[SkykingUSA]

I'm hoping I'm not the only dinosaur in here when it comes to music. I don't subscribe to any music streaming service (like Spotify) for the purpose of listening to music. I have most of the music I want to listen to as an mp3 file stored on my computer. Currently, I copied the music I want to a thumb drive, and put a bunch of songs (manually) into 6 folders called "Oldies", "Rock", "Pop", "Classical", "Country" and "Christmas". I plugged that thumb drive into the car's USB port and use the car's music function to play the particular folder I want on shuffle mode. As you can imagine though, it is kind of a clunky interface with which to browse folders to play music.

My question is: How do you play music in your car? Does everyone use Spotify these days? If so, how do you play your own mp3 files, presuming you have any.

One option I'm going to try is YouTube Music on my phone through Android Auto (if that's even possible). I already subscribe to YouTube Premium (so I don't get ads when watching videos) and that includes YouTube Music which allows you to upload your own music files. I'm not even sure if that will work better (or at all) in the car, but I'll try it first since it won't cost me any extra to try it out.

Any suggestions you folks have for me to make my music listening experience in the car better/simpler? I'm not opposed to trying Spotify or something like it, but how could I replicate my own music collection on a streaming service? I'm not always interested in listening to "recommended" or random music. I like what I own and want to just listen to that most of the time. Help an old dinosaur if you can please. :-)

[RockvilleMD540i]

Why don’t you just use CarPlay to play music files you have or would need to have saved on your phone? Connect your phone and just browse through your phone’s music from the CarPlay display in iDrive.

[LVBMW]

Originally Posted by SkykingUSA

I'm hoping I'm not the only dinosaur in here when it comes to music. I don't subscribe to any music streaming service (like Spotify) for the purpose of listening to music. I have most of the music I want to listen to as an mp3 file stored on my computer. Currently, I copied the music I want to a thumb drive, and put a bunch of songs (manually) into 6 folders called "Oldies", "Rock", "Pop", "Classical", "Country" and "Christmas". I plugged that thumb drive into the car's USB port and use the car's music function to play the particular folder I want on shuffle mode. As you can imagine though, it is kind of a clunky interface with which to browse folders to play music.

My question is: How do you play music in your car? Does everyone use Spotify these days? If so, how do you play your own mp3 files, presuming you have any.

One option I'm going to try is YouTube Music on my phone through Android Auto (if that's even possible). I already subscribe to YouTube Premium (so I don't get ads when watching videos) and that includes YouTube Music which allows you to upload your own music files. I'm not even sure if that will work better (or at all) in the car, but I'll try it first since it won't cost me any extra to try it out.

Any suggestions you folks have for me to make my music listening experience in the car better/simpler? I'm not opposed to trying Spotify or something like it, but how could I replicate my own music collection on a streaming service? I'm not always interested in listening to "recommended" or random music. I like what I own and want to just listen to that most of the time. Help an old dinosaur if you can please. :-)

Convert to an Apple device and use Apple music. Super convenient!!

[SkykingUSA]

Originally Posted by RockvilleMD540i

Why don’t you just use CarPlay to play music files you have or would need to have saved on your phone? Connect your phone and just browse through your phone’s music from the CarPlay display in iDrive.

I don't have an iPhone, so no CarPlay. I suspect I'll have to find an app that works similarly on Android. A Google search turned up some results, so I'll look into a couple to see how well it works.

[QandnotU]

If you have a local music collection, and want a modern platform to organize your collection, as well as access your personal collection both inside out and outside of the house, then Plexamp is awesome. It supports CarPlay/Android Auto as well.

https://www.plex.tv/plexamp/

[SkykingUSA]

This is the list I'm currently looking at. I've downloaded AIMP and GoneMAD so far and will try them both over the next week or so.

https://www.androidauthority.com/bes...d-auto-944720/

[OHV_44]

Originally Posted by SkykingUSA

I'm hoping I'm not the only dinosaur in here when it comes to music.

No you are not!
For example, I only listen to the radio.
Black Forest radio with oldies from the fifties to the nineties.
https://www.schwarzwaldradio.com/playlist

[AP]

No you are not a dinosaur
Whilst I have a g30 I miss the cd player in my LCI car
Why would bmw remove this , they are not old fashioned and certainly better than any lossful music format

I too play music off a usb drive , either wav files or lossless wma. And idrive 7 was also a bit clunky, sad to hear it sounds like they haven’t improved it much if at all in idrive 8.5

I also do not any streaming service for music I prefer to own my music on a physical object.

