# Playing music with USB flash drive



## SilverCruzer (Nov 30, 2010)

Here's what I did...
Skipped the owners manual, did a straight copy of my music folder on my PC to a thumb drive, plugged it into the car and it worked.


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## SingBam (Jan 11, 2011)

I did the same thing and it works perfectly.


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## Gritts (Jan 23, 2011)

Me Three. :th_coolio:


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## nosro (Apr 11, 2011)

Straight copy should work for most people. For some reason, I kept running into problems (ID3 v1 tags, FAT16 formatting), so I'm documenting here for posterity.


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## LJG (Jun 8, 2011)

I just ripped my CD's with Audiograbber, shoved them into My Music and straight onto a flash drive. Works fine. If an old geezer like me can do it I am sure you young blokes can! I have also done it thorugh iTunes as well.


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## dennisu (Jun 17, 2011)

Any size limit on the flash drive?


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## GoldenRS (Nov 11, 2010)

We use a SanDisk Cruzer 32GB with well over 4k in songs and such..No problems to report after 2 months


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## dennisu (Jun 17, 2011)

Bought a 16 gig Sandisk Cruser USB flashdrive. Copied my iPod back to the library in Windows Media Player. Ripped my CD's also to the library and then synched 14 gigs of music to the Cruser from the Media Player and it works like a charm in the Cruze. Took about 10 minutes to finish indexing the USB drive to the Infotainment system the first time but after that it is ready to do searching, etc. within about 2 minutes after starting the car. I leave the drive plugged in at all times. The iPod wouldn't work properly with the system but then again it doesn't work properly with any other of the docking systems that I plug it into so this is the answer to using it's collection without any hiccups.


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## SilverCruzer (Nov 30, 2010)

I made the initial comment about it working right away without referencing the owners guide.

To be more helpful, I am using the SanDisk Cruzer as well. I can't remember how large it is, but it seems most people have success with "plug and play" using the SanDisk Cruzer.


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## Farmer Fran (Jul 27, 2011)

I have a Sansa (forgot model, will get it shortly). It playes almost all of my songs but some it will start to play then skip them. 

I have 3 albums on the Sansa from WalMart download that will play on my Sansa with headphones, will play on any pc it is plugged into but not in the Cruze. weird.


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## Dwnshft (May 16, 2011)

LJG said:


> I just ripped my CD's with Audiograbber, shoved them into My Music and straight onto a flash drive. Works fine. If an old geezer like me can do it I am sure you young blokes can! I have also done it thorugh iTunes as well.


How did you use itunes?? Itunes file format (Mp4 or M4a) is not recognized. If there IS a way i'd love to know it...it would save me a lot of time converting music I bought from the Itunes store.


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## plowman33 (Jul 20, 2011)

Dwnshft said:


> How did you use itunes?? Itunes file format (Mp4 or M4a) is not recognized. If there IS a way i'd love to know it...it would save me a lot of time converting music I bought from the Itunes store.


You can have music in iTunes that wasn't purchased through iTunes...


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## dennisu (Jun 17, 2011)

*Dwnshft*

Use itunes to convert them to mp3 for you before you copy them to the USB drive. Do a google search for "How to convert m4a to mp3"


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## Jager (Jul 27, 2011)

Well, my Cruze stereo finally pushed me over the edge. Of all the things in the car, this is by far the worst. Worst factory stereo I've every used (in comparison to its potential). I was listening to Ozzy from Budokan on the way into work, and as I pulled in Zakk was just getting into one of his solos. When I left for lunch I tried to rewind the track 30 seconds to hear all of it. I watched the timer roll back and when I let go of the button it jumped to the start of the track. I spent a couple of minutes experimenting fast forwarding and rewinding, and everytime I let go of the button it either goes to the start of the current track or start of the next. Horrible! The ff\rw option works just as poorly with the CD drive. Just pisses me off that something that should be as straight forward as a stereo is so cumbersome. I'm going to stop by the dealership today and see what they can do for me, which will probably be nothing. Then I'll find out where I can have a stereo installed that won't void my warranty. Arg!


