rj4510

To this point, I've only ever used USB sticks for select tracks, but never full playlists. I figured I'd try it, but only get 9 tracks per play list. I searched for USB, playlist etc., and know this has to have been covered, but everything that came up was unrelated. Any guidance on this?

Thanks!

rj4510

No one has this issue?

hziemba

A bit late, but better late than never...
I have my music library on a USB stick, with over one hundred artists, multiple albums for most artists, and some folders having over 20 tracks.
Maybe I don't understand what you mean by storing playlists...I DO know what playlists are, but don't have any on my stick.

Knucklebus

I have an 8GB USB stick and I just dropped it all in the root and let it randomly play something I like. I'm curious to see what other replies you get though.

Tootsall

I have around 2,500 tunes separated in folders according to the music genre (rock, pop, jazz, classical, etc.). I can select a particular genre (they come up in the display as “folders”) or pick the root folder. When those get boring I just listen to music stored on the iPhone or, if all else fails, the (shudder) radio. If I really get bored I just change the tunes on the stick via iTunes on the Mac. No need to pay for SeriusXM. Never have heard of a 9 file folder limit on a USB.

Amuse350z

iTrader: (3)

No issues here.

rj4510

It’s been a while since I gave up on this, but seem to recall it was a format issue. MP3s are fine, but M4As are not. Since 99% of my music was ripped on iTunes, they are in the default format. If no one else’s having to convert everything to MP3, I guess I’ll have to continue figuring out why I’m the only one!

Amuse350z

iTrader: (3)

Yup, that is the problem. Convert to non-itunes format and you should be good to go.

rj4510

any recommendations? I looked a some and they were clunky or limited in the number you could convert. I use a Mac BTW.

Tootsall

I just “exported” from iTunes to the different folders I had created on the USB stick. The originals are all file extension identified as Mpeg audio. They play OK on the car via the USB port. I can’t tell you what the file extensions on the thumb drive are now...for some reason the iMac won’t recognize the thumb drive and I’m too lazy to check it on my wife’s ancient pc.

rj4510

What process did you use to export? I only see a convert to AAC option. I can also copy, but that doesn't change anything!

Tootsall

Insert clean USB thumb drive in the USB port on iMac. Create folders in the root drive of the thumb drive. Open iTunes, select the genre, pick the tunes you may want (or the entire genre if the thumb drive has room), and “Export” (use the Export command under “files”) to the thumb drive/folder <specific genre>. Repeat until the thumb drive is full. You may want to consider not using too large a thumb drive...I’m using 16 gb and it takes a couple of minutes for the Nav to “read” the drive when I first turn the car on. Mac is a late 2015 build.

rj4510

So by “Export,” do you mean just copying the songs to the drive? If so, they are all coming in as the same format as original, which is what I was up against before.

Tootsall

Sorry, I should have not used the word “export”...I did a “click/drag/drop”. Will confirm file extension shortly.

OK, confirmed that the music is all mp3 files, both on the iMac and the thumb drive.