ok, I must be an Idiot - MP3 files

I'm not familiar with the zumo 450, but the mp3 player is just that,it won't play wma files.

Edit: When Motorcycle Mama comes on line I'm sure she will have an answer for you...

Copying mp3 files to the sd card is pretty straight forward. Are you doing the copying while the sd card is in the unit or the sd card is plugged into your computer. It shouldn't matter...Be sure they are mp3 files. I would suggest calling Garmin on Friday if you can't figure it out and they would be more than happy to help you.

Hmmm ... what happened to my posted. I typed out a long answer. Let me try again.

Be 100% sure that they are MP3 file format and are UNPROTECTED. The Zumo will only play UNPROTECTED MP3s. Other formats (ie WMA, AAC, M4P, etc) and files with DRMs (ie iTunes) will not be seen by the Zumo.

Then you mention .M3U files. Are you trying to create a PLAYLIST. If so, check out the follow format. It's extremely important to be 100% sure that the references are correct. In this format, the playlist needs to be in GARMIN folder on the SD card.


#EXTM3U
#EXTIN193,Jack Johnson - Banana Pancakes
\garmin\mp3\Jack Johnson\In Between Dreams\03 Banana Pancakes.mp3
#EXTIN229,Rehab - Bartender Song (aka Sittin' at a Bar)
\garmin\mp3\Rehab\Graffiti the World\05 Bartender Song (aka Sittin' at a Bar).mp3
#EXTIN210,Jack Johnson - Better Together
\garmin\mp3\Jack Johnson\In Between Dreams\01 Better Together.mp3
#EXTIN247,Styx - Blue Collar Man\garmin\mp3\Styx\Styx_ Greatest Hits\10 Blue Collar Man.mp3

Make sure your ID3 Tags are properly filled in. Since the GPS doesn't actually show you files, just the tags of files, if the "Title" tag is empty, no song will show up in the category for titles -- same for "Artist", etc.

I did read through all the earlier posts before I posted.

They are DEFINITELY MP3 files. I tried copying them both direct to the SD card (using an SD slot on front of computer) and then tried copying them while SD is in Garmin.

Boy is it EVER slow while its in the garmin.

I thing it might be the location of the M3U file.

I created a \mp3 folder, put all MP3 files in there and the m3u file in there as well.

Should I have created all this below the \garmin folder?

(all this assuming the N: drive is the SD card and not the garmin specifically)

Thanks again for all the help

I don't want to insinuate that you are missing something simple but that is usually where I mess up. Here is the manual for your GPS if you do not have it.

http://www8.garmin.com/manuals/zumo450_OwnersManual.pdf

Just for the heck of it make sure that your mp3s are OK(as mentioned above). Are they recognized by other programs on your computer? If they are then just load a few onto the SD card right into the main directory. Add a couple of JPEG pictures also to test if they can be picked up by your unit. If neither show up, call support.

PS:If you can see the files on your SD card in windows explorer your formatting on your SD card is not the problem either.

Unfortunately, all my MP3 players are Apple, so I am forced to use Itunes. The MP3 files are good, I have copied them to the SD card (both ways) then played them using Roxio (as an MP3 file) just to make sure they worked.

The files on the SD card work right, and are MP3 files, etc...

The garmin itself just doesn't see them, and I think its because its looking for an m3u file that I just don't have right.

So, now I am doing some pretty manual work.

Cutting and pasting MP3's from ITUNES into Empty Directories, then going to use either Roxio or Window's Media to create a M3U file. I am creating a seperate directory per my "playlists" in Itunes and then just creating an m3u file per directory.

Will then copy directories en-masse to SD card and will ensure the m3u file has the right " file location" and see how that works

Only issue, is once I do this, all the songs in garmin don't have any of my ratings or anything and if I update any playlists I have to make sure to duplicate the file in the "bogus directories" and recreate the m3u files.

Just must be a better way.

Thanks again.

