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!

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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 

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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?"

[GTPune]

@SunsetRunner no, Iconic does not have audio cue functionality.

[stltom]

Thanks for letting me know that it doesn't allow Google Play or YouTube Music. The only reason I was going to buy the watch was so I don't need to bring my phone on my workouts. Needs better connectivity to my Google services before I buy.

[OldWindways]

I am struggling to successfully upload a complete playlist without running into problems.  I am able to connect to my Fitbit Ionic most of the time from my Windows 7 laptop (running the Fitbit Connect application).  I have 4 playlists on my PC that I have tried to transfer to the Ionic, 2 of which have been successful.  The other 2 have only been partially successful for example with 10/22 songs being transferred, with the remaining 12 songs being marked as "Unsupported file type." despite being the same mp3 format as the other files, the same 256kbps bit rate and not necessarily larger than those files that were successful. Playlist in Fitbit Connect 

These are files that are saved in a directory on my laptop and I created the playlist in the Fitbit Connect application using the drag and drop option.

Files in Windows Explorer

Why are these mp3 files being marked as unsupported when they are indistinguishable from those that are working?

Additionally:

• Is there a way to re-load a playlist from Fitbit Connect without removing it all and reloading it?  The current method is inefficient and takes a long time for anything but the smallest playlists.
• Why is the Fitbit Connect application stuck with such a small window that cannot be resized?  There is only room for a playlist of 8 or 9 songs before you have to start scrolling.

[Misterbit]

I had the same issue when transferring songs from iTunes to my Ionic. In my
case it was because some files did not have permissions. i.e. they were
copy protected by Itunes, or I did not have a PW to unlock them. This
should not hold up a music transfer of a whole playlist in FB, but it's at
least one of the things that does.



*"life is good"*

[PeteG-1]

@OldWindways You pretty much have to either remove those files (DRM protected, most likely), or figure out a way to get them (legally) into a non-DRM format.

The MP3 files (or pretty much any music file) have metadata associated with them, containing stuff like the artist and more, plus some DRM (Digitial Rights Management - mostly copy protection) info.

If you have the physical CDs, you can just re-rip them, and that should set you up with non-DRM tracks.

If they were downloaded, you need to check back, and see if there's a newer (possibly non-DRM) version available.

There are "other" ways  to change the DRM state, but most are marginally legal, at-best, unless you know you have rights to change them.

[OldWindways]

@PeteG-1, I don't believe those tracks are DRM protected.  Here is the same directory showing the "Protected" property is No for all the tracks.  

MP3 files showing No DRM Protection

Unless there is some other way of checking for DRM protection, it would appear that this is not the root of the problem.

[PeteG-1]

@OldWindways Weird.  I bet there's something different about the format though, or some "bonus" metadata, that's confusing the FB app.

It's not exactly the most robust music app I've seen in awhile, you can see my comments above ;-]

The thing that I find puzzling is that the app does zero in terms of error-handling, or reporting anyway, it knows it was unable to deal, or chose not to deal with those tracks, due to some property, why don't they log/report it...

[orenilq]

You can adjust volume ( unless using Airpods from Apple ) by long pressing the left button to get to the music controls.

[SantiR]

@Justin774 @Compact @Osmar I hope you're doing well! I got in touch with customer support and they let me know you have an open case with them. I'd recommend replying to them to get a follow up on this.

@Alan360 Thanks for reporting this. I'd recommend trying the suggestions on the lead post on this thread. This should certainly help you out with this.

@galileo29 Thanks for your suggestion! I was checking the Feature Suggestions Board and was able to find this idea which is asking for the same:

• Drag and Drop Music Transfer

Please cast a vote for this idea and leave a comment as well to show support.

@salsop It's great to see you in the Fitbit Community! Please perform a restart on your watch and try the music transfer process one more time. 

@OldWindways I hope you're doing well! Thanks for reporting the situation you are experiencing with Ionic's music transfer process. Have you tried transfering your playlists without those files that are giving you the error? Let me know if you are able to complete the transfer that way.

@himan_jk Thanks for reporting the strange situation you are experiencing with Ionic music feature only reproducing one song out of eighty four. Are you receiving any error messages? 

Have you tried the transfer music process once again to see if that would make a difference? You can try with less that 80 songs and see how that goes. Try that out and let me know how it goes. 

Keep me posted! 

[OldWindways]

@SantiR, I was able to "complete" the transfer with the errored files previously, it just doesn't include those that came up as "Unsupported file type" in Fitbit Connect.  It takes longer than I would like/expect, but it does finish (with a portion of the playlist ending up on my Ionic).

[Souldeep]

Thank you for the instructions. Worked a treat.

[Compact]

3 month Deezer free offer 

My experience so far is very positive.

Signed up to Deezer free trial, added app to phone, sync'd accounts.

On deezer app on android I selected a Playlist of 20ish tracks.

Put the watch on charge, placed it 1 ft from BT HomeHub router, with phone next to it (not sure if phone needs to be there or if the watch is going directly to the internet).

