Transferring Personal Music to Ionic

[ErickFitbit]

Update 10/6/17 -- Thanks for sharing your experiences with attempting to transfer your playlists onto Ionic. After reading through the discussions in this thread, I noticed some users where successful and others not so much.

Users are running into various blockers that are preventing a successful transfer. I've compiled the complications into the following categories:

• Stuck on "Looking for Ionic" message on Fitbit connect even though Ionic/Fitbit App/Computer on same Network) 

Cannot connect unless a force manual IP address for Ionic is done(entering IP address manually)

• Frozen at "Determining Transfer Time" (check out @xTommyG's workaround here)
• Stuck on "Transfer in progress" (try restarting your Ionic and then reestablish Wi-Fi connection on Ionic)
• Ionic won't connect to Wi-Fi (see Why won't my Fitbit watch connect to Wi-Fi? for tips)

I've created a guide to help anyone that's having issues with this. So, without further ado, let's start transferring some music!  

Requirements

• Windows 10 (PC) or Mac computer 
• Wi-Fi capable computer: Must be able to connect to the Internet via Wi-Fi (direct ethernet connections will not work)
• Must connect to a 2.4GHz frequency network (5 GHz frequency is not supported)
• Fitbit Connect Software (Win10/Mac) must be installed
• Ionic battery life must be above 40% to transfer music (Keeping Ionic charging during this process is recommended)
• Create at least 1 playlist of songs or podcasts in iTunes or Windows Media Player to download to your watch. You can also create playlists in the Fitbit Music app using the drag-and-drop feature to add individual tracks. 
• To download music files, they must fall under one of the following audio file types: 
  • Windows 10
    • MP3 files
    • MP4 files with AAC audio
    • WMA files
  • Mac
    • MP3 files
    • AIFF
    • MP4 files with AAC audio

• If you use iTunes, make sure you approve the app to share playlists with your watch: Open iTunes on your computer > Edit > Preferences > Advanced > Share iTunes Library XML with other applications > OK.

 

• For best results, perform this process as close to your router as possible to reduce any interference 

Transfer Music Checklist

1. Restart computer
2. Make sure your computer is connected to a strong Wi-Fi network (note: personal or work network that requires a password to connect is recommended - 2.4 GHz) 
3. Restart phone
4. Restart Ionic
5. In the Fitbit app go to Account/Media/Manage Wi-fi Networks and remove all saved networks
6. Connect back to your Wi-Fi network 
7. Plug-in your watch to charge
8. On your Ionic, tap Music app and then Transfer Music: 
9. Ionic will show this screen when connection is established: 
10. Open Fitbit Connect and click on Manage My Music 
11. When prompted, follow the on-screen instructions on your Mac/PC to choose the playlists you want to download to your watch. After you choose a playlist, the download starts automatically. Download/transfer times vary based on how large your playlist is (was able to download 1 hours worth of music in about 6-8 minutes).

Note: For faster download times, you might want to avoid large playlists. The more songs you transfer under one playlist the longer download times you will experience. Should you run into an issue please let us know where in the process you get stuck.

Thanks everyone for your continued insight and feedback in this thread. I hope all of you Ionic users get transferred, drop your phones on your dressers and start working out to the music you most enjoy, phone free!

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Update 9/28/17 -- The latest version of Fitbit Connect for Mac is now live! The update can now be found on the setup page. Please update if you haven't already so you can start transferring your favorite tunes to your Ionic!

• Download Fitbit Connect for Mac: www.fitbit.com/setup

• Download Fitbit Connect for PC: http://cache.fitbit.com/FitbitConnect/FitbitConnect-v2.0.2.6954-2017-09-28.exe 

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Everyone -- To transfer music with Fitbit Connect, please click the applicable link below to download and install the Fitbit Connect software:

• Download Fitbit Connect for Mac: www.fitbit.com/setup

• Download Fitbit Connect for PC: http://cache.fitbit.com/FitbitConnect/FitbitConnect-v2.0.2.6954-2017-09-28.exe

With the Music app on Fitbit Ionic, you can store and play several hours worth of your favorite songs and podcasts right on your wrist. After you download playlists to your watch, connect Bluetooth headphones or another audio device to listen to your tracks.

