Frustrated by Android medias players on the 2025 Maverick

[rallyshark]

I use Poweramp daily, however I use it on an "AI Box" plugged into the USB-C of my truck. That way my phone is never involved with music and I get the full option/control of the app on my truck screen. The AI Box is basically a little self contained Android operating system with plenty of storage and an SD card for even more storage. A good free one is AIMP. I do prefer Poweramp though. I know the '25 has wireless Android Auto, but you may actually prefer using an AI Box, since it literally gives you every option/control on your truck screen just as you'd see on your actual phone and it doesn't use Android Auto at all. It literally gives you your own separate Android operating system on your truck screen. My phone connects to the AI Box via BT and phone calls work just as before. I just use the wireless hotspot on my phone for the AI Box. It also lets you run ANY APP android has on your truck screen. From trail cameras, to live radar, and even Netflix or Sling to watch stuff while parked on my lunch break...

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[Ozarkbeard]

For the last few days I have been organizing my songs/files on the microSD to put on my Android phone.
When it comes to order and organization I am a little excessive as I always expect perfect order and organization, my order and organization. Even past 75 years I barely recognize that most of the time this does not happen.
Any way I spent hours organizing every thing by genre, and alphabetical order in different folders and so on.
After put the SD card back on my phone all this beautiful work is wasted, Android organize everything its way, which is not mine.
I tried different media player to always have the same result and none of them seems to show my songs lists on the display on the maverick.
What do you use? How do you do it?

Thank you.

Install Pulsar. It has regular Folder view/play/shuffle, just like a PC. You can play a folder's songs in order or shuffle. Also shuffle several folders or shuffle the entire Music folder.

The app is free, no Ads and no tracking. If you like it, please support the developer and buy the Plus version. Plus has a few extra features, too. I've used it for years.
https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.rhmsoft.pulsar&hl=en-US

 

[Shamdog]

For the last few days I have been organizing my songs/files on the microSD to put on my Android phone.
When it comes to order and organization I am a little excessive as I always expect perfect order and organization, my order and organization. Even past 75 years I barely recognize that most of the time this does not happen.
Any way I spent hours organizing every thing by genre, and alphabetical order in different folders and so on.
After put the SD card back on my phone all this beautiful work is wasted, Android organize everything its way, which is not mine.
I tried different media player to always have the same result and none of them seems to show my songs lists on the display on the maverick.
What do you use? How do you do it?

Thank you.

I had the same problem back in the day. Most players look at the first character then move right and keep them in order. My solution was to number them sequentially so they would play in that order.
Now I pay for YouTube and Amazon unlimited so usually I use my Amazon playlist and it plays in order as I assembled it. Unfortunately it starts over after I shut it off...

 

[Bertram]

For the last few days I have been organizing my songs/files on the microSD to put on my Android phone.
When it comes to order and organization I am a little excessive as I always expect perfect order and organization, my order and organization. Even past 75 years I barely recognize that most of the time this does not happen.
Any way I spent hours organizing every thing by genre, and alphabetical order in different folders and so on.
After put the SD card back on my phone all this beautiful work is wasted, Android organize everything its way, which is not mine.
I tried different media player to always have the same result and none of them seems to show my songs lists on the display on the maverick.
What do you use? How do you do it?

Thank you.

I organized all my songs on my desktop then transferred them to my android phone. I use VLC for my music player, and it works fine.

 

[Strike]

I use Musicolet. It's great, does everything, displays great on the 2025 screen, and it's free on the Play Store.

 

[Frenchy]

I organized all my songs on my desktop then transferred them to my android phone. I use VLC for my music player, and it works fine.

VLC did not work for me, or at least not for what I want to do.

 

[spacewolf]

If you enjoy owning and organizing your own media you should look at getting a lifetime Plexpass and using Plexamp. It's the best way to own and host all of your own music and audiobooks.

Plexamp is one of the best Android music players and desktop music players, you can also tie it into Tidal and other services.

You really need a media database and dedicated front end to do this right these days and to have a good user experience, especially when using Android Auto.

You're going to have a mixed bag at best micromanaging SD files and folders and hoping an android app displays them right to begin with let alone works well with Android Auto.

