How to download music to a Xiaomi device: from phone to TV box

Music tracks on Xiaomi devices can be streamed not only through streaming services like Spotify or Yandex Music. If you prefer offline playback — without advertising, with traffic savings and access to rare compositions — you will need to download files directly into the memory of the gadget. But how do you do it correctly to avoid problems with formats, memory or synchronization?

In this article, we will analyze 5 proven ways to install music on Redmi smartphones, POCO, Mi, and also on the TVs and set-top boxes of the Mi Box, from the classic transfer through USB-cable to cloud services Mi Cloud and Google Drive - choose the best option for your tasks. Particular attention will be paid to the hidden settings of the Mi Music player, which allows you to automatically sort tracks by album and artist even without tags ID3.

1.Preparation: What music formats Xiaomi supports

Before downloading music, check which audio formats your device is running. Most Xiaomi smartphones and TV boxes (starting with MIUI 12 and Android TV 9.0) support:

• 🎵 MP3 — Universal format with good ratio of quality and file size.
• 🎵 FLAC — audiophiles (no loss of quality, but takes up a lot of space).
• 🎵 AAC — It is often used in iTunes and streaming services.
• 🎵 WAV — Unprocessed sound (suitable for professional recordings).
• 🚫 WMA, OGG — It may not be played on some models (e.g. Redmi Note 8 Pro).

For Mi TVs (Q1E, P1E series) and Mi Box S consoles, additional restrictions apply:

⚠️ Note: If you download music in a format FLAC on Mi TV, Some models can play it with distortions due to hardware limitations of the Amlogic chip. S905X. Before mass download, test 1-2 track.

2. Method 1: Transfer of music through USB-cable (for smartphones)

The most reliable method is to connect the phone to the computer and copy files manually, suitable for all models on MIUI (including the POCO F5 and Mi 11 Ultra).

Instructions:

1. Connect your smartphone to your PC via USB-C (or Micro-USB for older models).
2. In the phone notification curtain, select File Transfer (MTP) mode.
3. On your computer, open the conductor (This computer → your device).
4. Go to the Internal Storage → Music folder (if you don’t have one, create it manually).
5. Copy the music files into this folder.

🔹 Important: If the Music folder is missing, the system may not display tracks in a standard player. Also avoid Cyrillic characters in file names - this can lead to failures when playing on some firmware.

Download files to PC (check format)

Charge your phone at least 30%

Use the original USB-cable

Turn off the "charging" mode in the notification curtain-->

Method 2: Downloading via cloud services (Mi Cloud, Google Drive)

If you don't have access to a computer, music can be downloaded through the cloud. Xiaomi offers two options:

• 🌥️ Mi Cloud – Built-in cloud (5GB for free) but only supports MP3 and AAC.
• 🌥️ Google Drive – universal service (15 GB free), works with all formats.

Instructions for Mi Cloud:

1. Download music to i.mi.com via your browser.
2. On the phone, open the Mi Cloud application → Files.
3. Select the tracks and click Download (they will be saved in Download/Music).

Instructions for Google Drive:

1. Upload files to Google Drive from your PC.
2. On the phone, open the Drive app, find the files.
3. Click on the track → Three dots → Download.
4. Move your downloaded files to the Music folder (via any file manager, such as Mi File Manager).

⚠️ Note: When downloading large files via mobile Internet (>50 MB) can be blocked by the operator. Use Wi-Fi or enable in the settings Mobile Download (path: Settings → SIM-maps and mobile networks → Transfer of data → Traffic limit).

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If the tracks are not displayed in the player after downloading through the cloud, restart the Mi Music app or clear its cache in the settings (Settings → Applications → Application Management → Mi Music → Clear the cache).

Method 3: Use of the Mi Music application (automatic synchronization)

The standard Mi Music player can automatically download music from cloud sources and sort it by album, a feature available on smartphones with MIUI 13+.

How to set up:

1. Open Mi Music → click on the profile icon (top right corner).
2. Select Settings → Cloud music.
3. Turn on the option of Auto Download when connecting to Wi-Fi.
4. Add a Xiaomi or Google account to sync.

Advantages of the method:

• 🔄 Automatic update of playlists.
• 🎧 Optimize the sound for headphones Xiaomi (if connected).
• 📱 Synchronize between devices (e.g., with Mi Band 7 Pro for playback control).

🔹 Restriction: This feature only works with files in the Music folder. If tracks are in Download or another directory, they must be moved manually.

5. Method 4: Music over Bluetooth or Wi-Fi Direct

If you need to transfer several tracks from one device to another quickly (for example, from iPhone to Xiaomi), Bluetooth or Wi-Fi Direct will do.

Bluetooth:

1. On both devices, turn on Bluetooth (Settings → Connection and Sharing → Bluetooth).
2. Connect devices (on Xiaomi click Device Search).
3. At a source (like iPhone) select track → Share → Bluetooth → select your Xiaomi.
4. Confirm the file on the phone.

On Wi-Fi Direct:

1. Activate Wi-Fi Direct in settings (Settings → Wi-Fi → Wi-Fi Direct).
2. Connect to the source device.
3. Use a file manager (e.g. ES Explorer) to transfer music.

⚠️ Note: When transferring files via Bluetooth >10 MB can be broken down or transmitted with errors. For large collections, it is better to use the USB cloud.

6. Method 5: Download music to Mi TV or Mi Box

For TVs and set-top boxes, Xiaomi's algorithm is different. There are two options here: USB-drive-in (DLNA).

Through USB-accumulator:

1. Copy the music to a flash drive in FAT32 format (Music folder).
2. Connect the flash drive to the USB port on the TV or console.
3. Open the Music app (or Files) → USB-accumulator).

DLNA (for advanced users):

1. On a PC, install a DLNA server (such as Serviio or Plex).
2. Add the music folder to the server library.
3. On Mi TV, open Media Center → Local Network and select your PC.

🔹 Tip: For Mi Box S, it is better to use the application VLC (Available on Google Play for Android TV) — It supports more formats than a standard player.

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On Xiaomi TVs, music with USB-The drive can be played with a delay if the flash drive is formatted in exFAT. FAT32 or NTFS (device-supported).

7. Solving the Problem: Why Music Is Not Played

If the tracks are not played after downloading, check the following points:

• 🔊 No tags. ID3 — Player may not recognize artist/album. Correct tags with Mp3tag (PC or Star Music Tag Editor (Android).
• 📁 Incorrect folder – files must be in Music, Ringtones or Notifications.
• 🔕 Limitations DRM — Some tracks downloaded from streaming services (such as Apple Music) are protected and not played outside the original app.
• 🔋 Saving charge - in the mode of ultra-saving (MIUI) background music playback may be blocked.

⚠️ Attention: On Mi TVs TV firmware older than Android TV 10 may not have support FLAC. Update the software through Settings → On TV. → Updating the system.

If the problem persists, try:

1. Reset the device.
2. Clear the player cache (Settings → Apps → Music → Clear the cache).
3. Install a third-party player (such as Poweramp or VLC).

FAQ: Frequent questions about music on Xiaomi