You need a Windows 10 PC or a Mac connected to Wi-Fi to download music and podcasts to your watch. Keep in mind you can only transfer files that you own or don’t require a license. 

If you live in the United States, you can also use the Pandora app to download stations to your watch. 

For full instructions, I recommend checking out "How do I listen to music and podcasts on my Fitbit watch?"

[SunsetRunner]

I am ready to scream, this is so frustrating.  

My Ionic has all the latest updates (calibrate at 8:00pm every night!  OH wait, it fails.. nevermind), I'm using the FitBit app on Windows 10, which is also the latest version.  My Ionic has been discovered by the software.  I made a playlist that has about 3/4 of the bar filled, so I know I'm not trying to transfer too many songs. I'm plugged in charging, battery is at 100%.

The windows app  just haaaaangs at the status of "determining estimated sync time" for my one playlist that I'm trying to transfer.   I then take a look at the watch, lo and behold, it has switched itself out of transfer mode.  GRRR!! 

I previously was able to get some music on this stupid device, but now it seems that is no longer possible.   

Being able to transfer music and leave the phone at home when I work out was main reason #1 for buying this device, and it works hellishly at best.  I'm way past the return window, otherwise I'd be checking out that Garmin 645 Music.

Are there any plans to EVER make this work more smoothly?

[JALuciani50]

This sounds way to familiar . . .

[Misterbit]

I have a bit of good news. The new update allows you to adjust the music,
volume, next song etc., at the same time you are using the workout app,
simply by pressing the single button on the left side. I complained on this
forum weeks ago that you could not adjust the music while in the workout
app. Could FB engineers be listening?

Now for the bad news. When my BT earbuds link (which by the way I still
have to forget and repair every time) the volume is all the way up and it
nearly blows out my ears! It would be such a simple thing to program the
watch to remember your last setting, but once again overlooked...

*"life is good"*

[SunsetRunner]

Well that really stinks.  I guess I will just keep complaining until I get banned or until the fix the issue, whichever comes first.  (I think we know which will come first, sadly)

[SunsetRunner]

I think I just had a breakthrough on making this stupid thing work.  Usually I start the transfer and then walk away, and that's when it fails for whatever reason. 

I just so happen to be sitting at my laptop doing some other things, while I tried, yet again, to start the transfer.  This time, as I'm actively using my laptop, it seems to not be failing (yet).  I've had 3.5 (1) hour long podcasts complete their transfer, so could it be as stupid/simple as needing to be active on the laptop while transferring?  Talk about annoying, I don't feel like being chained to my desk while I transfer 19 hours worth of music.

[S.Cardenas]

I apologize in advance if this has been asked, bu ti could not find a fix.  So here's the issue:

I have an ionic.  I am using MAC/IOS.  I am able to sync my ionic via desktop and mobile app.  Once I open the fitbit connect software and select "manage my music", I get an error message telling me that "this feature is only available when there is a watch paired with my account."  I have restarted the watch multiple times, re-established the wifi network, updated my software on my phone and on my desktop.  And I still am unable to get passed this screen.  

Any ideas?

[GTPune]

@SunsetRunner music transfer works 1 in 100 times and so far none of has been able to figure out what works and what does not because we are not able to recreate the same experience twice and FitBit wont come clean on what the issue really is (writing this at the risk of this post being axed) so you can keep guessing and keep trying.

[imeson79]

---

@SunsetRunner wrote:

I am ready to scream, this is so frustrating.  

My Ionic has all the latest updates (calibrate at 8:00pm every night!  OH wait, it fails.. nevermind), I'm using the FitBit app on Windows 10, which is also the latest version.  My Ionic has been discovered by the software.  I made a playlist that has about 3/4 of the bar filled, so I know I'm not trying to transfer too many songs. I'm plugged in charging, battery is at 100%.

The windows app  just haaaaangs at the status of "determining estimated sync time" for my one playlist that I'm trying to transfer.   I then take a look at the watch, lo and behold, it has switched itself out of transfer mode.  GRRR!! 

I previously was able to get some music on this stupid device, but now it seems that is no longer possible.   

Being able to transfer music and leave the phone at home when I work out was main reason #1 for buying this device, and it works hellishly at best.  I'm way past the return window, otherwise I'd be checking out that Garmin 645 Music.

