How to download or synchronize music to USB Flash Drive devices as MP3s

[VideoLearnerGuy]

I'm currently using WMP-11 to synchronize music to my USB Flash Drive device, however, I was told that I shouldn't use WMP and that I should synchronize music to my USB Flash Drive device as MP3s. Well, I really have no idea as to how to download or synchronize music to my USB Flash Drive device as MP3s and would like to know if anyone here could help to explain to me how this is done. Thanks for your help in advance.

[VideoLearnerGuy]

I have a hard time believing that this is the "Audio" section of this forum and no one is able to answer a question about USB Flash Drive devices and MP3s.

[poisondeathray]

I'm not sure what you are asking?

I'm assuming you already have mp3 files on your hard drive?

Just copy your mp3 from your hard drive to your USB drive - it's that simple.

Sometimes you need proprietary software that comes with the usb device to facilitate the transfer (it should come with the package)

[VideoLearnerGuy]

I'm not sure what you are asking?

I'm assuming you already have mp3 files on your hard drive?

Just copy your mp3 from your hard drive to your USB drive - it's that simple.

Sometimes you need proprietary software that comes with the usb device to facilitate the transfer (it should come with the package)

Hi, poisondeathray, and thanks for the reply. I've gotten some help at another forum about this, but basically my question was motivated by a small glitch that I've noticed during the playing of some of the songs from my USB Flash Drive device on my new Sony CDX-GT610UI FM/AM Car Radio/CD Player that has a USB port that I purchased from Circuit City where there's a slight pause at the beginning of many of the songs that I recorded or synchronized to the USB FD device. Now, the real reason for this pause was explained to me at another forum, however, one of the store managers from Circuit City told me that for me to prevent the pauses in my songs, I needed to download or synchronize the music to my USB device as MP3s files(instead of WMA files) and that I should use not Windows Media Player to synchronize music to my USB device. I told the manager that I wasn't quite sure how to do this and he told me that Circuit City's in house technical department called "fireddog" could teach me how for $30.00. Well, I wasn't about to pay $30.00 for something that didn't sound like it would be that hard to learn and decided to try and learn how to synchronize songs as MP3s to my USB device on the internet. Also, from the other forum, someone determined that the CC manager really didn't know what he was talking about and that's the real reason why he suggested the MP3/no WMP and $30.00 firedog suggestion. Also, there was confusion on my part because I know that songs can be ripped from CDs(which is primarily where I get my music from) in the MP3 format using the Windows Media Player, therefore, I didn't quite understand why the CC manager told me not to use the WMP software. But from the other forum I found out that the pauses in the songs were because of the way that the USB device processes the recorded music and plays it back and that it has nothing to do with the music not being in the MP3 format or because it was synchronized using WMP software.

BTW, at the other forum, it was suggested to me to use other player software besides WMP such as the iTunes player or Winamp, which I both tried before, but didn't like, but I was wondering if you or anyone else knew of any other good player software for USB synchronizing besides those and what your opinion is of the WMP software.

[Supreme2k]

If you want to simply sync your usb drive to a folder on your hd, you can use synctoy or media monkey.

[AlanHK]

The first thing is to be sure you're making MP3s and not WMA files.

Anyway, I recommend a purpose built ripper, like CDEx, which is free, very configurable and efficient.

Do spend a few minutes checking its settings, such as how tracks are named, and what compression settings (bitrates, etc) are used.


As for loading the tracks onto the MP3 player, on ones I've used:
Plug it into the USB port. It should appear as a drive ("E:" perhaps). In "My Computer" simply open an Explorer window for it. Now open another window for where your MP3 files are on your hard disk. CDEx will put them in a subfolder of "My Music", one folder for each album. Try just dragging each folder to your MP3 file window. Players I've used will recognise files in folders, if not you have to open each folder and copy them en masse.

Similarly you can delete files from the player in the normal way.

Just be sure the player's light has stopped flashing before you unplug it, preferably r-click on its icon and "eject" before unplugging to be sure it's finished syncing files.