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## dennisu (Jun 17, 2011)

*Jager*

I can ff/rw on both the CD and the USB (Cruzer) and it will start up, when I let go, at the point where I let my finger off the button.


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## dennisu (Jun 17, 2011)

*Farmer Fran*

Get a 16 gig Sandisk Cruzer and try that. Mine works flawlessly without skipping a beat. Biggest problem was getting the songs back from The Steves (Jobs and Wozniak) silly software (itunes) and into a normal format. The other ripped CD's were a piece of cake using Windows Media Player to edit the metadata so gets tagged to the right genre etc. and the displays look good.


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## SGotam (Jan 5, 2012)

I just bought a Lexar 64 gb, I plugged it in but it keeps saying USB indexing, let it go for 10 mins but still going, maybe I need to sit in there for a while, will this keep happening or is this a one time thing? I have a 2011 Chevy Cruze 1LT


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

If you want to more efficiently use your 32GB flash drive, reformat it as FAT32 to use 4K or 8K clusters. The car won't know the difference, but you'll lose less space between songs.


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## fortymegafonzies (Oct 20, 2012)

SGotam said:


> I just bought a Lexar 64 gb, I plugged it in but it keeps saying USB indexing, let it go for 10 mins but still going, maybe I need to sit in there for a while, will this keep happening or is this a one time thing? I have a 2011 Chevy Cruze 1LT


Same problem here. I ripped my CD collection and put about 120 albums on my 16GB USB drive. It takes 10-15 minutes for "indexing" every single time the car is shut off and restarted.


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## coinneach (Apr 10, 2012)

fortymegafonzies said:


> Same problem here. I ripped my CD collection and put about 120 albums on my 16GB USB drive. It takes 10-15 minutes for "indexing" every single time the car is shut off and restarted.


Mine (16GB FAT32) does the extended re-index only when the drive has been removed and reinstalled. It's normally about 30 seconds. It sounds to me like your stereo is losing the index info.


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## fortymegafonzies (Oct 20, 2012)

coinneach said:


> Mine (16GB FAT32) does the extended re-index only when the drive has been removed and reinstalled. It's normally about 30 seconds. It sounds to me like your stereo is losing the index info.


Does the base model with no navigation have the capability to store index information? Logically one would think it could generate an index file and store it on the USB drive itself, but I checked and found nothing on mine.


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## joe0121 (Jul 17, 2012)

Well I use Ubuntu Linux and I can say for certain that it does not support the EXT4 file system. Ooops reformat in NTFS out of habit just in time for a long road trip in the snow. No dice. Now I know it has to be fat 32, DOH! It was A LOOOOOONGGG Boring drive without good tunes.


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## obermd (Mar 3, 2012)

FAT32 has become the standard for USB drives because just about every device and computer can use it. Even cameras use FAT32.


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## Flash (Jan 9, 2015)

I can confirm that .wma files play from a USB stick with no problems (using some old generic novilty USB stick I had, 4 or 8 GB from memory).

I'm currently messing about with a new USB 3.0 64 GB stick in order to get the car to recognise it at all.
(already formated FAT, just reformated with a smaller allocation unit size - but not tested yet).


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## smithTHAgod (Mar 7, 2016)

i'm currently using a 64g micro sd card plugged into a usb adapter. FAT32 format, works just fine.


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## Carnette88 (Mar 16, 2016)

I have several flash drives full of live music. I am concerned because I want to keep it in my Cruze because I am super into the taper scene and want entire tours of bands at my disposal. Having said this, most of the files are .FLAC format. Has anyone had an issue with this?


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## Jim Frye (Mar 16, 2011)

Carnette88 said:


> I have several flash drives full of live music. I am concerned because I want to keep it in my Cruze because I am super into the taper scene and want entire tours of bands at my disposal. Having said this, most of the files are .FLAC format. Has anyone had an issue with this?


