Changing a smartphone inevitably raises many technical issues, but the most sensitive issue for a music lover is the issue of preserving a music collection. Modern cloud services often make life easier, but what do you do if you have rare live recordings, demos, or simply hundreds of gigabytes of music in high-resolution formats that are not stored in streaming catalogs? The process of migrating audio files between devices based on Android can vary from pressing one button to complex manual work with the file system, depending on the state of your old device and personal preferences.
In this article we will analyze the most effective ways to transfer media files, excluding the loss of quality and metadata. You'll learn how to organize your folder structure so that your new player will automatically pick up the tracks, and how to avoid common mistakes when copying large amounts of data. Regardless of whether you are moving from a push-button dialer or from a flagship from three years ago, there is a method that will keep your music library intact.
File preparation and storage analysis
Before you begin the transfer process itself, it is critical to assess the volume of data and its physical location. On older devices, music is often scattered chaotically across folders Download, DCIM or even in the root directory, which makes subsequent searching difficult. It is recommended to go to the file manager and conduct an audit: delete broken files, duplicates and tracks that you definitely will not listen to on the new device.
Pay attention to file formats. If your collection consists of FLAC or WAV, make sure that your new smartphone has enough free space, as these formats take up 5-10 times more space than compressed MP3. In some cases, it is advisable to carry out the conversion on the old device if the new phone has a limited amount of internal memory.
⚠️ Attention: Before any manipulations with files, make sure that the option to show hidden files is enabled on both devices. Sometimes album art and metadata are stored in hidden system folders, and their loss may result in the player not seeing the artist or album title.
It is also worth checking the integrity of the memory card if music is stored on it. Running an error check through the storage settings will prevent a situation where, when copying, the process freezes 99% due to a bad sector. This is a trivial, but often ignored procedure that saves hours of nerves.
☑️ Preparing for the transfer
Classic method: connecting to a computer
The most reliable and fastest way to transfer gigabytes of music is to use a computer as an intermediate link. This method eliminates problems with unstable Internet or broken Bluetooth connections. Connect the old phone to the PC via a USB cable and select the file transfer mode MTP in the notification on the smartphone screen.
Copy the music folder to your computer’s hard drive. Here you have a great opportunity to put things in order: rename files according to a single standard, for example Artist - Track name.mp3, and distribute them into folders with album names. After that, connect a new Androidsmartphone and drag the structured library into a folder Music in the internal storage.
Using a PC allows you to control the copying process. If a cable suddenly comes loose or a reading error occurs, the computer's operating system will immediately issue a warning, unlike mobile applications that can simply silently interrupt the transfer. In addition, it is easier to check on a computer or simply play random tracks before the final transfer. CRC sums or just play random tracks before the final transfer.
Use the USB 3.0 ports (blue) on the computer for maximum data transfer speeds. Older USB 2.0 ports can copy 10GB of music for over 20 minutes.
It's important to be aware of drivers. If the computer does not see the phone, you may need to install universal drivers ADB or specific software from the manufacturer, such as Samsung Smart Switch or Mi PC Suite, although they are rarely needed for simple file transfer.
Direct transfer over Wi-Fi and local network
If you don’t have a computer at hand, use the capabilities of the local network. Modern file managers, such as Solid Explorer or built-in tools Google Filesallow you to create an FTP server or transfer files directly via Wi-Fi Direct. This method is especially convenient when both phones are on the same network.
To transfer, select the "Send" option on the old device and scan the QR code with the new phone. The transfer speed in this case is limited only by the speed of your Wi-Fi router and usually ranges from 5 to 20 MB/s, which is significantly faster than Bluetooth. You can transfer entire folders while maintaining their hierarchy.
| Transfer method | Average speed | Stability | Complexity of setup |
|---|---|---|---|
| USB Cable + PC | High (30-100 MB/s) | Maximum | Low |
| Wi-Fi Direct / LAN | Average (5-20 MB/s) | High | Average |
| Bluetooth | Low (0.5-2 MB/s) | Average | Low |
| Cloud services | Depends on the tariff | Network dependent | Low |
When using Wi-Fi, make sure that phone screens do not turn off during transmission. Go to the screen settings and set the timeout to “Never” or the maximum possible value, since many devices break the connection when locked to save energy.
Using cloud storage and streaming
Cloud services, such as Google Drive, Yandex.Disk or Dropboxoffer a convenient, but not always fast, migration method. Upload music to the cloud from your old phone, and then download it to your new one. The main disadvantage here is the limitation on traffic and download time if you do not have unlimited Internet.
An alternative is to use streaming services with the function of downloading your own music. For example, YouTube Music allows you to download up to 100,000 tracks to your personal library. Once uploaded to the server, you simply log into your account on your new phone, and the entire collection is available for listening or caching.