[VideoLearnerGuy]

The first thing is to be sure you're making MP3s and not WMA files.

Curious. Why do you say that? At the other forum that I mentioned, one poster told me just the opposite and said that MP3 files didn't sound very good and that WMA files were far superior to MP3 files.

[AlanHK]

Curious. Why do you say that? At the other forum that I mentioned, one poster told me just the opposite and said that MP3 files didn't sound very good and that WMA files were far superior to MP3 files.

Main reason is that MP3s are more compatible. They work on just about every music playing device, iPods, Mac or PC, most DVD players, car players. As for quality, use CDEx and look at the bitrate and quality settings. You have the option if you want to encode at 320 kb. On a portable MP3 player though I really doubt you will get much benefit from audiophile settings. Do a blind trial and see which settings are best for you. It's possible that WMA is a bit more efficient than MP3 at the same filesize. But don't compare WMP-made MP3s with WMA, it's sure that WMP is not going to make the best MP3s. MS really WANTS you to use WMA.

Unless you're careful WMP will encrypt the WMAs it makes so they can only be played on "authorised" devices. A friend lost his music collection after upgrading his OS and found the new system could not play the files he had ripped himself. Fortunately he had the CDs and could do them again, this time in MP3.

[VideoLearnerGuy]

Curious. Why do you say that? At the other forum that I mentioned, one poster told me just the opposite and said that MP3 files didn't sound very good and that WMA files were far superior to MP3 files.

Main reason is that MP3s are more compatible. They work on just about every music playing device, iPods, Mac or PC, most DVD players, car players. As for quality, use CDEx and look at the bitrate and quality settings. You have the option if you want to encode at 320 kb. On a portable MP3 player though I really doubt you will get much benefit from audiophile settings. Do a blind trial and see which settings are best for you. It's possible that WMA is a bit more efficient than MP3 at the same filesize. But don't compare WMP-made MP3s with WMA, it's sure that WMP is not going to make the best MP3s. MS really WANTS you to use WMA.

Unless you're careful WMP will encrypt the WMAs it makes so they can only be played on "authorised" devices. A friend lost his music collection after upgrading his OS and found the new system could not play the files he had ripped himself. Fortunately he had the CDs and could do them again, this time in MP3.

Thank you sooooo much, AlanHK. What the one poster on the other board said made sense to a certain degree, but what you said makes a whole lot of sense. Also, I hate to sound ignorant, but what did you mean when you said for me to look at the bitrate and quality settings and that I have the option if I want to encode at 320 kb and that it's possible that WMA is a bit more efficient than MP3 at the same filesize? Also, thanks for the link to CDEx.

[VideoLearnerGuy]

If you want to simply sync your usb drive to a folder on your hd, you can use synctoy or media monkey.

Sorry, but what I want to do is to sync music files from my HD to my USB Flash Drive device.

[AlanHK]

I hate to sound ignorant, but what did you mean when you said for me to look at the bitrate and quality settings and that I have the option if I want to encode at 320 kb and that it's possible that WMA is a bit more efficient than MP3 at the same filesize? Also, thanks for the link to CDEx.

CDex has an "options" page where you set the various parameters. You can do higher quality at the expense of a longer encoding time, and/or larger file (which corresponds to the bitrate). And many other choices if you want to take total control. But mostly the defaults will be okay.

WMA is in theory a fine format, and it may be true, as some claim, you can get a similar quality as MP3 in a smaller file size, but it ties you to Microsoft and the devices it endorses.

[VideoLearnerGuy]

The first thing is to be sure you're making MP3s and not WMA files.

Alan, I have a question to ask you. On the other forum that I have this thread posted, I was given reasons not to use MP3 files. Below are quotes of those reasons from the other forum:

If it plays wma then try that, almost anything is better than Mp3, which sux.
Wma has something that they "mathematically lossless" which, unlike Mp3, doesnt throw away any of your music.

But the key is lossless, we are quickly getting out of the age of mp3, which is lossy (throws away information to save space).