Are there any plans to EVER make this work more smoothly?

---

Garmin 645 Music has constant drop outs with Music, check out Youtube and type in Techy Agent Garmin 645 and even Rizknows. they did reviews and said music and blutooth headphones are very very shaky. 

[Misterbit]

I think you are getting close. Please try adding a few smaller playlists,
or deleting your existing playlist and then adding the smaller ones. I have
run into your situation. I think the Ionic thinks that it is full, just
because your are trying to add a large playlist.
*"life is good"*

[lablover55]

I finally was able to pair the flyer to Ionic.  Now, unable to download music. 

[S.Cardenas]

So, no real solution?  I’ve tried all of the “solutions” without any real success.  It seems like the connect app doesn’t even recognize my computers WiFi.  It’s really terrible.  Have there been any solutions for this?

[grumpkin]

I've been using tech and computing equipment since we got our first Apple ][ in 1979.  I honestly can't recall a more frustrating experience since that time with any piece of tech.  I think loading programs via cassette tape had a better success rate then I've been able to achieve transferring hour long podcasts onto my Ionic.  Releasing a product like this without a simple, reliable file transfer system is just astounding to me.  I got this watch to help motivate me and get me to the gym, and I spend as much time restarting file transfers as I do actually working out.  It's absurd.

[Dirk74]

It could be this simple:

Connect the watch via Bluetooth with your computer and use the BT file transfer dialog.

Instead it is complicated ...

[PeteG-1]

Yep, I concur.  BT 5.0 is going to make this a lot better too, for larger transfers like this on BLE.

While transfers over BT BLE 4.0 are slow, they're FAR faster than what the Ionic does, now.

WiFi Multicast is okay, but there are TONS of different WiFi/LAN setups out there, and many, many factors involved, the permutations make my head spin.  Many probably restrict certain types of multicast, it's pretty common, or disable it by default, so where does that leave you, unless you know how to admin/fix your router AND/OR switch...

I very carefully traced my Unicast packets back, and it WAS working, when I had my Ionic, it was just sending at an insanely low rate

Additionally, it would also essentially "rebuild" my music library (its DB view of it) every time too, which was baffling to me, in this day of unified, canned solutions of this nature.

[simonconran]

Solved - Fitbit IONIC transfering Music Issues!!!!!

Ok I have tried everything - from using 3 different computers with different operating systems, different WIFI access points etc.

Below is has worked for me now 100% of the time  - try as follows.

I used a MAC with the fitbit software installed, make sure the ethernet is not connected only WIFI.  I made sure the WIFI access point was the same on MAC & IONIC 

Most importantly to transfer the files I simply took the watch off my wrist and placed on top of the WIFI access point/router. 

Note - the watch has only a small antena built into it - thus any signal fluctuation was causing the sync to halt !!!!  Therefore by giving it the strongest signal the watch is able to keep the transfer going without interuption.  NB most wifi modems increase and decrease signal strength due to other wifi signals, cordless phones, microwave etc...

Hope this helps - took me ages to work it out - but it does now work and also quicker!

Don't forget you still need to manage your playlist in iTunes and follow the transfer steps as per normal

[Misterbit]

I would add 2 things:

Make sure all Bluetooth is turned off within a country mile.

Put the watch on the charger while transferring.

"Life is good" ⚽️

[simonconran]

Agreed mate - it’s should not be this hard! Great idea of a product but feels half baked!

Kind regards,

Simon J Conran

Moderator edit: personal info displayed

[SunsetRunner]

I didn't realise when the tips were mentioning that the ionic required a 2.4gz wifi connection that the computer that the transfer was coming from also had to be on a 2.4gz network. I've shutdown the 5gz network at my router and the syncing now seems to work. 

Not ideal and it still takes hours to transfer anything but at least it seems more stable

[GTPune]

I tried OS 2.1 upgrade today which failed on wifi and then the app gave me the option of "Retrying it with BT". I selected that and upgrade happened. As far as I know, any new apps and clock faces are also pushed to watch via BT so if the problem is piddly wifi receiver in Iconic hardware, why can't the app use BT as alternative mechanism for pushing the music?

[hankrunsfast]

I got the same error message and failure after 15 minutes - guessing it's another buggy release....