getmusicbee.com
Support => Portable Devices => Topic started by: gordol on August 21, 2021, 04:43:40 AM
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I tried using the Help, it's several versions old and does not match the program.
I tried searching the Forum, and got contradictory information.
I am not tech-stupid, I've been in IT support for 20+ years, but I know what I know and I do not know what I don't know. Some of this below, apparently falls under the "I don't know" category.
I cannot get my phone to show up and sync.
I'm looking to replace MediaMonkey on my Windows 10 PC and Galaxy S20+ (Android 11) phone. Due to my music library size, I need two-way syncing of smart playlists. I was pointed to the combo of MusicBee, PowerAmp, and MusicBee WiFi Sync. I have them all installed. I also have a USB cable to plug the phone into the PC as needed.
MusicBee has scanned my music library and added it to itself. Since it does not import from MediaMonkey (oh well), I have recreated some of my smart playlists and I'll do the others later after I get this next part working.
The WIFi Sync app says I need to run a wired sync at least once. Annoying, but OK. Plugged it in, and MusicBee does not see it. Even after restarting MuscBee.
Now what?
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What version of MB are you using? (Help > About)
How was MB installed? (Store, Installer, Portable)
Does the device show up in Windows?
For the first (and usually only) wired/USB sync, make sure the device is unlocked when you plug it in. Wait a few minutes and it should show up in the Devices section of the Navigator on the left side panel. And you don't actually need to run a sync. Doing a preview for the first and only USB sync is good enough.
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What version of MB are you using? (Help > About)
3.4.7805
How was MB installed? (Store, Installer, Portable)
Download from the MusicBee site
Does the device show up in Windows?
Yes
For the first (and usually only) wired/USB sync, make sure the device is unlocked when you plug it in. Wait a few minutes and it should show up in the Devices section of the Navigator on the left side panel.
That worked.
And you don't actually need to run a sync. Doing a preview for the first and only USB sync is good enough.
It automatically started syncing. Took me a bit to see that as there was no on-screen indication that it was doing anything.
Opening the phone in the library tree took forever. Went to the Settings for it in the main panel and it was set to sync all music and sync immediately on connection. In the info panel at the top, the "Preview" button was grayed out. It wasn't until I got down into the Sync Status view that I saw that it was syncing. In the settings, I disabled the auto sync, went back to the sync tab and cancelled the sync, and and it started up again.
The option to enable two-way sync is grayed out. But, now that it's stopped the wired sync, unplug and fire up the WiFiSync app on the phone, that has options to sync back. Testing it now.
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Took me a bit to see that as there was no on-screen indication that it was doing anything.
The progress percentage shows in the lower left corner of the main window.
It sounds like you're almost there.
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The progress percentage shows in the lower left corner of the main window.
Yeah, I found that later. Light grey on white. Using the default skin.
In any case, starting the wireless sync at shortly after midnight, syncing a few playlists totaling less than 4000 songs, and it was still less than 75% complete 8 hours later. MediaMonkey can sync 18,000+ tracks in less time, wirelessly.
Based on this last bit, I think this is a fail for me.
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I'll give this one more chance. When I have the time to let it do it's thing for 12 hours or so. Maybe I'll do that first full sync wired and then updates via wifi.
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Wifi is faster than wired.
4000 songs shouldn't take 8+ hours unless your computer is less-than-great AND you're converting every file or otherwise rewriting every file in some way (conversion, embedding artwork, etc). A simple wifi sync of 4000 songs as they exist should take maybe an hour or two tops. You've got something wrong with your settings. Without knowing what your settings are, no one is going to have any idea what that issue is. A screenshot of the screen below would help.
(https://i.imgur.com/j9cPPMq.png)
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Well, as I said, MediaMonkey can sync my entire 18,000+ track library in less time, over WiFi which has always been slower than USB 2/3/c.
Screenshot of my portable device settings below. The only thing of note that I see different from yours is my option for 2-way sync is disabled.
(https://i.imgur.com/3fKMjx2.png)
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There's a reason you're no longer using MediaMonkey, right? The reason I ask is because you keep citing it as if you'd rather be using it, which is confusing. At this point, I don't think there's anyone who's unclear that MediaMonkey syncs to your phone more quickly than what you're seeing in MusicBee. I'm not sure what you hope to accomplish here by repeatedly saying it.
For MusicBee, Wifi sync is more speedy than wired, especially for large libraries.
The screenshot wasn't my settings. It was an example of the settings screen.
You are embedding artwork and lyrics into each file upon sync. This causes each file to be rewritten as it is being sent to the device. This is probably why you're seeing the results you are. I'm sorry I won't be able to offer further advice.
