How do I add music to Google Play Music on Android?

Google Play Music is a media player and music streaming service developed by Google. It allows users to upload songs from their device, purchase music from the Google Play store, and stream music online. Some key features of Google Play Music include:

Uploading your personal music library to the cloud, up to 50,000 songs
Purchasing music tracks and albums from the Google Play Music store

Streaming curated playlists, radio stations, and podcasts
Downloading music for offline listening
Accessing your music library across devices, including Android, iOS, and the web

There are a few different ways to add music to Google Play Music on an Android device. This guide will cover uploading your own music files, purchasing music through the app, and streaming songs over an internet connection.

Prerequisites

In order to add music to Google Play Music on your Android device, there are a few prerequisites you need:

A Google account – You need a Google account to access Google Play Music. If you don’t already have one, you can create one for free at accounts.google.com.

An Android device – Google Play Music is only available on Android devices running Android 2.2 or higher. It will not work on iOS or other platforms.
An internet connection – You’ll need an internet connection to add music, either via uploading or purchasing through Google Play Music.
The Google Play Music app – Make sure you have installed the latest version of the Google Play Music app, available on the Google Play Store.

As long as you meet these requirements, you’re ready to start adding music to your Android device using Google Play Music.

Upload Music

To upload your own music files to Google Play Music from your Android device, you’ll need to connect it to your computer and locate the Play Music folder.

First, use a USB cable to connect your Android device to your computer. Open your phone’s file manager app and navigate to the Play Music folder. The exact location may vary, but it is usually in the Music folder or storage/sdcard folder.

Next, on your computer, navigate to the connected device. Locate the Play Music folder. Open another Finder or File Explorer window and navigate to the music files you want to upload. Select and drag these files over into the Play Music folder on your Android device.

Once the music files have copied over, you can disconnect your device. Open the Play Music app, and the uploaded tracks should now be available in your library. You can stream or download them just like any other songs.

This USB drag-and-drop method provides an easy way to upload your music library without needing any extra apps or software. Just connect your phone, locate the Play Music folder, and start adding songs.

Purchase Music

To purchase music on Google Play Music for Android, simply open the Play Music app on your device and go to the music store section. You can then search or browse for music to purchase. When you find an album or song you want, tap on it to go to the details page and select the purchase option. Purchased music will be added to your library.

The Google Play Music store allows you to buy individual albums or songs to own. Purchases are tied to your Google account, so you can access purchased music on any device by logging into your account. As of October 2020, Google has shut down the ability to purchase music through the Play Music store in the United States and many other countries. However, music purchases made previously are still accessible.

With the shutdown of the Play Music store, there are some alternative options for purchasing music on Android devices. Some top alternatives suggested by users include Bandcamp, Amazon Music, and iTunes.

Stream Music

One of the main features of Google Play Music is the ability to stream music on-demand. The service has an extensive catalog of over 50 million songs that are available to stream without downloading (Wikipedia, 2023). As a subscriber, you have full access to stream any song in this catalog at any time using the Play Music app on your Android device.

In addition to streaming individual songs, you can also create customized playlists and radio stations based on your preferences and listening history. The Play Music algorithms will generate playlists and stations tailored specifically for you. This is a great way to discover new music similar to artists and genres you already enjoy streaming.

Overall, streaming provides a convenient way to listen to a massive music catalog on any Android device without having to download files and take up storage space. With streaming capabilities and smart playlists, Google Play Music makes it easy to access endless listening options.

Download Music for Offline

Google Play Music allows you to download music for offline listening when you don’t have an internet connection. This is useful for situations like long flights, road trips, or areas with poor connectivity. Here’s how it works:

On your Android device, open the Google Play Music app and select the music you want to download by tapping the download icon next to albums, playlists, or stations. Downloaded music will show a green arrow icon. You can also download entire albums or playlists at once.