And finally:

As for the age of MP3 being over, Mp3 was never intended as a music format, it was the soundtrack from mpeg1.
Hackers stripped it off and started using the codec to download music in a 56k world,
and it was very usefull, although not audiophile grade since it was lossy (threw away information).
In todays cable modem world massive compression to transmit files is no longer nessesary, with 1.5 meg speeds you just dont need that anymore, and the tech has improved, Flac, etc are perfectly fine, and still cut file size in half, the important thing is that, unlike Mp3, they dont throw away data.
I suggested WMA lossless because I didnt think your player handled flac. etc
Not surprized it handles atrac, this is the codec that Sony uses for its almost defunct minidisc, and while lossy its still quite good. Most of the newer codecs take better advantage of newer knowledge, mp3 is getting kinda long in the tooth, tech wise.

Now, Alan, I must admit that the reasons that you gave me to not to use WMP and hence, WMA files, trumps the above argument against MP3 files:

But don't compare WMP-made MP3s with WMA, it's sure that WMP is not going to make the best MP3s. MS really WANTS you to use WMA.

Unless you're careful WMP will encrypt the WMAs it makes so they can only be played on "authorised" devices. A friend lost his music collection after upgrading his OS and found the new system could not play the files he had ripped himself. Fortunately he had the CDs and could do them again, this time in MP3.

(although I'm not sure of what you meant by, "Unless you're careful" ), but I would like to know what your opinion is in regards to the argument against MP3 files.

[AlanHK]

If it plays wma then try that, almost anything is better than Mp3, which sux.
Wma has something that they "mathematically lossless" which, unlike Mp3, doesn't throw away any of your music.

But the key is lossless, we are quickly getting out of the age of mp3, which is lossy (throws away information to save space).

Lossless files are much larger than "normal" WMA or MP3 files.
I thought you wanted to play music on a portable device, not to archive them at maximal quality. That's a different application.
There are several lossless formats, FLAC, APE, for example.

If you really care enough and can hear the difference, by all means use that.

But I would be amazed if you could tell the difference between lossless and MP3 at 224 or 320k.

As for the age of MP3 being over.....

All very interesting, but seems he has an axe to grind. And ultimately irrelevant.

The only thing that matters is whether it works on the devices you want to use, how good it sounds, and possibly, how efficient it is (in terms of space).

Suck it and see. Make some test files with different settings and do a blind trial.
(If you know what you're listening to, your expectations will warp your judgement.)

(although I'm not sure of what you meant by, "Unless you're careful" ),

It seems to be a default to "protect" WMAs by locking them to your PC. It certainly happens to enough people, like a friend of mine, who make files and later find they can't move them to other devices, or sometimes play them at all after an upgrade.

And as I said EVERYTHING can play MP3. Evey device that can play WMA can, for a start. The converse is definitely not so. MP3 is a much better generally supported format.

I can copy a bunch of MP3s to a CDR and put them in my DVD player. They play. WMAs: dead silence.

[VideoLearnerGuy]

Lossless files are much larger than "normal" WMA or MP3 files.
I thought you wanted to play music on a portable device, not to archive them at maximal quality. That's a different application.
There are several lossless formats, FLAC, APE, for example.

If you really care enough and can hear the difference, by all means use that.

But I would be amazed if you could tell the difference between lossless and MP3 at 224 or 320k.

Well, I have this recording software called RecordNow by Sonic and it has this rip option of either "Audio CD for Car or Home CD player" or "Exact Copy." Well, since I was going to primarily be playing my burnt CDs in my car, I naturally selected the "Audio CD for Car" option which was much to my chagrin because I was able to hear a stark difference in the sound of the CDs that I had burnt from WMA files from WMP where the "Audio CD for Car" CDs sounded very inferior. However, I eventually tried the "Exact Copy" option on my RecordNow software and the CDs that I burnt using that option sounded even better than the CDs that I had burnt using WMA files from my WMP. Now the RecordNow software really doesn't give you the kbps numbers, therefore, I have no idea of the rate differences between the "Audio CD for Car" option and the "Exact Copy" option and the WMA files. But I will try the CDex software and will test between different recording speeds, however, I will admit that I am also interested in space efficiency, meaning that I am also interested in getting as much music as I can into my portable device.