20 mins later I am 24% uploaded.

Success... (compared to the agony of trying to get my own music on it)

Ok so this is not a fix or solution, but it brings a smile to my face.

Before I was "Your watch is **ahem**e, it keeps me up all night" in a manc accent 

Now "I feel happy, Oh so happy, I feel Happy and clappy and bright"

So my conclusion is,

• yes the watch has a weak wifi antenna,
• yes the additional flow of getting music off a device in your house, rather direct from the internet is a strain
• yes there are complication with file types, drm etc etc
• yes this is just a free trial Deezer, which I will end once it runs out
• yes it was still slightly painful,
  • too close to the router and bluetooth between watch and phone didn't work
  • the magnet on the power cable isn't strong enough when you are gingerly trying to wake the screen to see progress

But hey it means I can use the watch as it was intended, whilst I battle getting my own music on it

Now if Fitbit would do a deal with Google Play Music we could upload our own music and then use the superior transfer method. I don't expect this too soon as I guess it comes down to business, with Deezer wanting the potential business greater than Google, to pay for the privilege and do the coding to make this work.

Still enjoy and go for a run or ride 

P.s. I am even contemplating getting a Santander Bank Account just to try the contactless pay, though I am hardly ever in the situation with watch and no mobile (what a geek)

Moderator Edit: Removed Advertisment Link

[Souldeep]

@Compact,

I haven't experienced the same wifi issue as you describe. I'm in my garden office. My wifi is located inside my home. The signal from my home is not that great out here in the office, and I can see that with my android wifi signal indicator. However the transfers have worked well so far (about 8 minutes to transfer 10 songs). This indicates that the Fitbit wifi antenna is of similar strength to my android phone. Could it be your Fitbit that has an antenna problem?

Also - once I found this thread I found it really easy regarding upload of personal music. Just use the Fitbit desktop app to create your own playlists. Then drop the MP3 files into the playlist via the same interface. On your Fitbit find the music option, then select Transfer Music. As a final step - click on the button to the right of the desktop app playlist you want to upload, and watch them upload real-time

[Osmar]

It does not work, because the app keeps "looking for your ionic".

The watch is connected to the wifi.

The watch is 2 inches from the router.

But the app can't find it.

[PeteG-1]

---

@Osmar wrote:
It does not work, because the app keeps "looking for your ionic".

The watch is connected to the wifi.

The watch is 2 inches from the router.

But the app can't find it.

---

@Osmar

It has found it, it's just doing some "music hosuekeeping" work, every time, see my earlier posts (and frustrations, which caused me to root-cause the issue).

I'll say it again, you shoud not have your Ionic (or any WiFi device) that close, it actually causes more interference than helps it.

"Optimal" distance/position is a tricky thing, due to variances between installs, but if you're withing 10 feet, easily, with no obstructions (doors, walls, metal bars, any large metal or concrete stuff), which assumes clear-line-of-sight, you're probably as "good as it's going to get", more or less.

If you want to confirm your individual "optimal distance/location", try a WiFi strength/survey app, it'll help determine the exact best locations.

IMO, and per my earlier analysis (when I had an Ionic, a few months back now), the music catalog/housekeeping is seriously data-intensive (and seems to have been not well written, IMHO again); I have no idea why FB did this, and I do hope the move to a proven/canned library, or similar, in the future.

Moderator Edit: Format

[Compact]

For some strange reason I haven't tried using the Fitbit app to create a playlist.

I've been using iTunes playlist.

I created a Fitbit one and boom, 7 minutes latest Guns N Roses Live is on the watch.

Thanks

[Souldeep]

@Compact- nice one! Glad it helped

I found using the built in desktop app and creating your own playlists is really quite simple. I also prefer creating tailored Fitbit playlists (separate from iTunes or other apps) for the phone anyway.

[SantiR]

@OldWindways Thanks for your reply. I'm glad to hear that the songs are transferring correctly to your watch. The file types you can transfer are: MP3, MP4 with AAC audio files (PC and Mac) and WMA files (PC).

@Souldeep @PeteG-1 I hope you're doing well. Thanks for providing your awesome help on this thread. I'm sure a lot of users will find it very helpful.

@Osmar Thanks for your reply. I went ahead and contacted customer support in your behalf. Please keep an eye on your email inbox for next steps.

@Compact I hope you're doing well. I'm really glad to hear that the music transferred correctly this time using a Fitbit playlist. I'm sure other users will find that very helpful!

Thanks for your participation on this thread. Keep me posted! 

[orenilq]

Try to remove them completely from the Bluetooth ( Settings app on the
watch) , then search for them again and reconnect them


ן

[LostInThe208]

Has anyone figured out the "unsupported file type" issue yet? I've worked as an audio engineer and it boggles my mind what distinguishes what is supported and what isn't. It doesn't seem to have any relation to name length, metadata, bit rate, sample rate, stereo or mono, special characters, file size, or song length. Basically, it seems to be completely random.

This thread looks like it has been going on for years and this asinine problem is still going on!?