unmount and remount the SD and many other things to no avail. My solution was to reformat my sd card and re-add my music folder. After I did this it worked fine with all apps.
 
tphillips84 said:
sorry if I'm duplicating threads.. I've transfered music onto my sd card and none of the players will locate it. the music is on the card I can go into my files and play it individually. I'm using a San disk 32gb card in a non rooted phone
Click to expand...

I experienced the same thing this past weekend. I used the same sdcard for almost a year with no problems, and then poof! no music. I could see all the files on a computer but it wouldn't play on the phone.

I copied all the SDCARD files to a folder on my computer, and using a sdcard format utility, formatted the sdcard (64gb) in fat32 and copied back all the files to it.

Now my phone is happy and working like it used to!

apparently there was a glitch in the sd card that re-formatting took away
you need a utility cause the computer will format fat32 to only 4GB.

There are a bunch of free sdcard formatters around to download.
i have atrtached one that you can unzip and use.

Aloha and good luck!
 

Attachments

Just had this problem today (on a "known good" configuration; that is, last time I used the stock Music app, it found all my music, but today it doesn't), and Google led me to this thread. Here are the things I (unsuccessfully) tried:

  • rebooting
  • checking for a .nomedia file in the Music folder
  • stopping the music player app and clearing the data
  • unmounting and remouting the SD card
So what worked? On a hunch, I used a file manager to rename the folder from 'Music' to 'MusicX' and started the stock Music app. All of a sudden, the MP3s starting filing in. It's as if the stock player refused to see the folder as long it was called 'Music.'

I'll try renaming it back later, but for now, I'm good. :-) Thought I would suggest this as one of the simple things to try with what is apparently a very buggy app.
 
Have a new company issued Gal S4, 4.3 OS w/Verizon. Used the standard preloaded music app. I tried all the above solutions with no success. Here's what did work for me. I hope it helps anyone with the same dilemma.
Background: I always suspected it was a file directory issue on the players ability to read the 6 gig of music I stored four folders deep. Its the Engineer in me.
Fix: Simply move your folder titled music up to the 1st tier level (the first files you would see when you touch your SD file directory) on your SD media card. Reboot your devise and all your music appears with the full sorting functionality that the stock player app provides.
To quote Jim Morrison: Break on through to the other side....
Craig

 
I noticed that it seems to only search for music upto 2 folders deep any more nested folders are just ignored.
Or at least in my version of Google play music (v5.4.1413N...) as of today.
 
Was the only free player I could use that would find and play all of my audio files and podcasts. Ever since the 4.4.2 update and no longer being able to write directly to SD card all the other music players I've used could not find all the files I moved to my SD card after transferring to phone memory using ES file Explorer. Those two apps work like a charm. I just wish they would let us write directly to card again.

What gives them the right to take that away anyway?
 
jimweda said:
What gives them the right to take that away anyway?
Click to expand...
It's not really a matter of "right". Google believed that allowing apps to write to the SD card unrestricted was a security risk. The turned this ability off in an OS update and you could have chosen not to install it if you wished. There was certainly a lot of noise about this before it actually happened.

If you are rooted, there is a free app that will restore the earlier functionality. See here [APP][4.4][ROOT] SDFix: Modify device permis… | Android | XDA Forum for details.
 
jimweda said:
Was the only free player I could use that would find and play all of my audio files and podcasts.

Thanks for the heads-up on Rocket Player!

I tried a dozen remedies, including different players, but this is what really made the difference. RP reads ALL my music files, including less well known popular artists, and classical/jazz recordings (it has a composer category that other apps don't offer.) Not sure about podcasts/audio books, but for now I sequester them into an Audio Book file & use MortPlayer Audio Books, which seems to work fine. I have also used the .nomedia file in my audio book file folder to keep the music out, and initial periods at the start of some ringtone files to keep them out of the mix.

