[AC Question]

I have purchased and downloaded music from the Google Play Store and noticed with the last Google update that they "disappeared". In its place was a streaming radio that I did not want. Can someone tell me where my music is and how can I access it?

[B. Diddy]

Welcome to Android Central! The actual music files are not accessible by the user in the file manager--they're saved to an obscure directory with coded filenames, because they're not meant to be manipulated on the phone.

To see your downloaded music, open Google Play Music, swipe in from the left, and turn on the Downloaded Only switch. Now go to My Library.

[baylakates]

That explains why all of my music doesn't show up in the music folder.
So the first question would be: What is the music folder for?
The second question would be: Where exactly are my 8gb of music stored? On the SD card?

[Rukbat]

So the first question would be: What is the music folder for?

Non-copyrighted music that you copy to the phone.

The second question would be: Where exactly are my 8gb of music stored? On the SD card?

No, internally. In a folder you can't get to without rooting the ROM.

[baylakates]

Thanks, Rukbat. . .sorry to be a dunce, but explain "Non-copyrighted music that you copy to the phone."
If one owns previously purchased music, can those files not be legally copied into the Music folder of the device?

[Kepi Kaloa]

[eYeTECH104]

[ManiacJoe]

Thanks, Rukbat. . .sorry to be a dunce, but explain "Non-copyrighted music that you copy to the phone."
If one owns previously purchased music, can those files not be legally copied into the Music folder of the device?

By "non-copyrighted" he means not DRM-controlled.
Yes, if you previous purchased some music, those files can be copied to your devices for personal use.

[Rukbat]

Just to clear things up, you don't purchase the music, you purchase the right to play the music on one particular device. Putting it on another device, or moving it to another place on the same device, is copying it - which is a violation of copyright, since only the owner of the copyright can legally make copies of the music (which he did when you downloaded it).

[MacD03827]

That sounds so ridiculous....I can take my purchased music from my iPhone and download the mp3's. Why can't I so the same with what I purchase from GooglePlay?

I have no music folder on my phone...I want to take my existing mp3's and bring them over to my phone. This is really aggravating...