[Spiff7]

I just spent the last several hours ripping CDs on my computer in WMA format. I then went out and purchased a USB flash drive to save the music folder on.

I proceeded to plug it into the USB port in the glove compartment, and I can't get the iDrive to recognize the device. Nothing shows up.

Did I or am I doing something wrong??

Any help would be appreciated. Right now I feel like I just wasted my entire Saturday if I can't get this to work.

Thanks for any assistance.

[Weaselboy]

Is the drive formatted in FAT32?

[Tee212]

glove port is upload mp3 into the hdd, use the usb port in the center console.

[Spiff7]

Yes it is formatted in FAT32.

I don't have a USB port in my center console.

[birdman325]

What car do you have? On my 2011 3 Series Touring, the USB jack in the glove box is only for uploading music off the stick and onto the car's hard drive to be played from the hard drive. You can't play the music from the USB stick connected to the USB in the glove box.
I put about 15 GB of music on my USB key and I leave it plugged into the USB slot in the arm rest and I just leave it there. I play all my music directly from the USB stick while plugged into the slot in the armrest.

[Spiff7]

I have a 2011 335i...no usb in center console...just an aux plug there...I can't get the usb port in the glovebox to read the usb flashdrive at all...i would be love to play the music directly from it, but would settle to just load it all to the harddrive...so frustating.

[birdman325]

That seems a little strange. I thought all of the 2011 3 series are configured the same way.
If I open up the arm rest between the front seats, I have a plug for the Aux in. I also have a little sliding door cover, which when I slide over to the side, reveals a USB receptacle. When I get back to my car this evening, I will take a picture of it. Unless you slide the little plastic cover over, you won't see it.
It takes a little digging through the Options menu to find the option that allows you to rip the music off the USB stick in the glove box and put it on the hard drive. It is not untiutive, but it is there, I think somewhere buried in the Options menu. Again, I will look when I get to my car.

[Spiff7]

Thanks. I'll take a closer look when I get in my car after work. Appreciate the help!

[alex2364]

If you don't have the USB port in your center console, then you can't play music directly from the USB. The USB port in the glove box is only to import music to the hard drive. Sounds like you didn't get the iPod/USB option.

[Spiff7]

Sounds like I didn't. Guess I cheaped out.

For now I'm plugging my iPod into the aux plug in the center console. Getting the job done.

[ZeemoNL]

I had the same on my 2011 3 series touring. No usb in center console. But there is a usb slot in the dashboard where you can import mp3's onto the HDD of the Idrive system. (Idrive Pro version). My FAT32 usb stick did not work.
I reformatted my usb stick to FAT ( format x: /fs:fat)
And now it recognizes the usb drive.
I only tried a 2GB usb stick (FAT limit).

[ttm013]

Originally Posted by ZeemoNL

I had the same on my 2011 3 series touring. No usb in center console. But there is a usb slot in the dashboard where you can import mp3's onto the HDD of the Idrive system. (Idrive Pro version). My FAT32 usb stick did not work.
I reformatted my usb stick to FAT ( format x: /fs:fat)
And now it recognizes the usb drive.
I only tried a 2GB usb stick (FAT limit).

There shouldn't be any limitation in storage size. I believe you have this confused with the file size limitation of FAT 32 drives which is 4GB.

[E90MIA]

Happen to me last night. Plug it into the passenger console and then push hard and a little up at the same time. If not idk

[dying4004]

sorry to dig up an old thread.

bought a e90 323i.

i have centre usb port and can play music from usb stick.

i have few folders of music in the usb drive but i cant get it play folder by folder.

it just plays all the files together.

is it possible to play the music folder by folder from usb drive?

cheers

[gruvenon]

Will this cause enough of a drain on the battery that it can be an issue? It does not look like the USB power is shut off when the car is turned off.

[mjn77]

I've not had any issue with leaving the usb stick in the usb slot in the armrest.

[gruvenon]

I have some album art on my USB thumb drive that shows up on the Nav/Entertainment screen, but others do not. Does anyone know if this is a function of the file size, image size, dpi or other file property?

All the files are named Folder.jpg and are located in the folder with the .mp3's for that particular album.

This one displays (Amy): 500 x 500 pixels, 96 dpi, bit depth = 24, file size 34KB
This one doesn't display (Adele): 400 x 400 pixels, 72 dpi, bit depth = 24, file size 16KB

Is there some other metadata preventing the file from displaying?

Thanks!

[mjn77]

Have you tried embedding the artwork to the actual mp3?

That is what i do, and always works.

[gruvenon]

What software do you use to embed the Album Art? When I bring the file up in VLC it appears as though the Folder.jpg image is embedded in the .mp3.

Thx.

[gruvenon]

Answered my own question...MediaMonkey is just what I was looking for.

[mjn77]

You can also use mp3tag