How do I download songs to my MP3 player?

Hi Dave, I just got a brand new Samsung D500 and I want to put music onto it via USB cable, but it won't work. How do I do it?

Dave's Answer:

First off, a disclaimer: I don't have a Samsung D500 so I can't test out what I'm going to explain here. However, just about all the MP3 players on the market work in the same way - and it's how the Sony PSP works too, in fact - so let's just talk about the general solution for downloading music onto an MP3 player.

The first step is to see if there's any special software available from the vendor to help the process along. With the D500, for example, go to the Samsung Web site and click on "Support", then type in the product name. I typed in D500 and then choose "TV, video and audio". Wrong choice: no matches. I tried again with "Computer and related products" and got a list of three possible matches, one of which is your product, the SGH-D500.

Turns out that the D500 is a mobile phone, actually, not a simple MP3 player at all (wish you would have mentioned that, btw!) but I figured it out. Turns out that there's a raft of different user manuals available on the D500 download center page, and, clicking on the Software tab, it turns out that there's software you can download from Samsung too, including "Samsung PC Studio PC Sync (ver 2.0)" which is probably what you'd want.

Generally, though, if you don't have any software or can't find anything for your MP3 device (which, as you can see, includes cellphones!) then you should be able to copy across MP3-format audio files by:

Hooking up the device to a USB connection on your computer.
Going through the settings on your device to find a "USB CONNECT" or "USB MODE" option. Some devices do that automatically when they detect power on the USB cable, others (like the Sony PSP) require you to do it manually).
Your computer should now automatically detect the device, probably showing it as a removable hard disk. Both Macs and Windows XP computers do a very good job with this, older operting systems can be more challenging (e.g., Windows 98, MacOS 9).

Now you just need to rummage around a bit and figure out where music files should be stored. One way to do this is to pay for one song to be downloaded from a service, if that's an option, then see if you can find where it's stored on your MP3 device and drop other songs into the same place. If that's not an option, then just put a few songs in different directories and see if your device can find it once you disconnect and try to play a song or two.

Hope that helps you out! If anyone wants to send me a fancy MP3 player so I can test it out, I'd be happy to hear from you. :-)

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Reader Comments To Date: 671

grace messimer said, on May 29, 2010 5:24 PM:

how do i download songs to my small nextar mp3?

Dave Taylor said, on May 31, 2010 8:29 AM:

Grace, rather than just answer your question with a link, I actually just wrote an article on how to do this sort of research yourself. I hope it'll be helpful not just to you but to anyone else seeking information on how to work with their MP3 or media player:

http://www.askdavetaylor.com/download_music_video_movies_get_help_nextar_mp3_player.html

chris said, on June 4, 2010 4:44 PM:

i just got a 4GB Gigaware mp3 player and i don't know how download music on it.

daisy said, on June 7, 2010 7:40 PM:

i dont know how to add music to my mp3 player it keeps saying i already added it but i didnt please help

Maxine said, on June 14, 2010 1:08 PM:

Hi i have just bought a sweex gold 2mb and cannot download any music, could you give me any ideas, i am doing what they tell me to do on the very basic easy set instructions

Lianna said, on June 22, 2010 12:23 PM:

I Have A Mp 3 Player And A Ipod And I Have No Idea How To Download Music Into Any Of Them I Have Tried Everything !!!! Can U Please Help ??!!!

anabel said, on June 25, 2010 11:47 PM:

i have an mp4 and i already downloaded music onto it ,and when i am trying to hear a specific song its not on there but it says that its been already downloaded onto itu but it hasent its not on my music profile .. do you have any ideas..? am i doing it wrong?

mallorie said, on July 12, 2010 8:18 PM:

i have a panasonic sv-sw30v that i got for my birthday bout 3 years ago and i can't remember how to put songs on it and i don't have to instuctions anymore

brymoz said, on August 2, 2010 11:05 AM:

i still cant figure out how to get music from my music files to my mp3 i hope sumone can help

demi said, on August 2, 2010 8:49 PM:

i just got a mp3 put i dont know how to download songs yet

morgan said, on September 14, 2010 7:28 AM:

How do I put music on my memorex MMP8550 MP3 player without the software?

britnee said, on September 17, 2010 2:32 PM:

how do i download mucic to my mp3 player

justin said, on October 12, 2010 8:52 AM:

hey i go a coby mp4 player i cant get songs on it cuz it needs formated and it wont format can u plez help

Stewart said, on October 23, 2010 7:09 PM:

I have a coby mp3 and would like to know how to download from limewire?

