How do I download music from my tablet to a USB?

Transferring music from your tablet to a USB drive allows you to listen to your favorite songs on different devices. With the right apps and tools, it’s easy to copy music files from your tablet’s storage to an external drive.

In this guide, we’ll provide a step-by-step walkthrough on how to download music from an Android tablet to a USB drive. We’ll cover choosing a music app to download songs, finding and selecting music, copying files to the drive, safely ejecting the drive, and playing music from the USB. With just a few simple steps, you’ll be able to transfer your music library anywhere you go.

Whether you want to free up storage space on your tablet or listen to your music collection in the car or on another device, downloading songs to a USB is a convenient way to access your favorite tunes. Let’s get started!

Step 1: Insert the USB Drive

Before transferring music from your tablet to a USB drive, you first need to insert the USB drive into your tablet. Most modern Android tablets support USB On-The-Go (OTG) which allows you to connect external USB devices like drives and keyboards.

To insert the USB drive:

1. Locate the USB port on your tablet. This is usually located on the bottom or side edge of the tablet.
2. Orient the USB drive with the connector facing the port.
3. Gently insert the USB drive into the tablet’s USB port. Push the drive all the way in until it clicks into place.

Make sure the USB drive is properly seated in the port before attempting to transfer files. If your tablet doesn’t recognize the drive, try removing it and reinserting it to get a proper connection.

Some tablets require you to enable the OTG feature before you can connect a USB drive. Check your tablet’s settings if the drive isn’t detected.

Step 2: Open the Music Library

To open your music library on an Android tablet, go to the Settings app and scroll down to find “Music Library” or tap on the app drawer and find “Downloads Library” (source: https://www.mobikin.com/android-backup/where-is-my-music-library-on-android.html). This is where all your downloaded or synced music is stored. Tap to open it.

On an iPad or iPhone, open the Music app and select Library at the bottom to view all your music. You can also select Playlists to find synced playlists (source: https://support.apple.com/guide/music/access-your-music-library-on-all-your-devices-musa3dd5209/mac). The Library contains any music you’ve downloaded or synced from iTunes.

Step 3: Select the Songs

Once you have opened the music library on your tablet, you will need to select which songs you want to transfer to the USB drive. You can select individual songs, full albums, playlists, or any combination of songs.

To select a single song, simply tap on the song title. A checkmark will appear next to the song indicating it is selected. To select multiple individual songs, tap on each song you want to transfer. The checkmark will appear next to each selected song.

To select an entire album, find the album in your library and tap on the album art or title. This will select all the songs within that album to transfer. You can also browse by playlist and tap on a playlist to select all of the songs in that playlist.

You can also use a selection box to select multiple songs at once. Press and hold on a song, then drag across all of the songs you want to transfer. Once your desired songs are selected, you are ready to copy them over to the USB drive.

Be sure to only select the specific songs, albums, or playlists you want to put on your USB drive. This will allow you to manage the content and storage space on the drive. Once you have everything selected, move on to copying the tracks over to the external storage.

For more tips on selecting music files, check out this guide: https://www.wikihow.com/Put-Music-on-a-Flash-Drive

Step 4: Copy the Songs

Once you have selected the songs you want to transfer to your USB drive, it’s time to copy them. On Android, you can copy files and folders by pressing and holding them until a context menu appears. Select “Copy” from this menu.

Alternatively, you can tap the three-dot menu icon in the upper-right corner of the Files app and choose “Copy” from there. This will copy all selected songs to the clipboard.

Copying the songs will keep the original files in your tablet’s internal storage and create a duplicate set that will be transferred over to the USB drive in the next step.

Make sure to only select and copy the specific songs you want to put on your USB drive, rather than your entire music library. This will allow you to better manage the file transfer.

(Source: https://support.google.com/files/answer/9301516?hl=en)

Step 5: Paste to the USB Drive

Once you’ve copied the songs you want to transfer, it’s time to paste them onto the USB drive. This will move the song files from your tablet’s storage over to the external USB drive.