You don't need any playlist at all to play the songs. Have you looked under "Info" in iTunes to make sure the data are filled in (ID3 Tags)? If nothing shows under "Titles", that is not a playlist issue.

Yes, I have looked, they all have ID3 tags. (made the mistake once of using a util that blew away all data in the tags and had to re-create them all.

I can see title, album, genre, etc in explorer, or any other tool, and the files show fine.

And yet, looking under those categories, nothing shows up on the GPS . . . Did you see whether a jpg loaded to the card is visible -- in other words, is the GPS seeing the card at all? I just re-read your posts and I don't see that you tried putting the music on the unit -- try just copying one song to the unit itself.

You don't NEED to have an M3U file for the Zumo to play the MP3 files. It will play them just fine without it.

However, are you sure that they aren't protected by DRMs?

Do they play outside of iTunes?

If it were me, I would try to get them working first and then worry about playlists.

Also, you refer to the N: drive. Be sure that your M3U file does not have any references to any drive letters. The Zumo doesn't understand drive letters. Just put the folder references with the slash at the beginning of the line.

And the folder structure should be ...

> garmin
>> mp3

if the files have correct tags (and I just checked again, and under info, I have most of the data, even have album cover graphics for most songs.

so, the tags seem ok, and Itunes, Windows Media and Roxio all seem to work fine with the songs.

and I don't need an m3u file to play them, then maybe its a location issue.

Where should I specifically copy the mp3 files? into the \garmin folder? or create a \garmin\mp3 folder and copy them there? or under root? "\"

Still trying

Yes, a few of the files were purchased via itunes online, so I know they are protected and not open to copy. But most of them are just ripped from my CD's.

Getting confused

and I jsut noticed you gave me the correct directory structure

\garmin\mp3 am I able to use subdirectories? as I understand there is a limit to 1000 songs per directory.

yes, I did copy many songs to the unit and the SD card, no luck on either.

And I do have some jpg's that are on the garmin that work just fine.

Is your card OK, they go bad sometimes. I'm just scratching my head right along with you...
I just did this with my 550 for the 1st time and it worked OK. I went with newly ripped songs from cd's using EAC, then I just dragged and dropped into the card while in the card slot in computer. I loaded 98 songs on the card and put it in the Zumo. It worked well. Maybe it's the GPS, I know you don't want to think that... I'm curious why it's not working for you, Good luck!

Yes, you can use subfolders. In fact, it is recommended as the Zumo will load extremely slowly if all of the songs are in a single folder.

Only the root directory has a limit on the number of files that can be in it. However, the Zumo will only see 1000 songs no matter which directories they are in.

Can you try a different card with just a few files as a test?

And try just copying the files using your file browser rather than copying them from inside iTunes (if that's what you are doing) and see if it makes a difference.

When you try to play on the GPS, you are hitting the Browse button -- right? And you see nothing when you do that?

My 760 and 350 have a Source button that toggles between Audio Books and MP3's. You don't have it set for Audio Books by any chance?

I drag all my mp3 files into the "audible" folder that the garmin automatically created and then play them in the unit. You can toggle between sources by selecting that option...

you might want to reformat the SD drive to a FAT 32. most sd cards come formatted as only FAT and not FAT 32. when it is only formated as FAT it may not be able to hold or read all the files that are on there.

Dan

The OP said he had a 4GB SD card, which would already be FAT32.

I thought the OP had ruled out a card-recognition problem when he answered my question about whether he was able to view jpg files on the card. However, I just re-read his answer and he said he can read jpg's on the "unit". I'm still betting he's not using the "browse" button on the player, but I guess we can't rule out the card. I do not, however, recommend formatting a card unless you KNOW it is not being recognized.

in the unit or by itself,

and the jpeg files were on the card, not the unit.

but I got it figured out... sort of...

now trying to create m3u playlists without using iTunes.. really starting to dislike apple

Are you going to share what it was????

