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Neon music sign (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Uploading music to enjoy anywhere you wish is one of the many perks of owning a smartphone. You’re never again held hostage to what’s playing on the radio – or worse yet – what someone else is playing on the radio. While uploading and enjoying music with smartphones is relatively simple (your little sister can probably do it), the complexity of these phones, the software they use and the vast array of music formats available sometimes lead to unexpected glitches. When it seems your music isn’t uploading or playing correctly, take a deep breath and run through a little trouble shooting exercise.
Know Your Phone
Smartphones have a lot in common, and unless you’re familiar with the specific brand of the phone and its platform, they can all seem exactly alike. But, they’re not. Blackberry phones have differences from other types, even though they seem to work in much the same way. Know what platform your phone is using (what operating system or OS is has) and be sure to upload music that is formatted for that platform.
Know Your Music Sources
Music files, or any audio file for that matter, are not created equally. Every file is stored under a specific format. Common formats you see include MP3 (there are two types of MP3 files, 320 and VBR), FLAC, ALAC, AAC and Ogg Vorbis. Only a serious audiophile needs to be concerned with the technical differences among these file types, but average users need to be aware of which formats their phones support and which they don’t. When downloading from the app store that belongs to your phone service, this is never going to be a problem. All the files in your phone’s store should be compatible with all their phones. But if you’re uploading from a computer, you’ll need to decide what file types your phone supports so you’re only uploading music that is compatible with your phone.
Have the Right Equipment
When uploading music from a PC or other computer, be sure to use the USB cables or other connections included with your phone or sold by the manufacturer of your phone. Using the wrong connectors can deliver the wrong voltages and cause permanent hardware damage to your phone and/or the computer. Most smartphones come with USB or similar connection cable. If the original cable was lost or damaged, buy a new one from the company where you got your phone or an authorized dealer of that company.
Be Aware of Memory Usage
It’s easy to fill up your phone with music files, especially if you also download a lot of apps, games and other files. Most smartphones allow you to view files that are taking up the most memory on the phone. If memory begins to fill, or the phone becomes extremely slow, delete music files that you’re finished with to save space for new uploads and other apps you enjoy.
If it is necessary to contact customer service regarding your smartphones and music uploads, get the phone and user’s manual ready before calling or initiating an online chat