What year of Cruze? What audio system? Pretty sure .AAC, .WMA, & .MP3 are the only formats supported on this car. Don't know about the '15s & '16s though. Check the OM for your car to see what formats are supported.


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## ChevyGuy (Dec 13, 2014)

Carnette88 said:


> I have several flash drives full of live music. I am concerned because I want to keep it in my Cruze because I am super into the taper scene and want entire tours of bands at my disposal. Having said this, most of the files are .FLAC format. Has anyone had an issue with this?


Try it. Either it will work, it won't see the file, or it won't play the file. It won't blow up.


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## jms211 (Mar 31, 2016)

awesome, i didn't know this was possible
thanks!


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## jms211 (Mar 31, 2016)

So I just formatted a 1GB flash drive and put a few song on it, worked perfect. Thanks for the tip!


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## ChevyGuy (Dec 13, 2014)

Now you have to go though your library and tag everything and make sure it has artwork. :grin: 

There's any number of programs, but I use MP3Tag.


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## Merc6 (Jun 8, 2013)

ChevyGuy said:


> Now you have to go though your library and tag everything and make sure it has artwork. :grin:
> 
> There's any number of programs, but I use MP3Tag.


 My computer isn't liking that.


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## Blasirl (Mar 31, 2015)

Use iTunes. It will rip or convert to .mp3 and searches for artwork to boot. For those difficult to find covers, I use Discogs, Billboard and other services to locate and sometimes the artists websites. It is easy to add lyrics as well.


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## CruzSpazz (Mar 28, 2018)

Maybe I'm missing something, but when I try to get to the USB on the stereo, I cannot find that option. I see AM FM XM and audio jack. Where the **** is the USB? I've tried it with a 32GB Cruzer in the USB port and with no drive in the port. WHy Am I not seeing the USB option?


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## gliderdriver (Jan 7, 2018)

CruzSpazz said:


> Maybe I'm missing something, but when I try to get to the USB on the stereo, I cannot find that option. I see AM FM XM and audio jack. Where the **** is the USB? I've tried it with a 32GB Cruzer in the USB port and with no drive in the port. WHy Am I not seeing the USB option?


My 2011 does not have the option in the menu but automatically switches to it when I plug in the USB drive.


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## anthonysmith93 (Jul 15, 2015)

CruzSpazz said:


> Maybe I'm missing something, but when I try to get to the USB on the stereo, I cannot find that option. I see AM FM XM and audio jack. Where the **** is the USB? I've tried it with a 32GB Cruzer in the USB port and with no drive in the port. WHy Am I not seeing the USB option?


It won't show up if the USB isn't inserted, if you put it in and it still doesn't come up, you need a new port or a different flash drive.


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## IPhantom (Aug 22, 2017)

May i hijack this thread for the Gen 2?
I am using an 8 GB USB 3.0 key and i found some MP3s are not playing right.
For instance i am experiencing skipping and "de-railing" (like when it sounds like complete gibberish).
The odd thing is, they are all variable bitrate and one Album is playing just fine, the others don't.
Also i found tags and images are sometimes not recognized.
I did not check the files for errors and i never had that with any device before.
Anyone else?


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## 6speedTi (May 18, 2018)

I have a 2018 LT with the 7 inch display.
I'm sure both 7 and 8 are the same.
The manual for the 2018 states that it will recognize flash drives with the following formats. 

FAT 16/32, NTFS and HFS +

exFAT and other formats are NOT recognized. 

exFAT is from 64gb and higher. By default flash drives are formatted to FAT (upto 32gb) and exFAT (64gb or higher). If you have a flash drive larger than 32gb then you must reformat to NTFS.


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## poncho62 (Jul 22, 2018)

Plugged in the wifes old iPod.....Boom....Music


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