How to add music to Xiaomi Redmi: The Complete Guide

Modern Xiaomi and Redmi smartphones have powerful multimedia capabilities, turning the device into a full-fledged entertainment center. However, immediately after purchase, the user often encounters an empty list of tracks in the standard application. This is because the internal memory of the gadget does not contain media files initially, and they must be downloaded independently, this process is simple, but has its own nuances depending on the chosen method of data transfer.

There are several proven ways to saturate your device with favorite compositions, from classic cable connection to wireless technology and cloud storage. Each option has its advantages. For example, a wired connection is ideal for quickly transferring large amounts of data in FLAC or WAV format, whereas cloud services allow you to have access to a music library of devoid physical memory of the device. In this article, we will discuss all the current methods.

It is important to understand that the Android file system, which runs the MIUI shell or HyperOS, requires a certain folder structure to correctly display tracks. Incorrect placement of files can lead to the fact that the standard player simply “will not see” your music, although the files will be physically stored in memory. We will consider how to avoid such situations and configure playback as convenient as possible.

Preparation of the device and format check

Before you start actively downloading tracks, you need to make sure that your device is ready to work with multimedia files. Modern Xiaomi smartphones support a wide range of audio codecs, including popular MP3, AAC, OGG, as well as high-resolution formats such as FLAC and ALAC. However, if you own a very old model or use specific codecs like DSD, you may need to install a third-party player.

Also worth checking is the availability of free space. High quality music takes up a considerable volume: one minute of track in Lossless format (without losses) can weigh about 10 MB. If memory is full of system debris or application cache, the copying process can be interrupted or go with errors. It is recommended to clear unnecessary files in advance through the built-in Security application.

⚠️ Note: When copying files from unknown sources (pirate sites, file sharing sites) there is a risk of malware infection of the device. Always check the downloaded archives with antivirus before unpacking.

Make sure your device is USB debugging enabled if you plan to use advanced ADB data transfer methods, although this is not required for normal music download. Standard access rights are enough. For a comfortable file system, it is better to install a quality file manager immediately if the built-in one does not suit you, for example, Total Commander or FX File Explorer.

Method 1: Transmitting music through USB-computer-cable

The fastest and most reliable way to fill the library is to use USB-This method doesn't require the Internet, and it provides the highest transfer speed, which is critical when you download albums in high resolution. USB Type-C (or Micro-USB for older models) and a computer running Windows, macOS or Linux.

Once you physically connect your smartphone to your PC, you'll see a charging mode notification on your screen, you'll click on it and select File Transfer (MTP) mode. If you don't, the computer will only see the device as a power source, and the memory will be closed. In some cases, drivers can automatically be installed on your computer, but usually Windows 10/11 recognizes the smartphone instantly.

After the regime's selection MTP A new device will appear in My Computer, open up internal memory or SD-Find a folder called Music. If it's not there, create a new folder with a Latin name, like MyMusic. This directory should be used to drag files. The folder structure can be any, but following the logic of Artist/Album/Trek will make navigation easier in the future.

When copying large amounts of data (more than 10 GB), there may be a decrease in write speed, especially if you use a C10 or lower memory card. Do not remove the abruptly cable during the writing process, the burning indicator of which may flash. This can lead to file spreadsheet damage and data loss.

Method 2: Using cloud storage and wireless transmission

For those who prefer wireless freedom, cloud services are a great solution. Xiaomi Cloud, Google Drive, Yandex Disk or Dropbox let you download music from your computer to the cloud and then download it to your smartphone anywhere, and this method is convenient because your tracks are always synchronized, so that if you lose your phone, the library will not be lost.

However, this method has a significant disadvantage - dependence on Internet connection speed. downloading a 500 MB album can take a considerable time when using mobile traffic. In addition, listening to music directly from the cloud (online streaming) consumes battery and traffic, so you still have to download files to local storage for offline mode.

There is also the option of transferring files over Wi-Fi via special applications such as Send Anywhere or the built-in "Mi Drop" feature (Xiaomi Share). This protocol allows you to transfer files between Xiaomi devices or to a computer at a tremendous speed comparable to Bluetooth, but without the need for pairing. Just select files in the gallery or explorer, click "Send" and scan. QR-receiver.

Configuring playback and working with the player

Once the files are in memory, the system will automatically index them. the standard application "Music" from Xiaomi is quite functional, but many users prefer to install third-party solutions like Poweramp, AIMP or VLC. Third-party players often offer a more flexible equalizer, support for plugins and an improved interface.

In the settings of the standard player, you can enable the display of the song lyrics (if it is embedded in the file metadata), configure the visualization and sorting. It is important to check whether the ID3 tags on your files are correctly filled in. If the tracks are displayed as "Unknown Artist" or "Track 01", you should use a program on a PC (for example, MP3Tag) to edit the metadata before copying.

To improve sound quality in the audio settings (Settings → Sound and Vibration → Sound Effects), you can turn on Dolby Atmos or Dirac (on supported models), which allows you to adapt the sound to the type of connected headphones or speakers, making the bass deeper and high frequencies cleaner.

Memory Extension: MicroSD and OTG

The internal memory of the smartphone is not rubber, and music files can quickly fill it. Fortunately, many Redmi models are equipped with a hybrid slot for a microSD card. Installing a 128 GB or 256 GB card allows you to store thousands of tracks in high quality without worrying about the place for photos and applications.

When using a memory card, it is important to format it correctly. The system will suggest formatting the card as Portable Storage (for files) or Internal Storage (system extension). For music, it is better to choose the first option, so that you can easily retrieve the card and transfer files to your PC without losing data.

The alternative is to use USB OTG (If you buy an inexpensive adapter, you can connect a regular adapter. USB-A flash drive or external hard drive directly to the smartphone charging connector. Xiaomi file manager will immediately see the connected device, and you will be able to play music directly from it or copy tracks to the phone's memory.

⚠️ Note: When using cheap memory cards of unknown brands, the read speed may not be enough to play heavy Lossless files without delay. EVO Plus.

Solution: Music is not played or seen

Quite often, users are faced with a situation where files are copied, but the player shows a blank list. The first reason is hidden folders. In Android, folders whose name begins with a dot (for example,.temp) are considered hidden. Make sure that your music folder does not have such a prefix.

The second common problem is that the media scanner crashes, and it's a system process that indexes new files, and sometimes it freezes. To fix this, you can reboot the device or clear the Media Storage app cache in the app settings section, and after you restart, the phone will scan the memory again.

The third reason is corrupted files or unsupported bitrate, if the file is not downloaded to the end or has a non-standard bitrate (for example, 320 kbit / s for the file). MP3 It is supported almost everywhere, but 1000+ kbit/s for some codecs can be a problem, the player will miss it. Try to open such a file in another application, for example, VLC.

💡

If the music is played in jerks, try turning off the "Absolute Volume Level" option in the developer settings. This often solves problems with Bluetooth headphones.

Also, check the permissions of the applications. Go to Settings → Apps → Music → Rights and make sure that access to Memory or Files is allowed. Without this permission, the application cannot physically read the contents of your storage.

FAQ: Frequently Asked Questions

💡

The main secret of high-quality sound on Xiaomi is not only the file format, but also the correct setting of the equalizer and the use of high-quality headphones or DACs via USB-C.