Kratos said, on October 23, 2010 8:13 PM:

Hi

I just bought a Philips Mp4 player and i don't know how to put songs on it please help me

kayla said, on October 26, 2010 1:50 PM:

i don't have a mp3 player that you listed in the selection i have amp3 player that i got from school and it is a 3.7v lithium battery and it is a learn it after school mp3

vanesshuu said, on October 26, 2010 3:25 PM:

Hummm ? Yhea How Do Download LimeWire Music Into My Mp3 Player ? Like Its Really Hard . Im Braking My Head On This Ishh . I Need Help Like For Reall . Ahhhhhhhh . <33

rena said, on November 13, 2010 2:48 PM:

I have a coby MP3 Player and I dont know how to download music on it

kathy said, on November 21, 2010 2:26 PM:

i just got a new hipstreet mp3 player and i dont know how to put music on it from a cd? HELP!!!!!!!!!!!!!

whitney said, on December 25, 2010 5:23 PM:

hi i have this little mp3 player and i have no idea how to dowload songs

TOSHICA said, on December 26, 2010 4:09 PM:

I PURCHASED AM ECLIPSE 4GB MP3PLAYER FOR MY DAUGHTER AND I CANNOT PUT MUSIC ON IT. I WENT TO A SITE CALLED IMESH AND DOWNLOADED SONGS. THEN IT TOLD ME TO CLICK ON MP3 AND PLUG THE MP3 PLAYER VIA USB. I PLUGGED IT IN AND NOTHING HAPPENED.

Dave Taylor said, on December 27, 2010 9:27 AM:

Kathy, Whitney, Toshica, etc, if your new MP3 music player doesn't have custom software, the general rule of thumb is that you need to use Windows Media Player. Make sure you have the latest copy of WMP from Microsoft's site (it's free, check out

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/downloads/windows-media-player

to ensure you're up to date)

Start up WMP then plug in your new MP3 player. It should show up when you click on the "Sync" tab. If you need more help, check out this page from Microsoft on WMP and MP3 devices:

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Set-up-a-device-to-sync-in-Windows-Media-Player

Hope that helps you out!

Katie West said, on December 27, 2010 2:57 PM:

I am helping my cousin download some music on her MP3 player she got for Christmas. Well we have tried everything website wise. Napster, 1000 free songs for MP3 players. Nothing works. We try to ask friends they dont know either. So when I type in this website thing I started to read it and I thought about it maybe you can help me download music on this thing. Just please reply quit we need help now.

DexJ said, on December 27, 2010 8:10 PM:

I have downloaded music from Kazaa to my Windows Media Player. When I try to replay the songs, I am prompted to connect to to internet. Those particular songs also will not transfer to my MP3 player.

charlotte said, on December 29, 2010 10:25 AM:

hi i still don't know how to put music on my sansa mp3 player.

Joy Johnson said, on January 1, 2011 7:32 PM:

Hi, we received a MP3 player for free & don't know how to put music on it. It came with 2 songs on it & no papers with it. We went to a seminar, they gave us one for participating. Help. thanks

Julie said, on January 8, 2011 7:51 PM:

Ok, so a couple weeks ago, i bought a Eclipse Mp3 player. I can't seem to get songs on it at all. i downloaded iMesh and songs. But iMesh always says its not connected with the mp3. A mini-menu screen pops-up when i plug the Mp3 in to the computer, it gives a choose of "syncrenizeing the Mp3 to iMesh". I click on it iMesh pops-up and nothing eles happens and stills say nothing is connected. PLease help i am very confuzed. Thank you. PLEASE RESPOND!

pam said, on January 22, 2011 5:25 PM:

how do i add music on my sony walkman mp3 player?

