How to transfer music from Xiaomi phone to flash drive: all working ways

Introduction: why transfer music to a flash drive and what difficulties can arise

Xiaomi smartphones are some of the most popular devices on the market, but even they face memory shortages. Music tracks, especially in high quality, take up a lot of space: one FLAC album can weigh up to 500 MB, and a playlist of 100 songs can easily exceed 1-2 GB. Moving music to a flash drive solves this problem, freeing up internal memory for photos, apps and system updates.

But it’s not that simple: Redmi users, POCO Mis often encounter errors when connecting the drives. For example, a smartphone may not see the flash drive through the drive. OTG-Adapter, give a message "Device is not supported" or copy files with an error "Not enough rights." In this article, we will discuss 5 proven ways to transfer music, including bypassing typical problems, and give tips on choosing a flash drive for Xiaomi.

We'll focus on a unique feature of MIUI firmware: the restriction on writing files to external NTFS drives. This can cause failures if you use a flash drive formatted on a computer, and we'll show you how to get around this restriction without losing data.

Method 1: Transfer of music through OTG-adapter (without computer)

The fastest way to use is to use OTG-An On-The-Go adapter that allows you to plug a flash drive directly into your smartphone. Most current Xiaomi models (starting with the Redmi Note 5 and later) support this out of the box function:

  • 🔌 OTG-Adapter (Type-C or Micro-USB depending on the phone model)
  • 💾 File system flash drive FAT32 exFAT (NTFS may not work!)
  • 📱 Smartphone with at least 30% charge (copying files consumes battery)

Step-by-step:

  1. Connect. OTG-The adapter to the phone, and the flash drive to the adapter «USB-plug-in».
  2. Open the Files app (or MIUI Explorer).
  3. Go to the Audio or Music section, select the desired tracks (hold your finger on the file for multiple selection).
  4. Click Copy → select a flash drive in the list of devices → specify the destination folder (for example, Music).
  5. Confirm the transfer. Speed depends on file size: 1 GB of music is copied. ~2-5 minutes.

⚠️ Warning: If the flash drive is not identified, check its format. MIUI Often there are problems with NTFS. Use it. FAT32 For files up to 4 GB or exFAT for large volumes, you can reformat the drive through a computer or special applications (for example, USB OTG Helper).

The flash drive is formatted in FAT32/exFAT|

Charge of the phone >30%|

OTG-Adapter compatible with phone connector (Type-C/Micro-USB)|

There's plenty of free space on the flash drive.-->

Method 2: Copying through a computer (most reliable)

If you have access to a PC or laptop, this method guarantees 100% successful transfer without the risk of file loss.Suitable for Xiaomi owners with any version of MIUI, including older models (Redmi 4X, Mi A1).

  • 🖥️ Computer with Windows/macOS/Linux
  • 🔌 Cable USB (Preferably original from Xiaomi)
  • 💾 Flash drive or memory card (you can use both drives at once)

Instructions:

  1. Connect your phone to your computer via USB. In the Xiaomi notification curtain, select File Transfer (MTP) mode.
  2. On PC, open This computer (Windows) or Finder (macOS) - there will appear your smartphone as a removable disk.
  3. Go to the Internal Storage → Music folder (or MIUI → music if the files are stored there).
  4. Copy the music to your computer (for example, on a desktop), then paste it on a flash drive.
Operating systemThe Way to Music on XiaomiMax, transmission speed
Windows 10/11This computer → [Xiaomi model] → Internal Storage → MusicUp to 40MB/s (USB 3.0)
macOSFinder → [Model Xiaomi] → MIUI → musicUp to 30 MB/s (depending on cable)
Linux (Ubuntu)/media/[user]/[Model Xiaomi]/Internal Storage/MusicUp to 25MB/s

The advantage of this method is that you can convert formats before perenosom, for example, if you have music in WAV (heavy), you can compress it into MP3 320 kbps using programs like Audacity or Freemake Audio Converter.

1. Reconnect the cable (use the USB 3.0 port on your PC).

2. Enable USB Debugging in Settings → About Phone → MIUI Version (click 7 times, then return to Additional → For Developers).

3. Install Mi drivers PC Suite from the official Xiaomi website.-->

Method 3: Using cloud services (Google Drive, Mi Cloud)

If you don't. OTG-An adapter or cable, you can upload music to the cloud and then download it to a flash drive via another device, which is suitable for large collections (up to 15 GB in free Google Drive) and avoids problems with file system formats.