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I cite MediaMonkey as a comparison because that's what I know. Yes, there is a reason I am trying to switch away from it. The phone app randomly crashes when using BT output, and somewhere between the desktop and phone side of things it randomly loses album art. And also has started to randomly fail to properly update playlists when syncing, leading to unwanted song repetition. Which circles back to MusicBee over here has the "2 way sync" disabled. Am I missing something to enable that?
I'm using the current phone version, and the last of the prior version of the desktop app, because the newest version just doesn't work at all on either of the two PCs I tried it on.
I accept your statement that in MusicBee, WiFi is faster.
Artwork and lyrics are (should be per my preference going back to WinAmp days pre-iTunes) already embedded in the tracks, not kept in separate files.
I'm going to start fresh on the phone: I'm removing my entire media library from the phone, and then I'll sync over a couple playlists via MusicBee and see what happens. With my schedule and how long the cleanup of what currently is will take, I probably won't have any new info until Friday at the earliest.
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There's a reason you're no longer using MediaMonkey, right? The reason I ask is because you keep citing it as if you'd rather be using it, which is confusing. At this point, I don't think there's anyone who's unclear that MediaMonkey syncs to your phone more quickly than what you're seeing in MusicBee. I'm not sure what you hope to accomplish here by repeatedly saying it.
So, I started fresh, removed my existing library on the phone (I was attempting to use the same library files) and synced in anew via WiFI, and that sync took only a couple hours. Played a few songs in Poweramp and synced again, and it appears to have synced new again, and what I listened to on the phone did not get marked as heard in MusicBee. I'm hoping this is because I had MusicBee WiFI Sync set to use the desktop app's sync settings and the option there to sync back from the mobile is off and disabled (how do I get that enabled??)
When I'm done with work today, I'll try again with that option in the WiFi app off, to use the mobile app settings instead which is set to sync back.
I'm hopeful.
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Two-way sync is enabled in the WiFi Sync app. All the rest of the settings are done in the Preferences > Devices tab of MB.
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Two-way sync is enabled in the WiFi Sync app. All the rest of the settings are done in the Preferences > Devices tab of MB.
Which is what I figured when I saw that option in the WiFi app. Assuming it works, I won't worry about the disabled setting in the desktop app. At this point, I wish I could access the sync settings in the desktop app to make changes without having to plug the phone in. If there is a way, I haven't found it yet.
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I don't two-way sync, but I suspect all you need to do is enable it in MB's desktop settings once and from then on, use the app to enable or not. Maybe you don't even need to turn it on in MB's settings.
I also don't understand why you're plugging the phone in to make settings changes on the desktop. If you've run one sync via USB, the device will (should) show every time you open Preferences > Devices. You can change what you want and save it. All without having the device plugged in. I can't remember the last time I plugged in my phone in order to change sync settings.
I think you need to do some experimenting to get yourself squared away. Don't use your entire library. Select a small subset.
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I don't use two-way sync either, but the one in the windows program device settings and the one in the WiFi app are unrelated. The one in device settings was there long before the wifi app even existed and is/was related to an available (but not implemented in any Android players) MTP database field:
Wiki: (https://musicbee.fandom.com/wiki/Devices#Settings)
for MTP devices, the MTP database does have a field for rating and for play count. However in practice i have yet to see it being used by the android players. So until that happens 2-way sync wont do anything
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I don't use two-way sync either, but the one in the windows program device settings and the one in the WiFi app are unrelated. The one in device settings was there long before the wifi app even existed and is/was related to an available (but not implemented in any Android players) MTP database field:
Yes, when I was writing my most recent reply I was thinking the setting was a legacy setting - left over from something that was never fully implemented and now doesn't do anything. Perhaps Steven should remove it to avoid further confusion.
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I don't two-way sync, but I suspect all you need to do is enable it in MB's desktop settings once and from then on, use the app to enable or not. Maybe you don't even need to turn it on in MB's settings.
I can't enable it in MB. It's grayed out and won't enable. See my screen shot a few responses upthread.
I also don't understand why you're plugging the phone in to make settings changes on the desktop. If you've run one sync via USB, the device will (should) show every time you open Preferences > Devices.
Because I did not know to look there. I only saw it with the phone plugged in, in the library tree.
I think you need to do some experimenting to get yourself squared away. Don't use your entire library. Select a small subset.
Yes. I'm only using a subset for now, just my main auto-playlist and a couple others, totaling about 4k tracks, as opposed to my entire library of 18k+ tracks.
Two-way sync is one of my requirements to update the playlist as I listen too music. I use the phone as my main playback device: in the car, at work, etc.
