How do I move music to SD card on Samsung?

Moving your music library to an SD card on a Samsung phone allows you to free up internal storage space. This guide provides step-by-step instructions for transferring music files from internal storage to a micro SD card on a Samsung Android device. We will cover how to access the SD card, copy or move music files and folders, set the default storage location for music, and use a music player app to access the files on the SD card. Following these steps will allow you to easily move your music collection to expanded removable storage.

Prerequisites

Before moving music files to your SD card, you’ll need to make sure you have the following:

An SD card inserted into your Samsung phone – Most Samsung phones support SD cards up to 512GB. Refer to your phone’s manual to locate the SD card slot.

Music files downloaded onto your device – You can download music from various sources like iTunes, Amazon Music, YouTube etc. Make sure the music files are saved locally on your phone’s internal storage.

Having an SD card properly inserted and music files downloaded will allow you to then move the files over.

Accessing SD Card

To locate and open your SD card folder on a Samsung device, follow these steps:

Open the File Manager app on your Samsung device. This is usually located in the Apps menu or App drawer.
In the left side menu, tap on “My Files.” This will open up your phone’s storage.
Look for a folder named either “SD Card” or “External Storage.” Tap on this folder to open it.

You should now see the contents of your SD card. You can browse files and folders here.

If you don’t see the SD card folder, make sure your SD card is properly inserted in your device. You may need to restart your phone and try again if it still doesn’t show up.

Once in your SD card folder, you can now copy or move files and folders to and from your SD card storage.

Copying Music Files

To copy music files from your Samsung device’s internal storage to the SD card, open the Files app. Navigate to the folder containing the music files you want to copy, such as your Music folder. Select the individual music files or full music albums you want to copy.

To copy them, you can use two methods:

Copy/Paste – Tap and hold on the music file or album you want to copy. Select ‘Copy’ from the menu. Then navigate to your SD card’s Music folder and tap ‘Paste’.
Drag/Drop – Tap and hold on the music file or album and select ‘Select items’. Drag the selected files and hover over the SD card’s Music folder. Release your finger to drop the files into the folder.

The copy process will begin and should only take a few seconds to minutes depending on the size of your music library. Once completed, open your SD card’s Music folder and verify that your music files now reside on your external storage.

Moving Music Folder

An easy way to move your entire music folder from your Samsung device’s internal storage to an SD card is by doing the following:

Open the My Files app on your Samsung device.
Navigate to the Music folder on your device’s internal storage.

Long press on the Music folder until a menu pops up.
Tap on the “Move” option in the menu.
Select your device’s SD card as the location to move the files to.

Tap “Move” again to confirm moving your entire Music folder to the SD card.

This will transfer your device’s internal Music folder, including all songs, albums, and playlists, over to the SD card for additional storage. You can now access your music through apps like Samsung Music from the SD card instead of internal storage.

To manage your SD card storage in the future, you can always use the My Files app on your Samsung device.

Setting Default Storage

To move music files to the SD card and set it as the default location for storing music on your Samsung device, first ensure your SD card is correctly inserted into the device. Then go to Settings > Storage and tap the SD card listed under “Portable Storage.”

Select “Settings” next to your SD card listing and enable the option to “Set as default storage location.” This will move your music folder automatically to the SD card. You can also move any media content stored in the Music folder manually by long pressing on tracks or albums and selecting “Move to SD card.”

According to this LifeWire article, setting your SD card as default storage will store any new photos, videos, music and app data automatically saved to that location instead of internal storage.

Using a Music Player

Once you’ve moved your music files to your phone’s SD card, you can use a music player app to access and play them. Many popular music apps like Spotify and Samsung Music will automatically detect songs stored on both your device’s internal storage and external SD card.

To play music stored on your SD card, simply open your preferred music player app and look for your songs in the app’s music library or file browser. For example, in the Samsung Music app you can tap the “Songs” tab to access music sorted by song title rather than playlists or artists.

If you’re having trouble accessing music stored on the SD card from a music app, you may need to set the app’s default storage location to include external storage. Check the app’s settings to ensure it has permissions to access all music files on your device.

With your music now easily accessible, you can enjoy your favorite songs whether stored internally or on your SD card external storage.[1]

Troubleshooting

Here are some common issues you may encounter when moving music files to your SD card on a Samsung device:

Corrupted or Missing Files

If the files become corrupted during the transfer or go missing from the destination folder, there are a few things to try:

Inspect your SD card for errors or damage (Source)
Reinsert the SD card properly and try again (Source)
Try copying smaller batches of files or just one at a time

Use a different SD card reader or cable

Unable to Move Files

If you get an error that you are unable to move files to the SD card:

Make sure you have enough free storage space on the card

Check that the SD card is not mounted as read-only
Toggle USB debugging off and back on in Developer options

If issues persist, you may need to reformat the SD card before trying again.

FAQs on Moving Music to SD card

Here are some common questions asked about moving music to an SD card on Samsung devices:

What format does the SD card need to be?

The SD card needs to be in a format that is readable by your Samsung device, such as FAT32 or exFAT. You can format the SD card on your device before transferring music.

Do I have to move the entire music folder?

You can selectively choose which music files and folders to move. You don’t have to move your entire music folder if you only want a portion of your music library on the SD card. Simply select the files/folders you want to transfer.

Does removing the SD card erase the music on it?

No, removing the SD card does not erase the files stored on it, including your music. You can easily reinsert the SD card and still access the music files.

How can I make my SD card the default storage for music?

After moving your music files to the SD card, open your device Settings then go to Applications. Select the music player/app you use and tap Storage. Then select your SD card and tap Done to make the external storage as default for your music.

What do I do if music won’t play from the SD card?

First, check if the SD card is installed and mounted properly. Open your music player and re-index your music files. You can also try restarting your device. If issues persist, there may be a problem with the SD card, in which case you’ll need to try another SD card.

Summary

Here is a recap of the key steps to move music to an SD card on a Samsung device:

Insert an SD card into your device and access it under “Storage settings”.
Open the “My Files” app and navigate to the music folder you want to move.

Tap the folder, select the music files, then tap “Move” and select the SD card folder to move files.
To move the entire music folder, tap the menu button beside the folder name and select “Move” then pick the SD card folder.
In Settings, go to Storage > Advanced > Default storage location, then select your SD card.

Open a music player app like Music, select the song storage location and you can now play songs moved to the SD card.

By following these main steps, you can successfully migrate music files and folders over to an SD card on your Samsung device for expanded storage capacity.