unable to see music files in any player app

[prl77]

50 GB worth of MP3s in /sdcard/Music
I can see all those files in various file browsing apps and terminal emulators but no music player app can see them. I tried three different players already. They can see music files in Download directory but not in Music. There was a .nomedia file in there but I deleted it days ago and re-scanned media multiple times and rebooted multiple times.
I had all this music in the same location on my last phone Pixel 3 Android 9 but then got a new phone Pixel 5 Android 11, moved all the files onto it, just via file copy from Windows, but player apps can't see them. It's almost as if that .nomedia file was still in there, totally invisible to me.

 

[B. Diddy]

Go to Settings>Apps, select the music player app, then Permissions, and make sure it has Storage/Files permission turned on.

 

[prl77]

Go to Settings>Apps, select the music player app, then Permissions, and make sure it has Storage/Files permission turned on.

That was an obvious first thing I checked before I asked for help.

 

[prl77]

By the way, I don't see a way to delete unwanted messages, such my duplicate above. The pencil icon hints Edit/Delete but has no Delete option, only Edit/Save.

 

[B. Diddy]

Obvious to you perhaps, but not always obvious to everyone else. We get people of all levels here, so unless you say it specifically, it's still worth asking about.

Just to be sure, the Music directory is /storage/emulated/0/Music, right? It's not a subdirectory of any other directory? If the directory is actually /storage/emulated/0/sdcard/Music, then make sure there isn't a .nomedia file in the /storage/emulated/0/sdcard directory (since .nomedia also affects any subdirectories).

EDIT: Don't worry, I deleted your duplicate message.

 

[prl77]

Obvious to you perhaps, but not always obvious to everyone else. We get people of all levels here, so unless you say it specifically, it's still worth asking about.

Just to be sure, the Music directory is /storage/emulated/0/Music, right? It's not a subdirectory of any other directory? If the directory is actually /storage/emulated/0/sdcard/Music, then make sure there isn't a .nomedia file in the /storage/emulated/0/sdcard directory (since .nomedia also affects any subdirectories).

EDIT: Don't worry, I deleted your duplicate message.

Oops, sorry, you're right, it may not be obvious to some.

/storage/emulated/0/Music is the directory. "sdcard" is a mount point that directs to /storage/emulated/0/, it's not actually a directory within the /storage/emulated/0/ tree. I checked for .nomedia all the way down from root "/" to Music.

Can regular users delete their own messages?

 

[B. Diddy]

Hmm, I just tested it on my 3 XL with PowerAmp and Mortplayer Music, and they both worked without difficulty. You mentioned rescanning for media -- how did you do that? Did you already try clearing the app cache/data from your music apps after copying all of the music to the phone's /Music directory?

I thought members could delete their own posts, but I'm actually not 100% sure about that -- it's hard for me to test since I have Moderator ability here as well. @mustang7757 or @Javier P, do you know?

 

[mustang7757]

Hmm, I just tested it on my 3 XL with PowerAmp and Mortplayer Music, and they both worked without difficulty. You mentioned rescanning for media -- how did you do that? Did you already try clearing the app cache/data from your music apps after copying all of the music to the phone's /Music directory?

I thought members could delete their own posts, but I'm actually not 100% sure about that -- it's hard for me to test since I have Moderator ability here as well. @mustang7757 or @Javier P, do you know?

I think they can

 

[Javier P]

Hmm, I just tested it on my 3 XL with PowerAmp and Mortplayer Music, and they both worked without difficulty. You mentioned rescanning for media -- how did you do that? Did you already try clearing the app cache/data from your music apps after copying all of the music to the phone's /Music directory?

I thought members could delete their own posts, but I'm actually not 100% sure about that -- it's hard for me to test since I have Moderator ability here as well. @mustang7757 or @Javier P, do you know?

Regular members can delete their own posts using the site, not the apps. The only restriction is trying to delete the first post since that would mean deleting the whole thread, only mods and admins can do this.