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I don't use two-way sync either, but the one in the windows program device settings and the one in the WiFi app are unrelated. The one in device settings was there long before the wifi app even existed and is/was related to an available (but not implemented in any Android players) MTP database field:
Wiki: (https://musicbee.fandom.com/wiki/Devices#Settings)
for MTP devices, the MTP database does have a field for rating and for play count. However in practice i have yet to see it being used by the android players. So until that happens 2-way sync wont do anything
If that turns out to be true, then I will not be able to use this and will have to keep looking.
PowerAmp does have ratings, but every track shows as one star, when in MB the ratings are there correctly. And I use ratings as one of my auto playlist criteria.
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PowerAmp does have ratings, but every track shows as one star, when in MB the ratings are there correctly. And I use ratings as one of my auto playlist criteria.
That sounds like perhaps it's a PowerAmp issue.
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If that turns out to be true, then I will not be able to use this and will have to keep looking.
If it turns out to be true that the two settings are unrelated (spoiler: they are), you won't be able to use MB? Why? It doesn't change the functionality of the one in the wifi sync app.
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If it turns out to be true that the two settings are unrelated (spoiler: they are), you won't be able to use MB? Why? It doesn't change the functionality of the one in the wifi sync app.
Because I depend on the auto play lists. And those depend on syncing last-played and ratings back from the player on the phone.
The 3500~4000 tracks in the current playlist is only a fraction of my 18,000+ track music library. The playlist is an auto playlist that updates based on the date of last played and on the fly ratings changes to move music in and out when I sync.
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Again, synching last played and ratings back from the player are a function of the wifi app and the two supported android apps (PowerAmp or GoneMad) working in conjunction, and that functionality has nothing to do with that setting in the windows program's device settings because (for the third time) THE TWO SETTINGS ARE UNRELATED. The fact that you cannot turn on the setting in the windows program's device settings has nothing to do with how the wifi sync app operates because THE TWO SETTINGS ARE UNRELATED. Unrelated in this context means NOT RELATED TO EACH OTHER IN ANY WAY.
Said a different way, you do not need the windows program setting (which relates to MTP, a wired protocol) to be on to use the wifi app's two-way sync function. It doesn't matter whether it's on or off, it has nothing to do with the wifi app.
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Again, synching last played and ratings back from the player are a function of the wifi app and the two supported android apps (PowerAmp or GoneMad) working in conjunction, and that functionality has
Understood. I just used the "contact support" in PowerAmp about that issue. My point being that if I cannot get this info to sync in both ways then MusicBee does not fit my needs. It does not matter if the missing function is on the MusicBee side or the PowerAmp / Gone Mad site. If it does not work, it does not work.
I just started my last test sync with PowerAmp as the player. I've been listening to music from the phone all day and noted down some of the tracks that had played. If they show up in MusicBee as played on 8/27, we have a winner. If not, I'll give GoneMad on the phone one cycle and if that also does not sync back, it'll be time to move on and maybe revisit if one or more of the mobile apps updates to address this.
When it comes down to it, it does not matter which side of the process fails the function. If it doesn't work, then it doesn't work.
nothing to do with that setting in the windows program's device settings because (for the third time) THE TWO SETTINGS ARE UNRELATED. The fact that you cannot turn on the setting in the windows
Now you're harping on something already acknowledged and topic-dropped.
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FYI, depending on your Android version (11 or later, I think), two way sync doesn't work in GoneMAD any more.
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FYI, depending on your Android version (11 or later, I think), two way sync doesn't work in GoneMAD any more.
Android 11.
And, the two-way sync is still failing with PowerAmp.
Thanks for the help guys (and gals?). But this is not meeting my needs., so I'm dropping this unless the PowerAmp people can give me some good news from their end.
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For the first (and usually only) wired/USB sync, make sure the device is unlocked when you plug it in.
What's meant by "unlocked", here?
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What's meant by "unlocked", here?
The phone's screen needs to be unlocked when plugging in the USB cable. The device should then ask how you want to use the connection. You should select file transfer (your wording may be different, but it needs to deal with files.)
I am not referring to a carrier unlock.
I hope that answers your question.
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What's meant by "unlocked", here?
The phone's screen needs to be unlocked when plugging in the USB cable. The device should then ask how you want to use the connection. You should select file transfer (your wording may be different, but it needs to deal with files.)
I am not referring to a carrier unlock.
I hope that answers your question.
Thanks, unfortunately that doesn't help. ;D I'll create a separate post, just thought with the answer to that question I might be able to use what's in this one. (Phone is unlocked. I never get that prompt & can't do anything with the device that's created when it's attached.)