Step-by-step:

  1. Install Google Drive or Mi Cloud from the Play Market.
  2. Upload music to the cloud: In Google Drive: click + → Download → select files. In Mi Cloud: Files → Download → Music.

Connect the flash drive to your computer or other phone, open the cloud in your browser and download files.

⚠️ Note: When downloading files to Mi Cloud >2GB may not load at a free rate. Use Google Drive for large archives. Also note that mobile Internet transfer consumes traffic - it is better to connect to Wi-Fi.

Google Drive|

Mi Cloud|

Yandex Disc |

iCloud|

Another option|Not using.-->

Method 4: Transfer through a memory card (for models with a microSD slot)

If your Xiaomi supports memory cards (e.g., Redmi Note 10 Pro, POCO X3 Pro), you can transfer music directly to the microSD and then paste it into an adapter for a regular flash drive, which saves time because you don’t need any additional devices.

How to do this:

  1. Insert the memory card into the smartphone (if it is not already installed).
  2. Open Files → Categories → Audio.
  3. Highlight the tracks → «Copy» → Select a memory card (usually displayed as an SD card).
  4. After copying, remove the card, paste it into a USB adapter and connect it to a computer or other device.

Important: Some Xiaomi models (like the Mi 11) don't have a microSD slot. Check your model's specs on Mi.com. If there's no slot, use methods 1, 2 or 3.

How to check if Xiaomi supports memory cards?
Open Settings → Storage. If you have a Memory Map section, you have a slot. Also, check the specifications of the model on the manufacturer's website or in the phone box.

Method 5: File Management Applications (ES Explorer, FX File Explorer)

Standard MIUI Explorer is not always convenient for external drives. Third-party applications such as ES Explorer or FX File Explorer offer advanced features: batch copying, archiving, and even direct transmission over Wi-Fi (no cables!).

Instructions for FX File Explorer:

  1. Install an app from the Play Market.
  2. Connect the flash drive through the OTG.
  3. In the side menu, select Local Storage → Music.
  4. Keep your finger on the file. → «Copy» → select the flash drive in the section USB-storage.
  5. To accelerate, turn on Turbo Transfer mode in the settings.

FAQ: Frequent questions about transferring music from Xiaomi to a flash drive

Can you transfer music from Xiaomi to a flash drive without OTG-adapter?
Yes, there are three alternative ways: via computer (method 2). Using cloud storage (method 3). If the phone has a microSD slot, copy the music to the card, then paste it into the USB adapter (method 4). OTG is only needed to directly connect the flash drive to the phone.
Why Xiaomi doesn’t see the flash drive in NTFS format?
MIUI firmware by default does not support NTFS writing (read only). Solutions: Reformat the flash drive to exFAT (supports files >4 GB). Use applications like Paragon NTFS & HFS+ for full NTFS support. Connect the flash drive to your computer and transfer the music through it.
How to transfer playlists from the phone to the flash drive so that they maintain order?
Standard MIUI Explorer does not save playback order. To transfer playlists: Export the playlist to a.m3u file through applications like Poweramp or VLC. Copy to a flash drive and music, and a.m3u file (it should lie in the same folder). Open.m3u on the target device via a player (for example, AIMP).
Can I transfer music with DRM protection (for example, from Apple Music or Yandex Music)?
No, files from DRM-protection (e.g. downloaded from streaming services) linked to your account and device, and when you try to copy, you will get an error or an empty file. Use official export features (if the service allows, for example, YouTube Music allows you to download tracks for offline listening on authorized devices). Record the sound from the screen through applications like Audio Recorder (quality will be lower than the original). ⚠️ Transferring Protected Content May Violate the Terms of Use of the Service.
Which flash drive is better to buy for Xiaomi?
Recommendations for selection: 🔹 Capacity: 32–128 GB for music (1 GB ≈ 250 song MP3). 🔹 Format: exFAT (universal) or FAT32 (file <4 GB). 🔹 Speed: Class UHS-I or USB 3.0 fast-transmit. 🔹 Brands: SanDisk Ultra, Samsung Fit Plus, Kingston DataTraveler (compatible with Xiaomi). Avoid cheap no-name flash drives - they often have low write speeds and can damage files.