 

[Kizzy Catwoman]

Hmm, I just tested it on my 3 XL with PowerAmp and Mortplayer Music, and they both worked without difficulty. You mentioned rescanning for media -- how did you do that? Did you already try clearing the app cache/data from your music apps after copying all of the music to the phone's /Music directory?

I thought members could delete their own posts, but I'm actually not 100% sure about that -- it's hard for me to test since I have Moderator ability here as well. @mustang7757 or @Javier P, do you know?

I can't delete my own post. But i do use the app. Glad to know I can on the Web site

 

[prl77]

Regular members can delete their own posts using the site, not the apps. The only restriction is trying to delete the first post since that would mean deleting the whole thread, only mods and admins can do this.

I can't delete my own post even on the website, not the app. Not that it denied permission, the option/button is not even there.

 

[mustang7757]

I can't delete my own post even on the website, not the app. Not that it denied permission, the option/button is not even there.

The entire thread you created no, after you created that post and post again you should be able to.

 

[prl77]

Hmm, I just tested it on my 3 XL with PowerAmp and Mortplayer Music, and they both worked without difficulty. You mentioned rescanning for media -- how did you do that? Did you already try clearing the app cache/data from your music apps after copying all of the music to the phone's /Music directory?
@mustang7757 or @Javier P, do you know?

Two out of the three apps were installed AFTER the files were copied. Rescanning with a specific app for that - there are bunch but I use "media Re.Scan". Just tried PowerAmp and that one has all my songs. The others do not which is weird because I've used one of them for two years exactly the same way (copied files) but now they're all blind.

 

[prl77]

The entire thread you created no, after you created that post and post again you should be able to.

That's what I meant. I can edit my own comments but not delete them. I didn't mean "post".

 

[prl77]

 

[mustang7757]

That's what I meant. I can edit my own comments but not delete them. I didn't mean "post".

I can't test it myself unfortunately

 

[B. Diddy]

Two out of the three apps were installed AFTER the files were copied. Rescanning with a specific app for that - there are bunch but I use "media Re.Scan". Just tried PowerAmp and that one has all my songs. The others do not which is weird because I've used one of them for two years exactly the same way (copied files) but now they're all blind.

What are the other two music apps you're using, so that I can test them out myself?

 

[prl77]

What are the other two music apps you're using, so that I can test them out myself?

Muzio, Retro, Audify

 

[B. Diddy]

Just tested Muzio -- I get the same problem you're describing. It goes through the process of scanning media and actually says it found 4 tracks, but nothing shows up in the main lists. I have one test track in my /Music directory, and I can access it if I choose the Folders option. That might be why PowerAmp works -- it's folder-based (at least, the way you're using it is folder-based).

I wonder if this is an issue with Android 11 -- the devs may not have updated it for 11, or there's a bug they haven't patched yet. Send feedback to the music app devs about it.

EDIT: Actually, I tested this one instead: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.shaiban.audioplayer.mplayer. It showed up first when I looked for Muzio -- that doesn't show up in the Play Store for me.

EDIT 2: After further digging, that link is for what used to be Muzio, and is now called Music Player.

 

[prl77]

Just tested Muzio -- I get the same problem you're describing. It goes through the process of scanning media and actually says it found 4 tracks, but nothing shows up in the main lists. I have one test track in my /Music directory, and I can access it if I choose the Folders option. That might be why PowerAmp works -- it's folder-based (at least, the way you're using it is folder-based).

I wonder if this is an issue with Android 11 -- the devs may not have updated it for 11, or there's a bug they haven't patched yet. Send feedback to the music app devs about it.

Just did, hope I hear back. It shows me clips located in other folders, like Download. I can copy music files to other folders and see those as well. Just not in Music. So yeah, it doesn't kinda sound like a potential "bug", lack of implementation of whatever changes Android 11 introduced.