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?"

[AndrewPf]

@ratcityrain It worked for me exactly as you explained it, thanks.  I'll try to see if Pandora will also work, but creating a playlist within WMP will have to do for now. 

[Beamish]

I tried to download it but when I tried to run it, the setup wizard would only let me REMOVE it.

[Beamish]

I don't have Windows 10. I'll wait to try to download music til after my Fitbit Flyer arrives. If I can't move music over, I'll have to return that and the Ionic.

[AndrewPf]

@Beamish there seems to be a bit of an issue - for me, at least - when syncing with the phone app and then also trying to sync with the desktop Fitbit program. 

I was able to create a playlist within Windows Media Player, which was then immediately recognized by my Ionic when I connected it via the charging cable to one of my laptop's USB ports.  To do that, I used my phone's Fitbit app to tell it to transfer "Personal Music" (instead of trying to find my Pandora subscription info).   

I have not been able to consistently get the laptop/desktop Fitbit software to sync and make adjustments to my Ionic.  The phone app works much better for that. 

If Windows Media Player is not working for you, that's a bit outside Fitbit's purview, and likely requires a chat with the mighty Microsoft corporation. 

[OllyBuxton]

 This a disaster, Eric. My MacBook Pro can't find my Ionic. They're on the same WiFi network. Why i need to daisy chain a Macbook, an android phone  to the watch at all is baffling; the fact that it won't work is infuriating as hell!

[SunsetRunner]

@Beamish Hi! If you are trying to run the fitbit connect software and you can only "Remove" this means the software is already installed. If you cannot find the Fitbit connect app in the Start Menu, I would run the installer again, Remove the program, then restart your PC. Then start the installer again and you should have the option to install.

[SunsetRunner]

@mlindgren The Windows Store app has not worked for me at all either but I have been able to use the software listed in @ErickFitbit 's post above on Win10 and it works. Ignore the prompt to use the Windows Store app that you get when you first open the non-Windows Store Fitbit Connect app.

[SunsetRunner]

Steps that have worked for me on both Win7 and Win10 devices using LAN and WiFi connected PC:

1. Install the Fitbit Connect app (Download)

2. Use Windows Media Player to create playlists. 

3. Open Fitbit Connect app you just installed

4. In Fitbit Connect app click "Manage My Music"

5. Go to Music App on Ionic and select "Transfer Music" and wait for Fitbit Connect to find your Ionic.

6. Fitbit will scan your "Music" folder for playlists. (If it doesn't find the playlist use the Settings menu at the top right to set your music folder, usually "C:\Users\yourusername\Music\Playlists)

7. Click the circle to the right of your playlist and wait, you will get a progress bar at the top with an ETA.

[ratcityrain]

What I want to figure out next is a way to have it point to a iTunes playlist, but I haven't figured out how to do that within Fitbit connect app

[RalfSD]

I'm currently using the Windows 10 app store version ... had to specify the IP address of the ionic in the app and then it was found. But beware, connectivity is very flaky with lots of drops and it is challenging to get the connection set up again ... closing ftibit app, starting it again and then in ionic go to music, transfer music and then go into the ionic/music sections in the app had highest success rate of getting a connection again. ... but, man, this is sloooooow and not sure how often I had to restart. Wondering why plain bluetooth isn't supported to transfer music (8-((

Beware of clicking on the "button" to select a playlist for sync, if you click more than once you could actually end up with deleted playlist from Ionic and all the "fun" starts again (8-((

[Gavark]

Ionic and laptop on same wifi network. Windows 10, downloaded app from windows app store. Uninstalled fitbit connect. App says cant connect to my ionic (though it syncs my data) when in personal music service yet my fitbit says ready for transfer. What gives?

[xTommyG]

i'm stuck with a failed playlist transfer, a second one pending and a never ending "determining estimated transfer time" message. It never starts actually transferring.

[xTommyG]

I was stuck with a never ending "determining Transfer Time" message - I was able to get around it by reloading the app, cancelling the "Playlists" search by clicking the "X" (to the right, on top of your playlist display), then it automatically started syncing my failed playlist. (playlist had 'error" in red). Seems to be working now. I do have a large library, perhaps something was timing out while it was trying to search my music folders for playlists. Manually stopping it seemed to be a workaround. Its still slow, but it is working.

[Crazy-Fritter]

Wow.....

[peteer01]

The Fitbit Connect Setup Wizard just stays on a screen that says "Computing space requirements".

The Fitbit App from the Windows 10 store doesn't show any playlists, no matter how many I make and save.

Force quitting the Fitbit Connect Setup Wizard is my only option with the app linked by Erick, and the Windows 10 App might work, but I can't get it to see any playlists I make.

[Sardal]

Im running MacOS Sierra version 10.12.16

After installing the software i get this message and can't get any further. Can you help?

System extension cannot be used.

The system extension "/System/Library/Extensions/CDSDAudioCaptureSupport.kext" was installed improperly and cannot be used.

I have tried reinstalling it several times but always get the same message

[JoeSeaver]

I run windows 10 - downloaded the app twice - will not install - cannot run #3 from your list and below....

From the windows app, it never sees my Ionic to copy music.  The laptop syncs over Bluetooth - the Ionic says it is ready to receive music, the app never stops searching for the Ionic that it is already connected to.

Hopefully something starts working soon, I've had the Ionic for a week and nothing really works beyond step counting and sleep - when it is able to sync at all.

[peteer01]

My restart froze.  I could move my mouse several minutes later, but the computer failed to restart after force quitting the install.  The good news is that playlists showed up in the fitbit app after the restart and transferring files worked after rebooting.

[dermbrian]

---

@ratcityrain wrote:

What I want to figure out next is a way to have it point to a iTunes playlist, but I haven't figured out how to do that within Fitbit connect app

---

The key is to do the following in iTunes:

Edit--preferences--advanced--share iTunes library XML with other applications

That made my 2.3GB smart playlist IONIC show up in the fitbit windows 10 app.

But...when I got a notification from my phone during the transfer it lost the wifi transfer.  I'm sitting here with bluetooth disabled on my phone for the 1hr 53min that the transfer says it needs.

I've seen a lot of comments that are leading me to believe notifications interrupt things.  We'll see.

Brian

UPDATE:  it lost connection again without an interruption.   I'll have to try continuing the music transfer later.

[SunsetRunner]

Transferring music should not be this difficult.  The Samsung Gear Fit2 Pro has it down - easy to transfer music to the device from the app on your phone.  The UI on the Fitbit app looks like something straight out of the 90s.  It seems like a little more effort could have been put into the UI and usability of this.  It definitely needs a lot more testing than it got.  It has taken me three attempts for the Ionic to stay connected long enough for the transfer to get going (the device is stationary next to the laptop, not that that should matter since this is via wifi).  

Will music automagically sync now that it has been set up?  If I put a new podcast on the playlist, or delete one, do I have to manually initiate a sync, or will it just happen?