[MikeElmendorf]

I have my entire music library on a low profile USB drive. Works great, love the full integration of the album art into iDrive (and the HUD) and you can’t see the drive at all as it is so small.

I find the audio quality better than streaming from Apple CarPlay and you have more control in terms of being able to scroll through the library.

[SkykingUSA]

Originally Posted by MikeElmendorf

I have my entire music library on a low profile USB drive. Works great, love the full integration of the album art into iDrive (and the HUD) and you can’t see the drive at all as it is so small.

I find the audio quality better than streaming from Apple CarPlay and you have more control in terms of being able to scroll through the library.

I just wish the built in iDrive 8.5 player more easily was able to browse folders. To browse the folders on the thumb drive, I have to go into the search function then go all the way to the bottom of the list to choose the browse option. I'd like to be able to say, "Hey BMW, play my Oldies playlist" for example.

[Scrapula]

A long time ago, I stored everything on an old Mac Mini. I hooked it up to the home stereo and selected music. Nowadays, I have an Apple TV for all my TV streaming and music streaming. I was able to move 100% of my music over from the old Mac Mini. I create a lot of playlists, and because it’s all Apple, they appear on all my devices - my MacBook at work, my iPad, my phone.

Sometimes I use that through CarPlay. I also use the free SiriusXM a lot. I’ve tried Spotify and like it, but hate the commercials and I don’t want to subscribe. I do subscribe to Apple Music which has most every song and band that I have heard of. It saves me money because I used to spend a lot of money on music. Sometimes, I will hear a new song on Sirius, type the band into Apple Music and listen to the album. If I like it, then I download it.

Since you don’t have Apple, you could try Amazon music. They seem to have a good selection.

[scas12]

YouTube music through android auto works just fine. I use it, you can play anything you like and the “hey google” command works so you can request songs or playlists.

[SkykingUSA]

Originally Posted by SkykingUSA

This is the list I'm currently looking at. I've downloaded AIMP and GoneMAD so far and will try them both over the next week or so.

https://www.androidauthority.com/bes...d-auto-944720/

So, I tried them both over two trips and they both work well. I just copied my music to my phone, and set those apps to use that particular Music folder on my phone. They both work about the same with Android Auto, but I'm giving AIMP a slight lead for two reasons:

1. AIMP is free (GoneMAD is only about $6 though).
2. It's easy to browse your music in AIMP by folder (which is how I have my music sorted). With GoneMAD, I can't even find a way to browse by folder so that would make it more difficult to browse my collection.

I'll probably end up using AIMP. I also uploaded a bunch of my music to YouTube Music but haven't tried it yet in the car. I'll probably use that when I want to try new stuff, or stream some music instead of play from my collection.

[Nighthawks]

I used to use Android, but switched to Apple, so I can’t speak to Android Auto.

I do have a paid subscription to SiriusXM and use Amazon Music in the 540. Both meet my music needs.

I’m curious on how this turns out for you.

[kanpan]

If you have the mp3 files on your pbone then this may work. Download Spotify. Spotify menu “Local Files” should show your mp3 collection. Spotify supports .mp3.

Let us know if this works.

[SkykingUSA]

Originally Posted by kanpan

If you have the mp3 files on your pbone then this may work. Download Spotify. Spotify menu “Local Files” should show your mp3 collection. Spotify supports .mp3.

Let us know if this works.

I just tried this. Spotify found 7508 local sound files (including 18 additional files that are not part of my music, but probably on my phone somewhere - maybe ringtones?) in about 5 minutes. I have not tried it in the car interface yet, but if it's anything like on my phone, it will be unusable unfortunately. Reason: I don't see a way to easily make a playlist based on folder contents, and I don't see a way to browse the collection by folders. The only way to browse in the phone interface seems to be by Title, Album, Artist and Recently Added (see pic below). I have my music sorted by folders (like the dinosaurs used to do, lol).

If the car interface for Spotify is any different and lets me browse by folder, and make playlists based on folders then I'll post it here. Otherwise, I will probably continue playing around with AIMP, since so far it's working exactly how I want it to.

Whether Spotify works for me or not, I appreciate the tip and help everyone is offering.

[SkykingUSA]

Is there a way to assign one of the gesture shortcuts to open an app on the phone via Android Auto?

