Question MP3 player won't play certain songs

[skipper77]

My MP3 player suddenly decided not to play the last 3 songs I downloaded. This is how I downloade them - I found the music on Youtube (using my laptop), and used an online Youtube-to-MP3 converter, converted them to MP3, then simply transfered the MP3 files to my little MP3 player. But...

...but, when I try to play then, it won't. It's says, 'Format error!'.

But the thing is, I have used this same laptop, same MP3 player, and same Youtube-to-MP3 site for years and years. I'm not doing anything at all differently.

All the other music that was already on my MP3 player still plays.

I'm stumped. I tried again with other songs, and, same resault - 'format error!'.

I tried reformatting my MP3 player, and putting all my music back on it (I keep a file with all my music on it on my laptop), and, same issue - all the old songs will play, anything new I download won't.

I'm stumped because I am not doing a thing differently, but it's not working. What am I missing here?

 

[Mel747]

Hey there, have you had this issue sorted? I have exactly the same problem, download the same way as you have, and end up with the same error, yet the songs play on the PC, but won't on my MP3. I'd be very interested in knowing why. Only just started happening recently. Thanks.

 

[skipper77]

That's exactly the same thing with me - I can play them on my laptop, but not my MP3 player.

Unfortunely, I haven't figured out the issue, still. I tried downloading different songs, but anything I download now has the same issue. Reformatted my MP3 player, that didn't solve it.

So then I had the idea of looking at the properties of an old song file, and a new song file, and see if there were any differences, and...

...and what I see is this: under 'details', the new songs do not have a length, bit rate, or title. All those are just blank. Whereas on my old songs, they do have length, bit rate, and title.

Another difference is that my old songs, under 'protected' say 'no', whereas, again, on the new songs, under 'protected', it's just blank.

I don't know enough about this to understand what that means, though. Or if it could be the problem. But I wondered if the issue is that it's blank under 'protected' on the new songs, so I thought I'd try to change it to 'no', like the old songs, but I can't find a way to do that, and I don't even know if it's possible to change it. Maybe you know?

 

[Mel747]

That's exactly the same thing with me - I can play them on my laptop, but not my MP3 player.

Unfortunely, I haven't figured out the issue, still. I tried downloading different songs, but anything I download now has the same issue. Reformatted my MP3 player, that didn't solve it.

So then I had the idea of looking at the properties of an old song file, and a new song file, and see if there were any differences, and...

...and what I see is this: under 'details', the new songs do not have a length, bit rate, or title. All those are just blank. Whereas on my old songs, they do have length, bit rate, and title.

Another difference is that my old songs, under 'protected' say 'no', whereas, again, on the new songs, under 'protected', it's just blank.

I don't know enough about this to understand what that means, though. Or if it could be the problem. But I wondered if the issue is that it's blank under 'protected' on the new songs, so I thought I'd try to change it to 'no', like the old songs, but I can't find a way to do that, and I don't even know if it's possible to change it. Maybe you know?

Hi there,

That is exactly what happens to me - no details for the new song, I get the name and the size, nothing else. Maybe something has changed - I got a Windows 11 upgrade last week and it's been happening since then - can't even play my MP3's without having to go into media player to make a play list where as before I could just highlight the ones I want to listen to and they'd play. All very confusing. Even the You tube to MP3 converter online is not the same. Sorry I can't add any more info, I don't know enough about this stuff either. All I know is that is was easy and now it's not!

 

[skipper77]

Hi there,

That is exactly what happens to me - no details for the new song, I get the name and the size, nothing else. Maybe something has changed - I got a Windows 11 upgrade last week and it's been happening since then - can't even play my MP3's without having to go into media player to make a play list where as before I could just highlight the ones I want to listen to and they'd play. All very confusing. Even the You tube to MP3 converter online is not the same. Sorry I can't add any more info, I don't know enough about this stuff either. All I know is that is was easy and now it's not!

Ha, yes, that's exactly it - it was easy, now it's not! I'm still on Windows 10, and it's happening with me, so I guess it's not just Windows 11 it's happening on. Now I'm wondering if I did a Windows 10 update before it started happening, but I can't remember. I don't even know if it's connected to Windows, I'm just not very knowlegable about this kind of thing, but, since yours started with Windows 11, I wonder if it is.

Ugh, that sounds like a pain that you're also having issues with playing them on your laptop. I'm not, but I'm still on Windows 10, maybe that's why.

I really prefer to listen to my MP3 player, I don't listen much on my laptop at all, so wish I could fix this. Hmmm, I had a thought - I still have my old laptop, the one I had before this one....it's got a failing HDD, but still runs, and is running Windows 7. I suddenly want to dig it out of storage, and see if I it would work on that laptop. Not that that would be a good work-around permanently, but I'm just curious if it would work.