Jamie said, on March 26, 2011 9:13 AM:

Um, I own a poloriod mp3 and I lost the manual so that kinda doesnt help me please make one for my mp3 before this sunday

juno said, on April 9, 2011 10:37 PM:

so . i got a new white mp4 sandisk sansa today . well from the pawn shop . and i downloaded my music and all from this thing . and on my computer i changed and renamed all the songs so it would look organized in my mp4 . but in my mp4 , it was the same as bBEFORE i renamed all my songs . my song list looks ugly . and i don't noe how to change it .

JAMES ALMOND said, on April 24, 2011 9:50 AM:

i have a phillips mp3 player and i do not know how to download musc on it and i need someone who doe to tell me how

Ellie said, on April 26, 2011 3:59 PM:

I just got a MP3 player HEEEEELLLLLLLLPPPPP ME pretty please. Thank you so much !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Ellie

Avril said, on May 5, 2011 8:25 PM:

please help me!!!i got a mp3 shuffle a few months ago but i havent downloaded any music onto cause im sort of confused it doesnt have a screen so i dont know when im getting music onto it help!!!!

adele said, on May 8, 2011 8:24 PM:

i got a new mp3 from a friend and i want to download music to it; the same music from my first mp3. but the problem is my brother deleted a bunch of songs off of our Windows Media Player so now some of the songs i want on the new mp3, are only on the old one! how do i put the songs from my old mp3 on to the computer?? HELP!!

adele said, on May 8, 2011 8:29 PM:

^yeah, sorry this is like, completely opposite of wut the main questions r but thats my question:)

jane said, on May 15, 2011 11:06 AM:

Hey
I have a samsung digital audio player and the thing u connect to the computer is already connected to the mp3, and it charges fine but I cant put music on or off it usted to work fine but now it dosent.Like no file pops up or nothing can u help me

Olivia M. said, on May 24, 2011 5:12 PM:

omg. simple way to make a playlist is by making those desired songs have either the same artist name, album name or genre name & then when you want to hear that playlist just search for it under the album, artist, or genre section! thats what i did & its fine...

Cheryl said, on May 26, 2011 7:04 PM:

I just go an mp3player from Pearl and I don't know how to get free music onto it any suggestions? and please let me know all of the steps thank you :))

cam said, on June 2, 2011 8:39 PM:

i wanna get free music got any sugustions

jo$hua said, on June 13, 2011 7:45 PM:

i like so have m3 player that my grandmam and grandpap just got me for me brithday but i dont know how to put music i very upset cause i need to listen to music i really mad

mohamed k bah said, on July 6, 2011 11:50 AM:

i have a sony workman media player an i dont have the softwear plate so it doesn t allowed me to download musice or video please help me out

Designer web pages said, on August 11, 2011 9:44 PM:

Downloading music files to mp3 player i found much details from here in this tutorial this will help a lot people as many questions been asked here in this regard.

Designer web pages said, on August 11, 2011 9:47 PM:

Downloading music files to mp3 player i found much details from here in this tutorial this will help a lot people as many questions been asked here in this regard.

Paveet said, on August 12, 2011 11:19 AM:

Hi dave um i got a brand new birthday gift thats a mp3 and thae next day i try to use it i wanna put songs into it but i don't know how can u please help

savannah said, on August 12, 2011 12:43 PM:

I have a RCA MP3 Player and I have copyed music on it with Windows Media Player and I tried it this time and it didn't say SYNC or that it read the device, Help me plz

daniel said, on August 22, 2011 12:36 AM:

i have a mp3 ,when i transfer the music,a warning that said ,file format not supported

Anonymous said, on August 29, 2011 3:13 PM:

i got in rca mp3 play and i got a cd and want to take songs from that and put them on my mp3 player how do i do that can i do that or how do i put songs on it i want to put songs on it

Kathy said, on September 12, 2011 9:04 AM:

I just got a new computer last week and my music is gone from my MP3 Player, How do I put music on my MP3 Player?