My situation is this: I have two apps that I regularly use on my phone when in the car: Pocketcast and AIMP (for podcasts and for music). So far, I have been switching between them by either using the touch screen in the car, or by using the iDrive controller, but all within the Android Auto interface. When I was using the car's built-in music player to play music off a USB drive, I could assign a gesture to that music source and it would always take me to my music. I already have a gesture to take me to Android Auto, which is where I play podcasts. Now that my music is also in Android Auto, I'm not sure if there is an easy way to switch between two apps within Android Auto.

Any ideas?

[SkykingUSA]

Just thought I'd put an update here.

I abandoned trying to use my phone or Android Auto to play music. I copied all my music to a thumb drive and just play off that.

One question:
Does anyone know what audio formats the car's player supports (I can't seem to find this online)? I've got an mp4 file that it doesn't see on my USB stick. How would I get the car to play an mp4 file? I have the stock Harmon Kardon system, not the Bowers and Wilkins.

EDIT: I found the supported file formats in the manual: MP3, M4A, M4B, AAC & FLAC. From page 37 in the Nav/Entertainment manual.

[AlteBMW]

Originally Posted by SkykingUSA

Just thought I'd put an update here.

I abandoned trying to use my phone or Android Auto to play music. I copied all my music to a thumb drive and just play off that.

One question:
Does anyone know what audio formats the car's player supports (I can't seem to find this online)? I've got an mp4 file that it doesn't see on my USB stick. How would I get the car to play an mp4 file? I have the stock Harmon Kardon system, not the Bowers and Wilkins.

EDIT: I found the supported file formats in the manual: MP3, M4A, M4B, AAC & FLAC. From page 37 in the Nav/Entertainment manual.

From a fellow dinosaur: mp4 is supported but files can get corrupted. I have scores of folders (one per album or classical music piece) on a small usb c drive that is plugged in. Mostly they are mp4's copied from the computer (lots of music was ripped from CDs). But I am in the Apple system so sometimes play from Carplay in Apple Music or Apple Classical if it's something not on the usb drive.

[Blue Sky]

I am currently using a slim USB SSD in the center console of my F10 M5 with something like a curated 1400 of my favorite tracks encoded in lossless FLAC format, all ripped from my CD collection or CD’s I’ve borrowed. I used paid ripping software the last couple years and re-ripped, after having used free EAC and MP3tag for years, and I’m glad I ponied up the few bucks as the paid software process is much better.

The advantage of this approach is that I have complete control of what version I listen to (just because it came on CD doesn’t mean what you got is the same as on another CD), and I can ALWAYS listen to music no matter what my data connection status is. Let’s face it, in the canyons, reception doesn’t exist. The F10 doesn’t have carplay, but it does have a reasonable media interface in IDrive, and I can use the IDrive voice control to call up titles or do basic music searches (artist, album, title) which works most of the time.

[AlteBMW]

Originally Posted by Blue Sky

I am currently using a slim USB SSD in the center console of my F10 M5 with something like a curated 1400 of my favorite tracks encoded in lossless FLAC format, all ripped from my CD collection or CD’s I’ve borrowed. I used paid ripping software the last couple years and re-ripped, after having used free EAC and MP3tag for years, and I’m glad I ponied up the few bucks as the paid software process is much better.

The advantage of this approach is that I have complete control of what version I listen to (just because it came on CD doesn’t mean what you got is the same as on another CD), and I can ALWAYS listen to music no matter what my data connection status is. Let’s face it, in the canyons, reception doesn’t exist. The F10 doesn’t have carplay, but it doesn’t have a reasonable media interface in IDrive, and I can use the IDrive voice control to call up titles or do basic music searches (artist, album, title) which works most of the time.

Agree. But what is the paid ripping software (and does it run on a Mac?). That would be very interesting - it might mean hours of work (prob 100 CDs on my USB) but could be worth it.

[LegGodt2024]

I listen to cd’s at home because i appreciate the sound quality, even over ultra hd. I have a family spotify account because my kids love it and it is super convenient for somos and for in the car.

One thing i do find ironic about my story is that I have the B&W sound system playing mp3’s. So i understand why some people want a separate drive. But i can’t be bothered to suffer the clunky interface.

On a sidenote, if you play music over the Spotify app in thr car (not via carplay) does it store any files on am internal drive somewhere? Or is everyhing streamed only? And at what bitrate?