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?"

[DXBrunner]

I only have Mac! So I’m tied to iTunes...

Von meinem iPhone gesendet

[SunsetRunner]

@Diglett - I was not able to get iTunes to work in the transfer. Open Windows Media Player. On my PC, it automatically brought in all of my iTunes music. But ... and this is important! ... I had to create a new playlist on WMP. I was then able to transfer that playlist to my Ionic. 

[SunsetRunner]

@AtlTvlGuy - same questions for you ... Please verify that 

• Your Ionic and PC computer are both on the same 2.4 ghZ wifi connection.
• You used Windows Media Player to create the playlists.
• Your Ionic is charging during the transfer process.

[SunsetRunner]

Hi @DXBrunner - I don't have personal experience with a Mac laptop/computer. But please scroll down to one of my earlier postings that offers step by step instructions, including those for a Mac. They were written by one of our Fitbit modrators. There are a lot of things to check, but you should end up being able to transfer music from your Mac iTunes to your Ionic. 

I know it's complicated. One missed step sends you to limbo, so to speak. But you can do it!

[dermbrian]

I am on a PC, not an apple product.  I use iTunes on my PC and created my playlist on iTunes.  It worked for me. 

My problem was in the transfer of the playlist.  The Windows store app would begin the transfer but then lose connection.  The Fitbit Connect program, once I downloaded it, maintained the connection for the 1.3 hours needed to transfer the 2 gb playlist.

The Fitbit Connect program was very confusing and for some reason could not transfer the 2.3 gb playlist I had created.  However, once I created a new playlist in iTunes that was only 2.0 gb, it transferred.

The major problem in all of these situations is that the program (Fitbit Connect) and app (Windows Store app) and Ionic itself do not display any useful errors when things fail.  Why wouldn't a 2.3 gb playlist fit?  Why is there no simple error message saying "Not enough room, only X gb free".  Why does a connection get lost and the app not tell you what happened?  How can Fitbit or the user expect to diagnose the problems when they just don't work and fail to mention what happened in detail?

Anyway, I expect Fitbit will get this working much better soon.  They just need to deploy some new versions with more robust reporting capabilities.

Brian

[SunsetRunner]

I agree, @dermbrian. Thanks for your encouragement and comments. I've been with Fitbit ever since the first device came out. The Ionic is by far, the most complicated device. Yes, the notices and docs could be more helpful.  I suggest posting specific instances where notices would be helpful in the Feature Suggestion Forum. This is where others can vote for your ideas. It is also where the developers watch for suggestions on how to improve things. Be as specific as possible. 

[Diglett]

I tried copying a different playlist made with Windows Media Player. It does exactly the same thing.  I didn't think this would be the problem as I can see the playlist perfectly well in Fitbit Connect, and it is even telling me which songs are new.  It's not even that it fails when trying to copy them to the Ionic - it's not trying to copy them.  It's just sitting there doing nothing and there is nothing to press to tell it to start.

[Diglett]

Oh my god I finally got it to work. I just clicked everything and when I clicked a little X in the top right corner of the screen where it lists all your playlists it kicked into life!  (Circled in red in this screenshot).

There seems to be a million problems with this process and I really think Fitbit need to sort it out (and shouldn't have released the Ionic until it was more robust and user-friendly) but am posting this in case anyone has the same problem.  

[dermbrian]

I've looked at the manual just now, and like I said I have some success in putting my 2gb playlist onto mine.

My guess at this point is that you can't add a second playlist.  You can't update a playlist and expect it to refresh an existing playlist.  We'd sure like to think we can do these things, but the manual makes no mention of those specific actions.  What it does say is you can add multiple playlists.

My guess is that if you were to delete your existing playlist (choose the 'X'), and let it all delete, then you can add a different playlist.  You may even be able to add multiple playlists if you do them all at once (checkmarks in the circles of the ones you want to do as a batch).  It might also require disconnecting everything after the deletion of the playlist and then repairing everything before starting the transfer of the new playlist(s).

These are just guesses.  I'm not quite ready emotionally to delete my own 300+ songs and risk not being able to put anything back on mine at all.  🙂

One other thing, I noticed a long delay before selecting 'X' and the deletion process starting.  So don't assume nothing is happening if you try to delete your playlist.

Why does the manual not talk about updating playlists or adding playlist to a watch that already has one or more?  There should be better documentation about how to do the things we expect to do, or at least say 'you can't'.

Brian

[dermbrian]

---

@Diglett wrote:

Oh my god I finally got it to work. I just clicked everything and when I clicked a little X in the top right corner of the screen where it lists all your playlists it kicked into life!  (Circled in red in this screenshot).

---

So does that little X mean "clear out all music memory" and then that allows you to reload the Ionic with music?

[Grubenstier]

Hi Diglett,

thanks for that, I didn’t even think of clicking on that “X” as one would think that that “X” would delete all of the playlists. Good on ya, for finding that out. 🙂

Cheers,

Peter

[Bob.indary]

Thank you so Much.. Its working now..

[AtlTvlGuy]

Me too. Thanks!

Thanks
Chip Herold
(404) 483 1331

[Shiv_Patro]

So If I dont have MAC or Windows 10 PC the music can not be transferred to Ionic?

Strange feature!!! 

[IAmRaeWilliams]

The timing is not my issue, I am indeed trying to load a large playlist. My issue is after an hour or so all of a sudden it it "can't find the files" for the music even though its all from the same place.

[Yofarbs]

I use a NAS to store all my music in an iTunes Media folder.   Could not get that to work.  Following the advice here, I put a couple of playlists in Windows Media Player, and I got one podcast transferred!  But now the Fitbit Windows 10 app (from the app store) crashes everything I try to do more.  It crashes right after it connects to the Ionic and identifies the playlists.  

[AtlTvlGuy]

I also have music playlists from Apple. Remember you can have only a max of 300 songs. What I did was break up my 133 song list into 3 playlists. That seemed to work better for me.

[AtlTvlGuy]

I'm not sure how to get around the app crashing. Perhaps you can try to de-install and re-install the app. I use iTunes play lists. Yesterday I had to clear the file that was stuck by clicking the "x" at the very top of all the playlists that are showing. That seemed to clear the problem and I successfully loaded 3 My Music playlists.

I have not tried using Windows Media player at all. Sorry

[wickedathletes]

ya this thing is a disaster. Got my Ionic Sunday and I cant successfully transfer music. I am on 2.4/5 network (ionic connects via 2.4 fine). I have successfully transfered music 2 times, have had to factory reset the device 3 times already and now I cant connect to transfer music anymore.

holy alpha batman.

[SunsetRunner]

Didn't work I hate this thing.   Do I have to have an apple phone to use the apple watch.  ?