# music file mystery



## yamaha83 (Dec 15, 2011)

i downloaded a CD to my phone. i can see the files in my file explorer, but my music apps wont import them... i can use N7 player and search by folder and see the files and get them to play, but still wont import them. now, i just plugged phone into computer and i cant see the files in the folder from my computer, but i can still see them with the file explorer on my phone?! any ideas? i have device mounted as MTP to my PC


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## Barf (Sep 26, 2011)

Have you tried redownloading them?


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## yamaha83 (Dec 15, 2011)

Barf said:


> Have you tried redownloading them?


i don't think its a download issue because i can see them and play them just fine in some cases and others i cannot... it also happens for multiple CDs


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## Detonation (Jul 25, 2011)

Have you rebooted your phone since then? That will force a media refresh. Otherwise you could use this app to do it: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.bero.sdrescan&hl=en


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## yamaha83 (Dec 15, 2011)

ya multiple reboots, cant even see the files when i plug into a computer, but can see them in solid explorer and can get the to play fine with N7 when i brows by folder. trying that scan app now...


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## ConradCole (Jan 10, 2012)

Go to Settings/Apps/Show All/Media Storage and clear data, reboot and your files will be imported. If they aren't check the directory your downloaded files are in and be sure there is not a file called .nomedia in the folder or in any parent folders they music files are in. If there is, move the files to your music folder or delete the .nomedia file and repeat the above steps. If they by chance still aren't imported, check the file type and permissions to make sure your media player can import them.

Clearing the data for Media Storage won't cause you to lose any files or sdcard data, I clear mine all the time to resolve a similar issue with Gallery, the data size for me is over 20Mb before I clear, and about 1.5 afterwards.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2


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## yamaha83 (Dec 15, 2011)

ConradCole said:


> Go to Settings/Apps/Show All/Media Storage and clear data, reboot and your files will be imported. If they aren't check the directory your downloaded files are in and be sure there is not a file called .nomedia in the folder or in any parent folders they music files are in. If there is, move the files to your music folder or delete the .nomedia file and repeat the above steps. If they by chance still aren't imported, check the file type and permissions to make sure your media player can import them.
> 
> Clearing the data for Media Storage won't cause you to lose any files or sdcard data, I clear mine all the time to resolve a similar issue with Gallery, the data size for me is over 20Mb before I clear, and about 1.5 afterwards.
> 
> Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2


that didnt work either... i downloaded Power am and that player finds everything just fine. N7 and google music wont find it though. guess ill stick with Power amp till i can sort it out....


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## ERIFNOMI (Jun 30, 2011)

Detonation said:


> Have you rebooted your phone since then? That will force a media refresh. Otherwise you could use this app to do it: https://play.google.....sdrescan&hl=en


That was changed for ICS+.

Not sure why Google Music can't find them though. I've never had problems with music not showing.


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## byrong (Oct 13, 2011)

I'm now having this same problem; I can see mp3 files through my file explorer, but Google Play Music keeps saying "No music kept on device"

On a seemingly related note, when this problem cropped up, QuickPic started acting funny as well: suddenly it wasn't showing any galleries. I clicked on the QuickPic settings and checked the box that said "show hidden." All of a sudden, I could see my galleries again. I long-pressed one of them and clicked "unhide." Then I went back to hiding hidden galleries. Not only was that one gallery fixed, but ALL of them appeared again.

I have checked and cannot find any .nomedia files around or anything similar. I'm not sure what else can be done to files/directories on the SDCard for a media app to consider them "hidden." It's annoying because even the system recognizes the presence of media files, but they just can't be played. If I go to System Settings > Storage it shows I have gigs of audio. When I click that, it asks me what music program I want to use to select a track. Once I select Play Music, however, it just comes up with "No songs"

I just tested PowerAmp and like the OP reports, my music shows up there and can be played. This is quite weird.

Random troubleshooting I've tried:
wiping dalvik cache
wiping cache
clearing data for media storage
clearing data for play music
uninstalling / reinstalling play music
fixing permissions
moving my mp3 from one folder to another
...probably some other stuff I'm forgetting at this point


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## ConradCole (Jan 10, 2012)

I'm interested to know which ROM and GAPPS you both are running, if you recently switched from ICS to JB or vice versa, and if you use any data/app restoring programs such as Titanium. I have been noticing some unusual behaviour with media since JB, but nothing quite as severe. I see there are threads floating around about ROM Manager creating a .nomedia file on the root of SDcard, I only flash with CWR and fastboot, but if you happen to use ROM Manager, I'd look into those threads.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2


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## gt5oh (Oct 11, 2011)

same thing started for me..nexus Verizon bug less beast 4.1.1


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## byrong (Oct 13, 2011)

ConradCole said:


> I see there are threads floating around about ROM Manager creating a .nomedia file on the root of SDcard, I only flash with CWR and fastboot, but if you happen to use ROM Manager, I'd look into those threads.


Thanks - I had been looking in subdirectories for the .nomedia file and somehow missed that one had been created on the root.