This method is ideal for those who don't want to mess around with files. However, it is worth considering that when uploading to the cloud, some services may compress audio or change metadata. Always check the quality of downloaded files before deleting originals from your old device.
⚠️ Warning: When uploading music to public clouds, make sure you do not violate copyright if you plan to make folders publicly available. It is safe for personal use, but public links to protected content may be blocked by the service administration.
Also remember about the limits of free accounts. They are usually limited to 15 GB, which may not be enough for a full music library in FLACformat. In this case, you will have to either buy additional space or split the archive into parts.
Transfer via microSD memory card
If both smartphones support memory cards, this is one of the easiest ways. Remove microSD from the old phone, insert it into the computer card reader for testing (optional), and then install it into the new device. Android will automatically scan the media and add tracks to the library.
However, there is an important nuance here: encryption. If the card was configured as “Internal Memory” (Adoptable Storage) on your old phone, it will be encrypted with the device-specific key. The new phone will not be able to read data from such a card without formatting, which will lead to data loss.
To check the status of the card, go to the storage settings of the old phone. If there is an option “Format as internal storage”, then the card is tied to the device. In this case, you will have to first copy the data to a computer, format the card into “portable storage” mode, and only then transfer the files back for installation in a new phone.
What to do if the new phone does not see the memory card?
Try cleaning the card contacts with alcohol. If that doesn't help, check your file system. Android works best with exFAT or FAT32. The NTFS format may not be readable without root access or special drivers.
Use this method with caution if the data volume exceeds 128 GB. Old file systems may not work correctly with large clusters on new devices, causing media file indexing errors.
Working with metadata and ID3 tags
Just copying the files is not enough - you need them to be displayed beautifully in the player. Tags often get lost during transfer: album covers disappear, artist names are replaced with file names, and release years are lost. This occurs due to differences in encodings or incorrect recording of tags on the old device. ID3: Album covers disappear, artist names are replaced with file names, and release years are lost. This occurs due to differences in encodings or incorrect tag recording on the old device.
To correct the situation, use special tag editor applications, such as Star Music Tag Editor or AutoTagger. They can automatically find information about tracks in databases (for example, MusicBrainz) and write it into files. This is especially true for compilations and live recordings, where information is often missing.
Make sure the tag encoding is set to UTF-8. Old Russified phones often used encoding Windows-1251, which is why on a new smartphone you will see a set of hieroglyphs instead of artist names. Bulk transcoding can be done on a PC using apps like MP3Tag.
Correct metadata (ID3 tags) is more important than the file name. Players sort music by tags, not by file name, so take the time to check them after transferring.
After editing tags, you may need to clear the media service cache on Android. Go to the application settings, find “Media” or “Media Storage” and clear the data. After the reboot, the phone will rescan the memory and build the correct library.
Solving format compatibility problems
New smartphones may not support some outdated or specific audio formats that were played without problems on older models. For example, formats WMA or old variations AAC with DRM protection may not be playable on pure Android without installing third-party codecs.
If you are faced with the fact that the tracks are visible in the file manager, but do not play in the player, try installing a universal player such as VLC for Android or Pulsar. They have built-in codecs and are capable of playing almost any format without additional conversion.
In the case of DRM-protected files (purchased from old music stores), the situation is more complicated. Often such files are tied to an account or a specific device and cannot be easily copied. The only legal way out is to find these tracks in modern streaming services or purchase them again in an unprotected format.
⚠️ Attention: Settings interfaces and menu item names may differ depending on the version of Android and the manufacturer’s shell (MIUI, OneUI, ColorOS). If you do not find the described path, use the search in your phone settings.
Frequently asked questions (FAQ)
Why are some tracks not displayed in the player after transfer?
Most likely, the file is damaged, has an unsupported format, or is in a folder that the media scanner ignores (for example, it contains file .nomedia). Check for this file in your music folder and delete it, then restart your phone.
Is it possible to transfer music from iPhone to Android?
Yes, it is possible. The easiest way is to use a computer: copy music from your iTunes library to your PC, and then transfer it to Android via USB. There are also special converter applications and Lightning-to-USB adapters.
How to preserve the order of tracks in albums when transferring?
The playback order depends on the tag Track Number (Track number) inside the file, and not on the file name. Make sure that when transferring you do not use apps that erase metadata. Use tag editors to check the numbering.
Is it safe to use applications like SHAREit or Send Anywhere?
Yes, these applications are safe for transferring files because they use a local connection (Wi-Fi Direct) and do not transfer data through third-party servers. However, be careful about the permissions they ask for during installation.
What to do if your new phone does not have a 3.5 mm jack?
You will need a USB-C to 3.5 mm adapter or Bluetooth headphones. The sound quality through a high-quality adapter (with a built-in DAC) will be almost identical to the built-in connector, and in some cases even better.