Also, Alan, I wanted to ask you whether or not you knew if the CDex software can convert existing WMA files that are on my computer to CDex's MP3 files so that I won't have to re-ripp the songs that are already on my computer.

P.S. BTW, according to my owner's manual, here are my codecs:

Corresponding codecs differ depending on device type.
- Mass Storage Class: MP3/WMA/AAC
- ATRAC Audio Device: ATRAC/MP3/WMA/AAC

Therefore, if I wanted to use a lossless format, I wouldn't be able to use FLAC and APE, but only WMA.

[AlanHK]

. Now the RecordNow software really doesn't give you the kbps numbers, therefore, I have no idea of the rate differences

Use GSpot to tell you.

Also, Alan, I wanted to ask you whether or not you knew if the CDex software can convert existing WMA files that are on my computer to CDex's MP3 files so that I won't have to re-ripp the songs that are already on my computer.

I don't think so. Other apps can, but it's inadvisable. The quality is degraded by each conversion.

Therefore, if I wanted to use a lossless format, I wouldn't be able to use FLAC and APE, but only WMA.

You'd probably only want to do that on your PC, or stereo, not the portable player.

But I really doubt you could hear the difference with high-rate MP3.

[VideoLearnerGuy]

Alan, I want to really thank you a lot for all the help that you've given me, however, there's something else that I wanted to ask you about. In the 4th post in this thread, I had mentioned how there is a slight pause at the beginning of many of the songs that I synchronized to my USB FD device. Do you know what causes the pause at the beginning of those songs and if so, do you know what I can do to prevent those pauses?

[AlanHK]

Do you know what causes the pause at the beginning of those songs and if so, do you know what I can do to prevent those pauses?

If there is no silence at the beginning of the tracks when you play them on your PC, it must be some setting or peculiarity of your player.

If it really bothers you you could mix your own tracks, combining several into one continuous track.

[VideoLearnerGuy]

. Now the RecordNow software really doesn't give you the kbps numbers, therefore, I have no idea of the rate differences

Use GSpot to tell you.

Hi, Alan. I'm back again. But first I wanted to tell you that I tried downloading and unzipping the GSpot program, but unfortunately, it was way over my head. But that's not really that important because I was only going to use it to get the kbps numbers from my RecordNow software.

As for quality, use CDEx and look at the bitrate and quality settings.

Okay, here is where the real problem is. This CDex software is also way over my head. Often times I click around with the controls of a software program until I am able to figure out how to use it, but this thing is just way too complicated for me. I also tried reading the Help Topics, but it also is way too complicated and has too much information to read and to figure out. Now one thing that I can say about Windows and Microsoft products is that inspite of their faults and shortcomings, their products are easy to use and very user friendly. I don't feel as if I'm reading Greek or some sort of technical science manual when I'm reading Microsoft products' instructions.

I don't know if you know of any other recording software that is a little more user friendly than CDex, but if you don't, then CDex just isn't going to work for me and I'm either going to have find something else, or go back to using Microsoft's Windows Media Player.

[VideoLearnerGuy]

Now why is that people seem to always shy away from the question that I asked above about media players?

http://forums.audioreview.com/showpost.php?p=224005&postcount=21

Well, no problem. I just looked down a few threads at this forum and found this thread:

https://forum.videohelp.com/topic345377.html

and saw a couple of good contenders(dbpoweramp and mediamonkey) and some good advice from yoda313. Also, I checked out another forum and found another good contender(quintessential player) that looks like it has a lot of promise and looks easy to use. But I'm just glad that we don't live in a world of "one-trick ponies." But, Alan, I do want to thank you once again for all the help that you've given me. It's been invaluable. BTW, it looks like the Circuit City store manager was right about me needing to synch my music to my USB device as MP3 files and to not use the Windows Media Player.