Still, even after deleting it, the problem was not immediately resolved (even after a reboot).

What worked for me was:
Delete .nomedia file on SDCard root
Clear Data on Play Music
Clear Data on Gallery
Clear Data on Media Storage
Uninstall ROM Manager
Reboot

I have no idea which of those steps might be unnecessary, but I went with the shotgun approach and now things are fine again.


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## yamaha83 (Dec 15, 2011)

im on one of the AOKP nightlies. but im pretty sure i was having the same issue on the parnoid android rom as well... and my problem seems to be a little different because google music can see a good chunk of my music files, but there a few cd's that it just cannot find. Power amp does just fine though. and the files are normal MP3 files so its does not have anything to do with files types. and the files are all in the same music folder....

i think im going to make a backup and flash the BAMF ROM and see if that fixes the issue...


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## -iD (Jun 28, 2011)

Most of the missing media (pictures, ringtones, etc.) problems are caused by a bug in the previous version of ROM Manager.

It mistakenly dropped a .nomedia file onto the root of your sdcard.

Just get the latest update to ROM Manager from playstore so it doesn't happen again, then delete /sdcard/.nomedia, go to manage apps and clear data in media storage then reboot to rerun your media scanner and all should be back to normal.

FYI, the .nomedia file hides any folder (and sub folder) it's in from the media scanner (meaning android can't find it) so you want it in most of the folders it's in (like temp folders) to keep junk out of your gallery. But u don't want it on the root of your sdcard for obvious reasons. 

sent from my Google Galaxy Nexus


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## yamaha83 (Dec 15, 2011)

-iD said:


> Most of the missing media (pictures, ringtones, etc.) problems are caused by a bug in the previous version of ROM Manager.
> 
> It mistakenly dropped a .nomedia file onto the root of your sdcard.
> 
> ...


thats not my issue. there is no .nomedia file on my SD card. google music can see all my music just fine minus a few albums.


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## ConradCole (Jan 10, 2012)

byrong said:


> What worked for me was:
> Delete .nomedia file on SDCard root
> Clear Data on Play Music
> Clear Data on Gallery
> ...


ROM Manager can be a nasty beast...and clearing data for media storage and rebooting alone would suffice here.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2


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## byrong (Oct 13, 2011)

ConradCole said:


> clearing data for media storage and rebooting alone would suffice here.


As per my first post earlier in this thread, clearing data for media storage and rebooting alone did *not* suffice. Or did you mean *after *deleting the .nomedia file?


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## ConradCole (Jan 10, 2012)

yamaha83 said:


> im on one of the AOKP nightlies. but im pretty sure i was having the same issue on the parnoid android rom as well... and my problem seems to be a little different because google music can see a good chunk of my music files, but there a few cd's that it just cannot find. Power amp does just fine though. and the files are normal MP3 files so its does not have anything to do with files types. and the files are all in the same music folder....
> 
> i think im going to make a backup and flash the BAMF ROM and see if that fixes the issue...


Yours definitely sounds like a codec problem. Which program did you use to rip the cd? You might try a different one, and also be sure to browse through your Unknown Artists folder from withing Play Music. Be sure the music isn't there, sometimes song titles and artist tags can be lost and a song title can be labeled by a string of characters and symbols rather than the actual song name.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2


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## yamaha83 (Dec 15, 2011)

ConradCole said:


> Yours definitely sounds like a codec problem. Which program did you use to rip the cd? You might try a different one, and also be sure to browse through your Unknown Artists folder from withing Play Music. Be sure the music isn't there, sometimes song titles and artist tags can be lost and a song title can be labeled by a string of characters and symbols rather than the actual song name.
> 
> Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2


just flashed latest BAMF and same issue. i don't have access to the CD anymore so ill just stick with PowerAmp. it has no issue finding and playing the songs.


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## icebear (Nov 25, 2011)

byrong said:


> Thanks - I had been looking in subdirectories for the .nomedia file and somehow missed that one had been created on the root.
> 
> Still, even after deleting it, the problem was not immediately resolved (even after a reboot).
> 
> ...


i have the latest rom manger and there is no .nomedia on my SD card and i cleared the catch in the media storage and i still cant get my ringtones =/


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## ConradCole (Jan 10, 2012)

icebear said:


> i have the latest rom manger and there is no .nomedia on my SD card and i cleared the catch in the media storage and i still cant get my ringtones =/


Do you mean your ringtones aren't showing in your music app? If so, go into the music apps settings and allow scanning for smaller audio files.

Sent from my Galaxy Nexus using Tapatalk 2


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## AndroidAddict (Jun 8, 2011)

I just realized that I have the same issue, but it seems to be resolved now. I had my music in the folder /sdcard/Music.

What I did was to copy the contents on that Music folder and paste them to /sdcard/media/audio where I created a folder called Music. Once I put them there all was well. I could now use my music in Gentle Alarm. Those regular alarm clock sounds were killing me. heh

I had forgotten to check, but they all show in Play Music now as well.


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