 

[Mel747]

Ha, yes, that's exactly it - it was easy, now it's not! I'm still on Windows 10, and it's happening with me, so I guess it's not just Windows 11 it's happening on. Now I'm wondering if I did a Windows 10 update before it started happening, but I can't remember. I don't even know if it's connected to Windows, I'm just not very knowlegable about this kind of thing, but, since yours started with Windows 11, I wonder if it is.

Ugh, that sounds like a pain that you're also having issues with playing them on your laptop. I'm not, but I'm still on Windows 10, maybe that's why.

I really prefer to listen to my MP3 player, I don't listen much on my laptop at all, so wish I could fix this. Hmmm, I had a thought - I still have my old laptop, the one I had before this one....it's got a failing HDD, but still runs, and is running Windows 7. I suddenly want to dig it out of storage, and see if I it would work on that laptop. Not that that would be a good work-around permanently, but I'm just curious if it would work.

Hi again,
I am wondering if it is an issue with the YouTube to MP3 program as when I have tries to access it recently it comes up with a warning that it is a malicious site! That hasn't happened before. I also prefer songs on my MP3 as then I can take it in the car as well. I have the issue also that I think I have a certain song on the MP3 and the name comes up but when I press play, a different song plays - guessing the player can't read it, even tho it appears to be saved on it. It really is a confusing issue, sorry I don't have any further info to tell you. Surely we can't be the only 2 people this has happened to!! Might not be Windows related, but sometimes it pays to think of everything that has changed recently. Wondering if you had any luck with the old laptop? Be awful to have to go back to older technology to work around this eh? If I come up with anything more, I'll let you know. I try to have a dig around when I get a change just to see if I can nut anything out!

 

[skipper77]

Hi again,
I am wondering if it is an issue with the YouTube to MP3 program as when I have tries to access it recently it comes up with a warning that it is a malicious site! That hasn't happened before. I also prefer songs on my MP3 as then I can take it in the car as well. I have the issue also that I think I have a certain song on the MP3 and the name comes up but when I press play, a different song plays - guessing the player can't read it, even tho it appears to be saved on it. It really is a confusing issue, sorry I don't have any further info to tell you. Surely we can't be the only 2 people this has happened to!! Might not be Windows related, but sometimes it pays to think of everything that has changed recently. Wondering if you had any luck with the old laptop? Be awful to have to go back to older technology to work around this eh? If I come up with anything more, I'll let you know. I try to have a dig around when I get a change just to see if I can nut anything out!

Funny, becaues I am also starting to wonder that. A couple days ago, I tried a different converter site, and the MP3 file I downloaded to my desktop has a bit rate! I haven't actually tried putting it on my MP3 Player to test it out yes, but I will.

If it works, I will be happy, but also feel pretty silly for not realizing earlier. Here I am, looking at everything BUT the converter.

 

[Mel747]

Hi again, any luck with a different converter? I tried one but it didn't seem to user friendly! Let me know if you've found a decent alternative. I have removed the YouTube to MP3 as it seemed to have some virus-y thing attached to it. Be interested in another one if you have found one. Thanks!

 

[Madmp3]

My MP3 player suddenly decided not to play the last 3 songs I downloaded. This is how I downloade them - I found the music on Youtube (using my laptop), and used an online Youtube-to-MP3 converter, converted them to MP3, then simply transfered the MP3 files to my little MP3 player. But...

...but, when I try to play then, it won't. It's says, 'Format error!'.

But the thing is, I have used this same laptop, same MP3 player, and same Youtube-to-MP3 site for years and years. I'm not doing anything at all differently.

All the other music that was already on my MP3 player still plays.

I'm stumped. I tried again with other songs, and, same resault - 'format error!'.

I tried reformatting my MP3 player, and putting all my music back on it (I keep a file with all my music on it on my laptop), and, same issue - all the old songs will play, anything new I download won't.

I'm stumped because I am not doing a thing differently, but it's not working. What am I missing here?

Me too!!!

 

[skipper77]

Hi again, any luck with a different converter? I tried one but it didn't seem to user friendly! Let me know if you've found a decent alternative. I have removed the YouTube to MP3 as it seemed to have some virus-y thing attached to it. Be interested in another one if you have found one. Thanks!

I did! Actually, I feel pretty stupid - here I was, trying to solve the problem by looking at everything BUT the converter I was using, and, it turns out, it was the converter. The thing is, I wasn't suspicious of the converter being the problem, as I'd been using the exact same one for years and years and years.....so, there I was, using the same laptop as always, with the same converter, hadn't made any changes to my laptop, was still running Windows 10, everything seemed the same but they wouldn't play on my MP3 player...

....anyway, it was the converter. I re-downloaded/converted the songs, with a different converter, and, voila, they played on my MP3 player.

Like I said, I feel pretty foolish.

I have no idea why the converter I've been using for years suddenly did not work for me, but it didn't.

I don't remember the name of the new one I used....all I did was Google 'youtube to mp3 converter' and tried out the first one I found that looked okay, and it worked.

 

[GHolnyuk]

Try downloading same content from a different source. I find other channels often offer same content in the same genre. Or... just buy the album from Amazon!