Melissa said, on September 28, 2011 7:23 PM:

what is the simpliest way to get music on an mp3 player?!?!?!

farha said, on October 12, 2011 4:01 AM:

i want to put bollywood songs to mp3

Cody Knapp said, on October 26, 2011 7:44 PM:

Ever since my little brother hooked an ipod up to the computer, the computer wont read any other device than his ipod... It seems his ipod ruined our computer. (we took the laptop to best buy and they couldn't fix it.) Anyone here know the problem? would be greatly appreciated! Thanks.

paul said, on November 26, 2011 10:08 AM:

dear sir,i h've sansa mp3 player and i don't know hwo to get its itunes please help me.

mugumba said, on November 26, 2011 10:16 AM:

l've nokia n8 serise,l need to know hwo to download is itunes.i mean i need its itune.

kari said, on December 9, 2011 6:29 PM:

i know how to put music on it(zamzar) but i cant put videos on it i used zamzar and used the format "avi" and put it on their but it said "unknown format" and that format should work

karen said, on December 9, 2011 6:33 PM:

i know how to put music on my ematic mp3 player i use zamzar. but i cant put videos on it! i used zamzar and used the format "avi" and put it on their but it said "unknown format" and that format should work

Dave Taylor said, on December 9, 2011 10:09 PM:

I don't know what zamzar is, but there are a ton of different video encoding systems (called "codecs"). Try converting it into an mp4, for example, and see if that works. Also worth noting is that on the ematic.us site, they say that the players should "include Conversion Software so you can play MP4, AVI or MPG format videos..."

Ti'ana said, on December 24, 2011 9:01 AM:

wow nothing on here is helping i have a MP300 2 GB and want to download music onto it. I have itunes with all my music but i dont know how to transfer it to Windows Media Player to put it onto my mp3 player.....please help....... i need to no before tonight because i am giving it to my sister for christmas! and i need her music on there....HELP

Kim said, on December 24, 2011 7:36 PM:

Just got a MP4 Sylvania 8Go SMPK8000B player and when I try to download songs I can not get them to play on it?

Makayla said, on December 26, 2011 10:49 PM:

Hi,
I got an Coby Mp3 player for christmas and i downloaded music from Ares but problem is i dont know how to put the music that i downloaded onto my new Coby Mp3 player....so can you help me with this problem????

Krystal said, on December 27, 2011 8:52 AM:

Hello, I received a Polaroid PMP284-4 music &video player with built-in camera and cannot load any music to device. Please help! Thanks

vishal said, on December 31, 2011 1:04 AM:

I have apple iPhone nd I want to be asked u how can I download mp3 songs on my iPhone via Internet?

monic said, on January 5, 2012 5:20 PM:

i got an mp3 but i dont know how to put music on it

kayla said, on February 1, 2012 8:17 AM:

hey i jus got an ipod for christmas but dnt know how to download music

mrz.fresch said, on March 12, 2012 1:31 PM:

i just got a new mp3 player but ndont know how to add songs to it.If you know how can u please help me!!!

kanchana said, on May 3, 2012 4:36 AM:

i don' know to download songs to mp3 player

edward j zapotoczny said, on May 27, 2012 5:55 PM:

My mp3 player only charges when I plug it in to my usb cord anymore ,but it says windows doesn't recognize it due to a usb device malfunction?I tried windows diagnostic test it passes until I plug in mp3 player then it says fail!!!I have windows 7

Shona said, on June 10, 2012 1:43 PM:

Thanks a lot!!

Kunal said, on July 12, 2012 11:56 AM:

Hi Dave

Need you help!

I need to download loads of english songs in mp3 format so that I can save it on my Pen Drive and can listen in my car.
Pls help me from where and how I can download the songs?

Thanking you in anticipation.

Best Regards,
Kunal

terri said, on October 20, 2012 3:56 PM:

i do not know how to get music on my mp3 player

Bill said, on March 16, 2013 1:49 PM:

We purchased a "Hello Kitty" 50009 Digital Music Player for our daughter for Christmas. The device supports MP3, WMA and WAV formats. The problem is, nowhere in the instruction manual included does it tell you how to record music from a CD or from computer (as in iTunes) have treid cut and paste, and drag and drop, and although drag and drop places it in the "record" file of the G drive when connected, it does not transfer the files and you cannot listen to the music. How do we record music from a CD or from iTunes to this device. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

KIMBERLY said, on April 16, 2013 9:27 PM:

will u do it 4 me or can u pls i have tried so many times pls help

I do have a lot to say, and questions of my own for that matter, but first I'd like to say thank you, Dave, for all your helpful information by buying you a cup of coffee!

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How do I download songs to my MP3 player?

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