7/31 - Revised enthusiasm ..all the cd art appears, but about half the music does not play ..a work in progress

Thanks, again (ZTE Awe Android version 4.1.2)
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Hi :) For those of you where none of all the above ways said worked, this is what I did cuz I had the same problem for so long already and I just fixed it earlier :) I'm not sure if it would work for everyone though. I'm using a GT S7582 Anyway here it is:
>Go to My Files
>You know those three buttons at the very lower part of your phone? Click the first one on the very bottom left(sorry I don't know what it's called) It should show the ff options: Add shortcut; Search; Settings
>Click Settings
>Under the Select Directories click Set music directory
>Pick SD memory card
>Then Go to the folder where your songs are
>After that just click the Set Here at the upper right of your screen
And that's it :)
Just go to whatever app you use to play your music and the songs on your sd card should show up :)
I wish I was able to explain it well T.T Anyway good luck on fixing your phone :)
 
strikewun said:
Don't know if this issue has been resolved or not but I was having the same problem and solved it

I found this thread by way of Google, so hopefully I can help someone that was having the same problem as me

Since I'm new, I can't post any screenshots or links, so I'll try to be descriptive, but its kinda the same method from crabman post

Samsung Galaxy s3 T-Mobile

So, this is how I came about the problem. I downloaded a playlist backup app that also make a .nomedia file along with a playlist backup in whatever folder its in. I wanted my playlist backed up on the root of my external SD card, but I didn't know nothing of the .nomedia file at the time.

The app put a .nomedia file on the root of my extSD card :(

Don't bother trying to find the file with the stock file browser because its hidden. You'll need something like Root Explorer to find it.

These are the steps I took

>Using Root Explorer, find the .nomedia file on the root of your extSDCard and delete it

>Go to your settings and open up the application manager.
>>>Force Stop and Clear Data from two apps, Music Hub and Music Player

>Unmount and Mount your extSdCard

>Restart your phone

Oh, I also pulled the SDCard, but I don't think it was necessary. I hope this helps someone out that was having the same problem as me.
Click to expand...

This did it! I had problems with Musixmatch finding like half my songs (but never a problem with Poweramp). After deleting all the .nomedia files and one directory by the same name and clearing the data Musixmatch found all music files. Didn't unmount my extSDcard though. Thanks for a great tip after trying everything.
 
After some trial and error I fixed why some players couldnt find my .mp3 files.
I renamed my music file "music1" made a new file "Music" copied all music from music1 which was the original location and pasted it into the newly named file "music" BAMMMMMM WORKED LIKE A CHARM. Try to also locate the nomedia file by the way its a hidden file and delete it before you do anything else use a market file apk.
:smokingsomb:
 
svendsvin said:
This did it! I had problems with Musixmatch finding like half my songs (but never a problem with Poweramp). After deleting all the .nomedia files and one directory by the same name and clearing the data Musixmatch found all music files. Didn't unmount my extSDcard though. Thanks for a great tip after trying everything.
Click to expand...

Aarrggh!!! I deleted some music files (mp3) and added some new ones to my extSDcard. The same problem again: Musixmatch and Rocketplayer can't find the new files and the old ones still appear. I've tried the fix from strikewun several times, but this time it doesn't work (also tried Puchodog's solution with no result). There is no problem finding the new files with Poweramp, but I prefere Musixmatch. What to do now?
 
Make sure your music is saved under the android folder on your extsdcard, and not simply saved on the root.

Eg:sdcard 1/android/music/etc, and not sdcard1/music/etc.

This took me a while to figure out this is what I'm doing wrong lol
 
tphillips84 said:
sorry if I'm duplicating threads.. I've transfered music onto my sd card and none of the players will locate it. the music is on the card I can go into my files and play it individually. I'm using a San disk 32gb card in a non rooted phone
Click to expand...
backup your data and then format the sd card. It worked for me. hope this will help
 
crabman said:
The .nomedia file makes it so the pictures are not indexed and added to the gallery, it does not affect the scan of the mp3s themselves. They should be being added to the index of available music which is what the players look at to find music.