To paste the copied songs, first open the folder on the USB drive where you want to save the music files. This might be in a folder called “Music” or similar. Then, right-click in the blank space in the folder and select “Paste”. The copied music files will now transfer over onto the USB drive.

Depending on how many songs you are transferring, this may take a little bit of time as each music file is copied over. Be patient and wait for the paste operation to fully complete before disconnecting the USB drive. You’ll know it’s done when the paste dialogue disappears.

Now your music collection is safely stored on the external USB drive and ready to be played whenever you plug it into another device!

Step 6: Safely Remove the USB

Once the copy process is complete, it’s important to safely remove the USB drive before unplugging it from your tablet. Improperly removing the USB drive can lead to file corruption or data loss.

To safely remove the drive on an Android tablet like the Tab S8:

1. Swipe down from the top of the screen to open the Notification Shade.
2. You should see a “Safe to remove” message next to the USB drive name. If you don’t, tap on the USB notification.
3. Tap on “Eject” to safely disconnect the USB drive.
4. Wait for the “Safe to remove” message to appear.
5. You can now unplug the USB cable from your tablet.

Following this safe removal procedure ensures all data has been written to the drive before disconnecting it. This prevents any risks of file corruption or errors (Samsung Community).

Step 7: Play Music from the USB

Once you have successfully transferred the music files to the USB drive, you are ready to play them. Simply insert the USB drive into the USB port of the speaker or stereo you want to use. Many modern speakers and stereos will automatically detect and play files from a connected USB drive.

If your speaker does not automatically begin playing the music, you may need to select the USB input or source on the speaker. Refer to your owner’s manual for specific instructions on how to switch to USB input. There may be a “USB” button or USB input option in the input selection settings.

Once you have switched your speaker system to the USB input, your music files on the USB drive should begin playing. You can browse, select and play tracks as you normally would using the speaker controls. The process is the same as playing files directly from a connected device, except now accessing files stored on the USB drive instead.

Enjoy listening to your music collection from the convenience of a USB drive on your home and portable speakers! Just plug in and play.

Tips for Successful Music Transfer

Here are some tips to keep in mind for smooth music downloading from your tablet to a USB drive:

Make sure your USB drive has enough storage space for the songs you want to transfer. A 16GB or 32GB USB drive should be sufficient for most music libraries.

Close any music apps or streaming services before transferring files, as they may interfere with the file transfer process. Shutting down any unnecessary background processes can help speed up transfer times.

Organize your music files into folders or playlists on your tablet before transfering. This will keep the files neatly organized on the USB drive.

Transfer music files in batches instead of all at once if you have a very large library. Large transfers may take time and risk being interrupted.

Use high-quality USB drives from reputable brands for reliability. Avoid low-quality drives that could fail during important file transfers.

Eject and safely remove the USB drive once the transfer is complete, before disconnecting it from your tablet.

After transferring, sample files from the USB drive to verify they copied over properly before deleting originals.

Back up your music collection on an external hard drive or cloud storage regularly so you always have a copy.

Review the storage capacity of your USB drive periodically and clear space or upgrade as needed for future transfers.

Conclusion

Transferring music from your tablet to a USB drive is a straightforward process that can be completed in just a few steps. The key things to remember are to insert the USB drive first, select the desired songs in your music library, copy them, paste them into the USB drive folder, then safely eject the drive once the transfer is complete. With the music files now saved on the external USB device, you can easily play them on any computer or media device that supports MP3 files.

In summary, moving songs off your tablet frees up storage space while also letting you access the music on other devices. Just be sure to use the “Safely Remove Hardware” function before unplugging the USB drive to avoid corruption. Transferring music libraries provides more flexibility in how and where you can enjoy your favorite playlists. Follow the steps outlined here, and you’ll be able to effortlessly transfer music from tablet to USB.