No need to leave your music collection on the go. Streaming services like Spotify are great, but you shouldn't have to pay for music you already own. If you want to transfer your music to your Android device, here we show you how.
USB cable file transfer
The easiest method to transfer your music to your Android device is by connecting it to your PC with a USB cable.. You can later manage your collection using a music app like Phonograph once the files are on your phone.
Connect your device to your PC and wait for it to appear. In Windows, should appear in “Devices and drives” in File Explorer.
MacOS users will need to use Android file transfer. Download and install it on your Mac and then connect your Android device. Later you can explore the content of your Android device and copy your music files directly to it.
RELATED: How to make your Android device appear in File Explorer (If that is not the case)
Sometimes, Android has a default charging mode that prevents you from entering your Android device's file system via USB. If your PC has not detected your Android device, check if the USB settings are correct.
Your device may ask what you would like to do with your USB connection when you connect it, instead of choosing this automatically, with options like “Transfer files”. It may be worded a little differently on your device, but if this happens, choose this option. Once your PC detects it, can start moving files.
Now open your music folder and start dragging items to your Android device where you would like to store your music collection. This procedure may take some time depending on the number of files you decide to transfer..
Transfer using a flash drive
You can also use a USB flash drive to transfer your music files from your PC to your device.. You can use a USB-C flash drive (if your Android device uses USB-C) or use a USB-C OTG adapter (On The Go) to allow you to connect a standard USB flash drive.
RELATED: How to use a USB flash drive with your Android phone or tablet
Your internal file manager on Android may vary, but when you connect your usb storage, will provide you with the option (in your notification bar) to see the files. If that is not the case, locate your device's file manager app (or download one first, as the Asus File Manager) and locate your USB drive.
Most file managers will support moving your files directly or copying them to leave the original files intact..
At Samsung My Files app, as an example, you can choose a file or folder located on your attached USB storage and select “Mover” O “Copy” on the bottom.
Select your music files (or the folder containing your files) and choose to copy or move them. Move from your USB storage to your internal storage or SD card, and later paste or move the files there.
Your music files will be stored on your device, ready for you to enter them in a music app of your choice.
Subir a Google Drive
With 15 GB of storage at no cost, Google Drive offers the easiest way to keep your music collection in sync across all your devices., including Android and PC.
The Google Drive app for Android does not allow you to download entire folders directly to your Android device. Unless you want to download your files one by one, folder by folder, the easiest method is to use CloudBeats.
Using a third-party music app for Android enables you to download your files to your device directly from cloud storage providers, even from Google Drive and Dropbox. You could use alternatives like CloudPlayer instead of.
Get started by uploading your music to Google Drive on the web. Click on “New” in the upper left corner and choose “File upload” to upload files individually or “Folder upload” to load your music collection in one go.
If you prefer, you can use Google backup and sync to sync files from your PC. Download the installer, open it after installation is complete and then click “Start”. You will be asked to log into your Google account.
Once you have logged in, select the music folders you want to sync to Google Drive by clicking “Select folder” and then click “Next”.
In the next step, confirm that you want to sync Google Drive with your PC and click “Start”. Your existing files from Google Drive will start downloading to your PC, while your music collection will start to load into the Google Drive search engine.
Once your files are in place, install CloudBeats on your Android device, open it and swipe left to “Records”.
Click on “Add cloud” and choose Google Drive. You will be asked if you want to allow CloudBeats access to your Google account; choose “Let”.
Later you will see your Google Drive files and folders in CloudBeats. Find the folder that contains your music collection, press the menu button (the three vertical points) and click “Descargar”.
The files will be synced to your device. You can play your music collection on CloudBeats or, If you prefer, once the files are downloaded, you can play them via google play music or other android music app.
RELATED: The best free music apps for Android and iPhone
Upload to Dropbox
If you prefer to stay out of the Google ecosystem as much as possible, but you like the idea of a cloud solution for your music collection, you can use a service like Dropbox.
Dropbox comes with 2 GB of free storage, enough for hundreds of songs. Downloading entire folders with Dropbox requires a Dropbox Plus subscription, so that, in the same way as with Google Drive, We suggest using Dropbox with an application like CloudBeats unless you are willing to pay for a membership.
Uploading files to Dropbox is easy. Go to Dropbox website, login and click “Upload files” O “Load folder” on the right.
If you plan to sync files regularly, it might be easier to install Dropbox on your PC. Download and install Dropbox and log in with your account.
Once it's installed and you've logged in, you can start moving your collection to a folder inside your main Dropbox folder. Alternatively, you can change the location of your Dropbox folder to match the folder you use today for your music collection.
RELATED: How to change the location of your Dropbox folder
Windows users can find their Dropbox folder by going to “C: Users su-username Dropbox” or selecting “Dropbox” in the left sidebar of Windows File Explorer.
It may take a little time to load your collection. When it's over, you can use CloudBeats to play your music on your Android device.
Open the CloudBeats app, scroll left to “Records” and then click “Add cloud”.
Choose “Dropbox” and then log in with your Dropbox login credentials. You will be asked if you want to grant CloudBeats access to your Dropbox files and folders, therefore click “Let”.
Your Dropbox folders should appear in the app. Find the folder that contains your music collection, click the menu option next to the folder and click “Descargar”.
Once you click download, your music files will start downloading, ready for offline playback in CloudBeats or your favorite music app.
Transfer wirelessly with Airdroid
If you don't have a USB cable handy, you can use AirDroid to transfer files between your PC and your Android device.
Install the application on your Android device and sign up for an AirDroid account (or log in if you already have one). Then you will need download the AirDroid client for your pc.
AirDroid is compatible with Windows and macOS, but it also has a web interface to allow you to upload files using your browser. Once downloaded, sign in with the same AirDroid account as your Android device.
Once you have logged in on both devices, You should see your Android device in the list of “My devices” on your pc. If it does, click on “Records” in the side menu.
Click on “SD card” O “SD external”. “SD card” it means, for this case, your internal storage, while “SD external” is your external SD card. Right click inside the folders area and create a new folder by selecting “New folder”.
Change the name to something obvious like “Song” O “Music collection”.
Open Windows File Manager, select your files (even when no folders, if you only have the free version of AirDroid) and start dragging them to the folder you have created in AirDroid.
AirDroid will upload these files to your Android device wirelessly. When it's over, you can enter them in a music app of your choice.
Subir a Google Play Music
Google likes to keep you tied to Google services, and previously we had recommended Google Play Music as a good way to sync your music collection with your Android device.
Note: Google Play Music will be retired and “possibly” will be replaced by YouTube Music in the near future.
For the moment, despite this, you can use the Google Play Music Manager to take advantage of this storage without 100.000 songs. This tool will scan your PC, checking common folders (like the ones iTunes would use) or any folder you personally select for music files.
When Music Manager scans those folders, will start uploading your files to the Google Play Music search engine. Later you can access your music collection through the Google Play Music application on your smartphone, or through your PC through the Google Play Music website.
You should not stay to see the load of your music, since Music Manager will start loading immediately.
The files, once loaded, will be available in your Google Play Music app.
It is essential to note that the information about what will happen to your collection when Google removes Play Music is not enabled today. The company will likely announce whether your files will move with you to YouTube Music when an end date is announced for Google Play Music..