First restart your phone to force an index and see what shows up if you have not already done it. I know it sounds obvious but make sure the music is in a format that the player can read. It does all the usual stuff like aac, mp3 and so on but if you've gone into one of the more unusual lossless formats or whatever you have to get a player that can play that format. Related, make sure that you have not imported your music to your phone in a play list format that the player cannot play. Both of these get people all the time.

If you have already restarted and the files can be played by the player and are not in an unrecognizeable play list then the next step is to go into your settings/applications/ find the player and delete its cache and data. Force stop it and then restart your phone. Startup will take slightly longer than usual but thats normal. This will not delete your music. If that doesn't work let us know.
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It is not working for me.I have android one device.
 
hey guys, i have the solution sorry for my engllish,

1.Format the sd card (if not the .nomediafile will return any time you restart the phone ) format in the phone .settings storage sd card format
2.try again

p.s .nomedia file its the problem is a virus and only format will work for that
 
mikew99 said:
Just had this problem today (on a "known good" configuration; that is, last time I used the stock Music app, it found all my music, but today it doesn't), and Google led me to this thread. Here are the things I (unsuccessfully) tried:

  • rebooting
  • checking for a .nomedia file in the Music folder
  • stopping the music player app and clearing the data
  • unmounting and remouting the SD card
So what worked? On a hunch, I used a file manager to rename the folder from 'Music' to 'MusicX' and started the stock Music app. All of a sudden, the MP3s starting filing in. It's as if the stock player refused to see the folder as long it was called 'Music.'

I'll try renaming it back later, but for now, I'm good. :) Thought I would suggest this as one of the simple things to try with what is apparently a very buggy app.
Click to expand...

I have been trying to figure this whole thing out for 2 days. Absolutely nothing worked, nothing in the thread up until your post, nothing that I found anywhere else online... I must've tried over a dozen "fixes", but for some reason, adding an X to the end of the folder name actually worked!!!

I cannot tell you how happy I am! Thank you sooooooooooooooo much!!! ;_; <3

(I, like others, specifically signed up just to post this, too! XD lol)
 
I had the same problem and found a very simple fix. The SD card you use should be a Samsung one, as before I always used a SanDisk card and music would either not appear on my phone or be unsupported media. As soon as I put a Samsung SD card in my phone I haven't had a single problem like it since. All the music I put on the card shows up on my phone with no problems.
 
Rich_Nottz said:
I had the same problem and found a very simple fix. The SD card you use should be a Samsung one, as before I always used a SanDisk card and music would either not appear on my phone or be unsupported media. As soon as I put a Samsung SD card in my phone I haven't had a single problem like it since. All the music I put on the card shows up on my phone with no problems.
Click to expand...

Sorry but this "fix" was entirely coincidental.
You would have had some sort of issue on your sandisk (perhaps a corruption, or .nomedia files in incorrect places)

Genuine Sandisk cards work every bit as well as genuine Samsung ones.
 
tphillips84 said:
sorry if I'm duplicating threads.. I've transfered music onto my sd card and none of the players will locate it. the music is on the card I can go into my files and play it individually. I'm using a San disk 32gb card in a non rooted phone
Click to expand...
okay, I was having the same problem. I was originally copying all music to my computer to sync with an ipod. Then I decided to move all the songs into one music file on my external sd. Now I've never had a problem playing it from my external sd on my phone before, but normally I move it in my phone, not on the computer. Well naturally I freaked when it all disappeared. Okay, so I went to MY FILES in my android, and went into the EXTERNAL SD selected the file I have named TIF MUSIC and selected COPY, then PASTED IT under SD / MUSIC. then of course it all showed up. After pulling up the songs on my google player and regular player, I then went back to the SD / MUSIC, and deleted it. Songs were still in the player. don't ask me why. but it worked. unfortunately though all my playlists will have be redone...
 
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