[bizzyqu]

Hi, I just got a 32 GB stick for my car. I first set up the files in folders by artist then albums then tracks, I was able to navigate these folders and access music, but couldn't search artist, genres, and shuffle all the music. I then took all the music out of the folders and got all the file information right and put the songs all loose into the usb stick. The car recognizes all the music but is slooooow at going through it. I got the stick for my f30 coming in but my experience right now is with my 2010 e90.

I'm wondering how other usb users set up their files on their f30's and if they have a similar experience.

[Frogman]

I have my music on the HDD, and my wife has hers on the USB stick.

We just put all of her music on the root of the USB stick. The car uses the MP3 tags to sort/select by artist, album, etc.

When you first put the stick in it takes a while for the car to catalog it, but after that, access to the music is very quick. The USB music has the added benefit of having the random mode remembered across engine start/stops. That's not true for HDD based albums.

[bizzyqu]

Originally Posted by Frogman

I have my music on the HDD, and my wife has hers on the USB stick.

We just put all of her music on the root of the USB stick. The car uses the MP3 tags to sort/select by artist, album, etc.

When you first put the stick in it takes a while for the car to catalog it, but after that, access to the music is very quick. The USB music has the added benefit of having the random mode remembered across engine start/stops. That's not true for HDD based albums.

yeah that's what I did, I just found it really slow even letting it sit for a half hour, but that might be an issue with the e90 and not in the f30. How much music do you keep on the stick? I have like 20gb on it at the moment

[Frogman]

Originally Posted by bizzyqu

yeah that's what I did, I just found it really slow even letting it sit for a half hour, but that might be an issue with the e90 and not in the f30. How much music do you keep on the stick? I have like 20gb on it at the moment

4200 songs, about 16GB.

[bizzyqu]

ok thanks

[bizzyqu]

update, so I went to dealership with my usb, album art all worked perfectly and the library loaded much quicker than on my e90, but I couldn't do searches for albums, genres, artists etc (it was all greyed out) I let it sit for a few min but nothing, do these eventually turn white and get enabled once database loads more or am I doing something wrong.

[Sirrus]

I've got mine in folders and I can search by Artist, etc. I don't use that feature often though, because I usually play one album at a time, browsing folder lists.

It can take a very long time to index.

[bizzyqu]

Originally Posted by Sirrus

I've got mine in folders and I can search by Artist, etc. I don't use that feature often though, because I usually play one album at a time, browsing folder lists.

It can take a very long time to index.

When I had mine in folders I couldn't play all my music, I had to go into each folder to select music (on e90). Are you saying on the f30 the search functions work across all the music on stick regardless of whether they are in folders or not, and you allowed to play all the music on the stick shuffled or by genre, etc, regardless or whether they are in different folders on the stick?

[zibawal]

My car audio does not read WMA , nor wave???

[Sirrus]

Originally Posted by bizzyqu

When I had mine in folders I couldn't play all my music, I had to go into each folder to select music (on e90). Are you saying on the f30 the search functions work across all the music on stick regardless of whether they are in folders or not, and you allowed to play all the music on the stick shuffled or by genre, etc, regardless or whether they are in different folders on the stick?

Yes, just verified this. I have Tech Package it that matters.

[larryjoemz]

i have around 60 gb on my usb drive and it plays well. I copied from my itunes folder that way all the info of each file is embedded in the file and the stereo reads it fine. I can search by artist, album, and genre.

[shivaswrath]

Originally Posted by larryjoemz

i have around 60 gb on my usb drive and it plays well. I copied from my itunes folder that way all the info of each file is embedded in the file and the stereo reads it fine. I can search by artist, album, and genre.

woah, it reads itunes files if you copy them?? that's awesome!

[rich1068]

Originally Posted by shivaswrath

woah, it reads itunes files if you copy them?? that's awesome!

Of course it does. They're just AAC

[Dabaitu]

Originally Posted by zibawal

My car audio does not read WMA , nor wave???

Mine does.

I record most of my CD's in a loss-less WMA format.

[DJHakim]

Originally Posted by Dabaitu

Mine does.
I record most of my CD's in a loss-less WMA format.

Wow. A relief. So to be clear, F30 iDrive will play WMA and lossless WMA (effective bit rates above 1000 kbps)?

[zibawal]

Originally Posted by DJHakim

Wow. A relief. So to be clear, F30 iDrive will play WMA and lossless WMA (effective bit rates above 1000 kbps)?

Can u suggest some software can rip cd to WMA lossless and if we can put it on thumb flash drive to play?
Thanks

[DJHakim]

Originally Posted by zibawal

Can u suggest some software can rip cd to WMA lossless and if we can put it on thumb flash drive to play?
Thanks

Windows Media Player; go to the Rip Settings to change format to Lossless. Insert CD, rip.

[dzaborn]

I am still figuring out the best way to manage my music on my F30. My main desire is to achieve gapless playback, as in when two tracks run together (almost as one song) that there is no break during playback between the two tracks.

Can someone confirm if using WMA Lossless files from a USB stick achieves this? My understanding is that lossless files (FLAC, WAV, WMV Lossless) provide gapless playback because there is no metadata/padding at the end/beginning of the tracks, but I would assume how your media player reads them (in this case the F30 stereo) has something to do with this also.

I guess using .mp3 format that there is no way achieve gapless playback. Even though it is low quaility, I did try and copy of a CD to the HD (which I believe rips in .wma) and there are gaps inbetween seemless tracks as expected.

[bizzyqu]

Originally Posted by dzaborn

I am still figuring out the best way to manage my music on my F30. My main desire is to achieve gapless playback, as in when two tracks run together (almost as one song) that there is no break during playback between the two tracks.

Can someone confirm if using WMA Lossless files from a USB stick achieves this? My understanding is that lossless files (FLAC, WAV, WMV Lossless) provide gapless playback because there is no metadata/padding at the end/beginning of the tracks, but I would assume how your media player reads them (in this case the F30 stereo) has something to do with this also.

I guess using .mp3 format that there is no way achieve gapless playback. I did try and copy of a CD to the HD (which I believe rips in .wma) and there are gaps inbetween seemless tracks.

I have lossless on a bunch of my albums, next time I'm in the car I'll check for you. (perks of never buying my music online)

[zibawal]

At my end, I have f30, can only play MP3 from USB . Loss less wave, Flac, WMA are seen but not play( format can not be played) I am confused what different people are saying here.

[bizzyqu]

Originally Posted by zibawal

At my end, I have f30, can only play MP3 from USB . Loss less wave, Flac, WMA are seen but not play( format can not be played) I am confused what different people are saying here.

lossless works

[zibawal]

What version and how?
I have a fat32 USB, used WMP to convert both wave and WMA. Is there any defect in my stereo or any settings not activated???