You could try this technique:

I don't make M3U's all that often anymore because I don't use them. Anyway, here is the script I use:

Code:
@echo off
dir /o:n /b *.mp3 > Playlist.m3u

Copy&paste it into Notepad and save as a DOS batch file (e.g. MakeM3U.bat)

I just drop it into the folder of MP3's I want to list and run it. Then I'd open the .M3U file in Notepad if I want to change the order of the songs.

Found this online at:
http://club.cdfreaks.com/f57/how-do-you-create-m3u-playlist-...

I haven't tried it yet but will later tonight.

And I also found this:

http://javascript.internet.com/miscellaneous/mp3-playlist.ht...

First make sure you are exporting mp3's. To make sure:
First select the songs you wish to export from iTunes. Next go to the "Advanced" menu within iTunes.

You will find a menu item "Create MP3 version". That will comvert those selected songs to MP3's. Now create a folder on your desktop and drag those MP3's into that folder.

Name that folder MP3 (I used MP3 but I don't think it makes any defference what you name it). Drag that folder into the Garmin folder on your SD card or into your Garmin folder within the gps.

If you want to play songs by Artist, Album, or Gene make sure those items are completed in iTunes before you export. You will then be able to browse by Albun, Artist and Gene.

I just tried this and it works GREAT! BAM took like 2 seconds and the play list is created on the Nuvi (in my case) on my memory stick in the Nuvi.

I'm not sure about the Zumo but it should be simlar to my Nuvi 750. I like to listen to audio books on long trips and I usually have more than one book, each under it's own directory, on my 750's 2gB expansion card. The book directories are in a folder called MP3 that is in the root directory (not under the Garmin folder). I have found that my 750's mp3 player has a hard time telling files apart so I've had to build playlists. I use Winamp (free software) to build the M3U files. Each m3u file is in the same directory as the book it is for. I also have cover scans of the book cover stored as .jpg files in the book's directory.

I don't think Garmin cares about the name of the directory. It searches all directories looking for file extensions it cares about and sorts them. In short, it will find all of the jpg files on the card regardless of what directory they are stored in.

Jack j

the Garmin does read all files before it does anything. so if you have 1000 songs it will look for them first.

After it finds all of them, it will then give you the option to browse based on genre, title, album, etc.

If you create m3u files, it also shows those and allows you to import them and only listen to those.

I got if all fixed and working the way I want.

only took 4 days to get it all fixed, but I got my 6 play lists all my top songs in 2-4gb cards and ready for a LONG ride.

Thanks again for everyones help.

Gerry

You are certainly right that the gps doesn't care about the directories -- it only helps you, the user, stay organized, and delete easily.

Actually, if you make sure your tags are complete, you don't need a playlist for your books. Just make sure the disks/chapters are numbered sequentially as 01 DaVinci Code to 13 DaVinci Code and have the same "Album" name on all disks/chapters. Then choose which book by "Album" and then choose "Play All" -- they will play in sequence. Just a way to save some extra work.

It recognizes the files and the playlist but will not play per the list. Must they all be in lowercase? Perhaps no spaces in the file names? Do I have to put one foot on the book case and my finger up my nose when I plus play or what?

Sample of the list:
TSOI B1 P2 CH 07.mp3
TSOI B1 P2 CH 08.mp3
TSOI B1 P2 CH 09.mp3
TSOI B1 P2 CH 10.mp3
TSOI B1 P2 CH 11.mp3
TSOI B1 P2 CH 12.mp3

It will let me select the playlist and it will play the first file and then order goes straight out the window.
I leave tomorrow for a ten day trip and it is much easier to listen to sequential audio files in order.

Help please. I have tried everything I can think of.

Do you have your chapter numbers as the first characters of the file name?????

Do you have Random play (shuffle)selected?
Page 28 of the Zumo 450 manual explains this feature.

I'll bet that is it. I just inserted track numbers but I think that was the key. Duh! Shuffle on with a playlist. Don't I feel silly now. This is why they say, "Is it plugged into the wall?" When you call support.

Thanks! And I chased my tail for about the last eight hours on this. I was down to my last few hairs too. I don't have many to spare.

Cheers,
You are all the best.
John