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?"

[LMN908]

Yes, I was aware of that and on all previous attempts had it connected to a charger. Not sure why plugging it in directly to the computer's USB port should have made a difference, and frankly, I don't think that is what did the trick.

[SunsetRunner]

Agreed, it has no impact on what you are using to charge whether it's the
computer's USB port, or another source.

I have often wondered though why the charger cable couldn't have doubled as
a sync cable like the Apple lightning cable. Seems like a lot of headaches
could have been saved with that approach.

[NavyDP1]

Well I can confirm that after the update to 2.0 (27.32.4.19), I still can't transfer music worth a **ahem**.  Very disappointed.  Thought it would be fixed.

[Misterbit]

It is shameful that the update did not address music transfer problems. So many athletes want to Bluetooth music to their headsets without carrying their phones.

Instead, the update slowed down the watch and fixed some clock issues like adjustments to daylight savings time.

Ironically, my clock faces crashed 2 or 3X since the update, but I have more faces to choose from.

"Life is good" ⚽️

[Steve69]

I just finally gave up and sending mine back. Great watch and idea just needs few more years to get the bugs worked out. Does things one day it will not due the next.

An example is looked like it failed to download a new clock face. 24 hours later it is installed on the watch somehow. And at least lasted a good two hours with the new clock face before it crashed.

Maybe they will endup getting into a partnership or bought out by a larger company to help with development. If that happens I would even pay more for something up to the standards of other electronic items.

Also with Fitbit I found a lot of things that would work one day and not the next.  Even with music. It will tell you it did not download. But can find out later it did. I never knew what to trust with the app or the watch.

[pauldtc]

Update the Windows app through the Microsoft Store. Did mine yesterday and now transfer works without issues, even long playlists get pushed to the watch without touching anything.

Fitbit App version on my computers is 2.31.1479.

Fitbit OS 2.0 

[LB123]

Hi!

I can't sync my music from my Surface to my Ionic watch. The watch is Connected to the same wifi net and everything seems to be okay, but it just won't sync. Everything else about the watch works fine. Anyone having this proplem also?

[USAF-Larry]

@LB123, check the instructions/requirements in the post by @ErickFitbit at this message:

https://community.fitbit.com/t5/Ionic/Transferring-Personal-Music-to-Ionic/m-p/2215544/highlight/tru...

[Judybear5]

Hi, I have been trying to sync my iTunes walking playtrack to my Fitbit Ionic. I have synced both my phone, desktop and Fitbit to our home wifi network. When I hit the music app on my watch it says

Use your computer to start transferring music

When I go into my Fitibit App on the home desktop, it wont let me. It says setup music and when I try to it says Bluetooth is turned off. But when I go into my mobile it is connected....

Starting to drive me crazy!! Any help much appreciated.

Thank you.

[LB123]

Thank you! USAF-Larry. 🙂

[oValianto]

I downloaded fitbit connect to my PC and already transfered music to inoic but it  always played repeated song in the first song of all playlists. How could I fix it ?

[Steve69]

That is just the nature of fitbit.

Try it again tomorrow. It works when you least expect it to. Sometimes it gives an error and 24 hours later working.

They just need a few more years in development to get it dependable.

[Nicky89]

---

@oValiantowrote:

I downloaded fitbit connect to my PC and already transfered music to inoic but it  always played repeated song in the first song of all playlists. How could I fix it ?

---

If you get this far, you're among the lucky ones. You just use the audio controls on the watch to disable ''repeat' function.

I less lucky. After days of trying, I did manage to get a few playlists on the Ionic. But while using them, Bluetooth disconnects and I only hear music when the watch is very close to the Bluetooth receiver of my headset. Watch is on my left wrist. Bluetooth receiver hangs under right ear. This seems to be way to difficult for the Iconic's very weak performance.

[Jfitman]

These companies and i mean any company that says things like fitbit does for things like music they all suck, they just can't make it easy for anyone!  I just don't know what they think when they are in testing modes who in the hell is testing this **ahem** must be some old person that doesn't care about little things to work as you press a button!   I am a computer IT guy and I have to say something today are just a pain in the **ahem** to just make work I can't imagine how it is for a normal user this sucks, Like apple iTunes what a butch that is,  now for windows 10 you have to download their app to transfer music but first you need a fitbit download,  sometimes i wonder why I even bother with this **ahem**..  I am sorry but if I buy a device that is near 300 bucks I suspect it to work!

[dbrewood]

I got mine stabilised for music transfer by adding in the wi-fi details manually. 

[seemebreakthis]

@pauldtcYes can validate with my setup too. 

Been having problems transferring music with non-English characters in file path or filename (e.g.  Numerous Ed Sheeran's songs in iTunes as the album name are used as folder name by iTunes and one of his albums has "÷" as part of the album name).

I also have a few Chinese songs that I tried to transfer before but couldn't without renaming them first.

Now they just get transferred without any hazzle.  The fitbit app version on my Win10 machine is now 2.31.1479.0 and it got installed as an update automatically a few days ago so I think this probably did the trick.

BTW I have never had issues with slow transfer times etc.  For instance today, 1h30m worth of songs were transferred within a few minutes.  So I guess I am good with the whole transfer mechanism now.

[NavyDP1]

Here's the thing I am noticing now since I updated the Win10 app to the latest version.....

If I completely remove all music playlists using the Android app from the Ionic, then go in to the Win10 app to readd my two workout playlists (that total about 2 hours of music), it transfers FINE.  Pretty fast too.  It's when I try to add a third playlist where I have difficulty.  Some of the songs in the playlist download fine, but then it hits a wall and won't successfully transfer any further.  I have tried various other playlists and the same thing happens, it just happens on a different song number given the size/length differences.

This almost leads me to believe the music storage is actually out of space and is preventing further music to be transferred, even though the bar at the top says I'm nowhere NEAR full space usage.  It's almost like there are "phantom" files on the Ionic music storage that are preventing further transfer.

I have not tried a full reset on the watch yet, maybe that is my next step to see if it completely wipes the Ionic music storage so I will do that this weekend and report back here with my success or failure.

[Steve69]

That is the nature of fitbit. Never know when it will work.  Maybe wait for a full moon and try again.

Will have just as much luck with that as anything. 

Sometimes it works sometimes it does not.

[Steve69]

I also think the only real solution is to buy one for each arm. Then your chances are a little better at least one will work like designed.

[gcoupe]

I can't seem to get music transfer to work at all. I have the latest Fitbit app for Windows 10, but the wifi connection seems very flaky and keeps dropping out. Tried following all the tutorial steps, but nothing seems to address the issue.