According to Google Play Music finally hits iOS, downloaded content is stored locally on your device so you can listen without using mobile data or needing WiFi. The amount that can be downloaded depends on the storage capacity of your device.

Downloading music for offline listening is convenient for frequent travelers or commuters. Just remember to connect to the internet periodically to keep your offline collection updated.

Managing Uploaded Music

Once you’ve uploaded your music library to Google Play Music, you can view, edit, and organize your uploaded content. To see only your uploaded songs and albums, go to your Library in the Google Play Music app and select “Uploaded” or “Purchased & Uploaded” from the menu.

To view the full details of an uploaded song or album, tap on it in your library. From there, you can edit metadata like the title, artist name, genre, and more. You can also delete uploads from this screen if needed.

To organize your uploaded music, you can add songs to playlists by tapping the “Add to playlist” button below the song title. You can also select multiple songs or albums and add them to a playlist all at once. To create albums for your uploads, tap on a song and select “Add to album” to add it to an existing or new album.

Uploaded songs will also automatically be added to the “Uploads” artist view, allowing you to browse just your uploaded music by artist. You can access this from the “Artists” tab in your library.

For more details on managing your uploaded music library, check out Google’s support article here.

Listening to Music

Once you have added music to Google Play Music on your Android device, you can start listening to it using the Google Play Music app. The app provides several useful features for listening to your music library:

The music player in the Google Play Music app allows you to shuffle and repeat songs. Just tap the shuffle or repeat icons in the player controls to turn these features on. You can shuffle all songs or only songs in the current playlist. Repeat options include repeating the current song or the entire playlist.

Google Play Music also has a queue feature that allows you to line up songs to play next. To add a song to the queue, tap the “+” icon next to any track. These songs will play next in the order you added them to the queue.

You can cast music from the Google Play Music app to speakers and devices on your home network. Tap the cast button in the player controls, then select the device you want to cast to. This allows you to listen to music on speakers like Google Home or Chromecast devices.

Overall, Google Play Music provides a robust set of options for listening to your music library and controlling playback on Android devices.

Troubleshooting

Here are some common troubleshooting tips for issues with Google Play Music on Android:

Uploading Issues

If you’re having trouble uploading your music library to Google Play Music, try the following:

Make sure you have a stable internet connection when uploading. Uploading can take awhile depending on your connection speed and size of your library.
Music files must be in a format supported by Google Play Music, such as MP3, AAC, WMA, FLAC, etc. Unsupported formats will fail to upload.

Try uploading in smaller batches if you have a very large library. Large libraries may fail to fully upload.
Check that you have enough available storage space in your Google account.

See this Google support article for more help on uploading your music library.

Downloading Issues

If you’re having issues downloading music for offline playback, try these steps:

Make sure the “Available for offline” toggle is enabled for the songs/albums you want to download.
Check that you have enough available device storage for the downloads.

Toggle airplane mode on and off to reset the connection.
Clear the app cache and data and try downloading again.

See this troubleshooting guide for more tips on download issues.

Missing Songs or Small Library

If you are missing songs or albums in your Google Play Music library, some things to check:

Make sure the songs were successfully uploaded and didn’t fail.
Check that the songs are not restricted content or region locked.

For purchased music, restore licenses via the Google Play Music settings.
Contact Google Play support if purchases are missing from your library.

See the troubleshooting guide for more help with missing songs.

Conclusion

In summary, there are a few main ways to add music to Google Play Music on Android devices:

Uploading your own music files from your computer via the Play Music website (music.google.com)
Purchasing music through the Play Music store on your Android device or the website

Streaming music for free with an ad-supported radio station
Downloading songs, albums or playlists for offline listening

Google Play Music comes with additional useful features like personalized recommendations, the ability to download radio stations for offline listening, and options to browse new releases and top charts. With a subscription to Google Play Music All Access, you can stream millions of songs on demand, ad-free.

By uploading your own library and leveraging Play Music’s catalog of over 40 million tracks, you can access all your music seamlessly across Android devices.