Why are some songs not playing on SD card?
Corrupted Files
One of the most common reasons songs may not play from an SD card is file corruption. SD cards use flash memory, which can become corrupted if files are not properly ejected before removing the card from a computer. According to a Reddit discussion, failing to properly eject the SD card is one of the most frequent causes of corruption (source).
When a card is removed from a device before files are fully written, it can leave them in an incomplete or corrupt state. The file allocation table (FAT) that indexes files on the card can also become corrupted if write processes are interrupted. This renders files unreadable and can prevent songs from playing back properly. To avoid corruption, it’s essential to always use the “Safely Remove Hardware” function on computers before disconnecting an SD card.
Unsupported File Types
Certain audio file formats may not be supported on your device, which can prevent songs from playing properly. Common formats like MP3 and AAC are compatible with most music players. However, not all devices support niche or less common formats like FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec), WMA (Windows Media Audio), or OGG (Ogg Vorbis).
For example, Android devices often don’t support FLAC files by default since FLAC uses lossless compression for high fidelity while taking up more storage space. Most Android music apps won’t recognize FLAC files unless you download a compatible app like VLC media player. Similarly, iOS devices don’t natively support playing WMA files.
If you transferred songs from a computer to an SD card using an unsupported format, your device may be unable to read and play those files. Converting them to a more widely compatible format like MP3 may resolve the issue. You can use free audio converter tools (source) to batch convert files to a supported type before loading them onto your SD card.
SD Card Errors
SD cards can develop bad sectors or read/write errors over time that prevent media files like songs from playing properly. Bad sectors are physical damage on the card that make data storage unreliable. Read/write errors occur when the SD card has trouble reading data from or writing data to the card, often indicating corruption. Formatting the SD card can fix bad sectors, but the issues may return. Cleaning the contacts, trying a different device or card reader, or replacing the card may resolve read/write errors (Source).
Outdated Firmware
One reason why some songs may not play properly on an SD card is if the device’s firmware is outdated. Firmware refers to the software programmed into a device that controls its functionality. As new audio codecs and formats are developed, device manufacturers release firmware updates to add support for them. If the firmware on a media player is very old, it may not be able to recognize or decode newer audio files, preventing them from playing correctly.
For example, high-resolution lossless audio formats like FLAC and ALAC have become more common in recent years as storage space has increased. But an older MP3 player from 10+ years ago likely does not support these formats out of the box. The manufacturer would need to issue a firmware update to add support. Without updating the firmware, lossless audio files may not play or may play with errors and skipping.
Checking for and installing the latest firmware can often resolve playback issues caused by unsupported formats. Most manufacturers provide instructions on their website for finding firmware updates. Keeping the firmware up-to-date ensures maximum compatibility and the best performance with new media.
Formatting Issues
One common reason some songs may not play from an SD card is limitations with the FAT32 file system format. SD cards typically use FAT32 formatting, which has a maximum file size limit of 4GB [1]. Modern high-quality audio files, especially lossless formats like FLAC, can easily surpass this file size limit.
FAT32 is limited to files under 4GB due to its 32-bit addressing scheme. While it works for smaller files, many modern media files will be too large. In contrast, the exFAT file system does not have this limitation. It supports much larger individual file sizes up to 16EB (exabytes).
To play larger audio files from SD cards, it may be necessary to reformat the card to use the exFAT file system instead of the default FAT32. This removes the 4GB file size limitation so that even very large songs will play properly. Just be aware that some older devices may not support exFAT.
Corrupt Downloads
One of the most common reasons for songs not playing from an SD card is that the downloaded files may have become corrupted or did not fully transfer over. This can happen for a variety of reasons:
According to a discussion on the Apple forums, users have reported issues with albums only partially downloading to devices. In some cases, there is no option to retry the download, so the files remain incomplete. This appears to be a bug that has affected Apple Music users.
Similarly, Spotify users have complained about partially downloaded songs that do not properly sync to devices. Some albums may show as fully downloaded in the app, but many of the tracks are actually missing when played back from the SD card.
Problems with corrupt or incomplete downloads are often intermittent and hard to troubleshoot. Resetting network connections, reinstalling apps, and retrying downloads may resolve the issue. But a recurring problem likely indicates a deeper software bug or incompatibility.
Metadata Problems
One potential reason why songs are not playing from the SD card is due to missing or corrupted metadata associated with the audio files. Metadata contains important information like the song title, artist name, album, genre, and more. Audio players often rely on metadata to properly identify and organize music files. If critical metadata like the artist or song title is missing, the device may not be able to recognize or play the track.
According to Cambridge Audio, “To put it simply, any way of identifying the content and finding your way around it needs to be in the metadata.” Without key identifying information in the metadata, the device will not know what to do with the file.
Metadata can sometimes get stripped off when transferring files between devices and programs. Using the wrong software to edit metadata can also inadvertently remove or corrupt it. Checking metadata integrity and using metadata correction tools can help restore missing info so audio files play properly.
Software Bugs
Sometimes the media player software itself contains bugs that prevent certain songs from playing properly on your SD card. Media player apps like Windows Media Player are complex pieces of software that can have compatibility issues or bugs that only surface when trying to play certain files.
For example, an update to the Windows Media Player software could introduce a regression bug that causes issues with playing back MP3 files encoded with certain parameters. Or there could be a bug in the audio decoding portion of the software that only manifests for particular sampling rates in FLAC files.
Media player software bugs often only affect certain songs while leaving most other files playable. Tracking down and reporting these types of bugs is important so developers can issue patches and firmware updates to address the problems.
If you notice the playback issue is isolated to just one media player app, it points to a strong possibility of an underlying software bug. Updating the app or trying an alternate media player can help narrow down the problem.
Referencing the Microsoft support article on troubleshooting audio problems in Windows Media Player, following their recommended steps for updating drivers, resetting the app, and adjusting audio settings can help resolve playback issues arising from software bugs.
Authorization Errors
One common cause of songs not playing from an SD card is authorization errors due to Digital Rights Management (DRM). As explained by Stanford University’s Center for Internet and Society, “Digital rights management (DRM) utilizes technological measures to restrict the playback or duplication of music in order to protect copyright” (https://cs.stanford.edu/people/eroberts/cs201/projects/2009-10/music-and-copyright/drm.html). DRM relies on encryption to prevent unauthorized playback of content. For example, Amazon Music uses encryption so that content “cannot be played without being decrypted” and “clients must be authorized to decrypt the content key in order to play back the content” (https://developer.amazon.com/docs/music/playback_overview.html). If the SD card or device is not authorized to play back DRM-protected content, authorization errors can prevent songs from being played.
To resolve DRM authorization issues, it is best to obtain music from sources that offer DRM-free downloads. Some online stores, like Amazon Music, allow you to download DRM-free versions of songs for an additional fee. Using unprotected MP3 files avoids the hassle of DRM blocking playback on SD cards and devices.
Cleanup Solutions
If your SD card is experiencing issues playing music files, there are some cleanup solutions you can try to resolve the problem.
One option is to attempt file recovery using a dedicated recovery tool like Disk Drill. These types of programs can scan the SD card and recover lost or corrupted media files. This may restore files that are unplayable due to damage or corruption.
Re-formatting the SD card can also fix playback problems. This will erase all data on the card and create a fresh file system. Be sure to back up any important files first. Then use the SD card formatter tool for your specific device to re-format the card.
Finally, updating the firmware on your smartphone or audio player may resolve SD card issues. Manufacturers release firmware updates to fix bugs, including problems related to SD card performance. Check if there are any pending firmware updates for your device and install them to see if that improves SD card support.