Just self-host Plex, setup your libraries and metadata once and be done with it. That way you can have a consistent experience on all of your devices and with Android Auto and not rebuild/update/micromanage folders of files on SD cards. I used to do that with flash drives in my car before we got the Maverick and then fully converted to Plexamp and Android Auto in both of our vehicles. Never looking back.

If you support artists and purchase all of the music you can (I use bandcamp to buy as much digital music and vinyl as I can directly from artists), grabbing a lifetime Plexpass when on sale is 100% worth it.

 

[skinnyboy]

I use Poweramp daily, however I use it on an "AI Box" plugged into the USB-C of my truck.

Do you know if the AI box (I use one with my '22 XL-it's fantastic) will work with Ford head units capable of wireless Android Auto? It won't work with my son's Toyota with wireless capability.

Cheers.

 

[rallyshark]

Do you know if the AI box (I use one with my '22 XL-it's fantastic) will work with Ford head units capable of wireless Android Auto? It won't work with my son's Toyota with wireless capability.

Cheers.

I honestly don't know, and you may be right about it not working? Seems like i remember the one I have saying it wasn't for Fords with wireless AA, but they may make one that does work with it. I do like not having to have my phone roped into my stereo to enjoy it. I found the AI Box produces better sound quality than my phone too.

 

[Ozarkbeard]

VLC did not work for me, or at least not for what I want to do.

Did you try Pulsar? It will play by Folders, Playlists, Artists, Albums or Genre.

 

[DougK]

another vote for Pulsar.
I am using the free version, found it so useful that I am going to buy the premium one.

Another trick I've used to keep my organization of music in the teeth of the app's determination to recategorize everything, is MP3Tag. This allows a simple update to an entire folder of mp3s, to tag them with the labels you want.
So for example I made a playlist by putting tracks from different artists and albums in a folder on my pc, then tagging all the files in the folder as a made-up album name.
Most of the music players use these mp3 tags to categorize, so by changing the tags you can make them behave..

https://www.mp3tag.de/en/

I paid for this one too.

 

[Frenchy]

Thank you all guys. I tried most of these players and I still did not find one that does what I want it to do : to display my playlists and the Sync4 monitor. I now believe that this is a limitation of Sync4 not allowing this feature. I do not want to play with my phone while I drive , I want everything on the monitor. I was hoping that You tube Music being a google product was going to do that but it does not either. I could do that on 2013 Grand Caravan

 

[robbyrob]

For the last few days I have been organizing my songs/files on the microSD to put on my Android phone.
When it comes to order and organization I am a little excessive as I always expect perfect order and organization, my order and organization. Even past 75 years I barely recognize that most of the time this does not happen.
Any way I spent hours organizing every thing by genre, and alphabetical order in different folders and so on.
After put the SD card back on my phone all this beautiful work is wasted, Android organize everything its way, which is not mine.
I tried different media player to always have the same result and none of them seems to show my songs lists on the display on the maverick.
What do you use? How do you do it?

Thank you.

For the last few days I have been organizing my songs/files on the microSD to put on my Android phone.
When it comes to order and organization I am a little excessive as I always expect perfect order and organization, my order and organization. Even past 75 years I barely recognize that most of the time this does not happen.
Any way I spent hours organizing every thing by genre, and alphabetical order in different folders and so on.
After put the SD card back on my phone all this beautiful work is wasted, Android organize everything its way, which is not mine.
I tried different media player to always have the same result and none of them seems to show my songs lists on the display on the maverick.
What do you use? How do you do it?

Thank you.

Use this player
https://play.google.com/store/search?q=aimp+music+player+for+android&c=apps&hl=en_US
I works WONDERFULLY with my Maverick
I can use the nxt/back song and volume controls on the steering wheel

 

[Strike]

VLC did not work for me, or at least not for what I want to do.

Thank you all guys. I tried most of these players and I still did not find one that does what I want it to do : to display my playlists and the Sync4 monitor. I now believe that this is a limitation of Sync4 not allowing this feature. I do not want to play with my phone while I drive , I want everything on the monitor. I was hoping that You tube Music being a google product was going to do that but it does not either. I could do that on 2013 Grand Caravan

Did you try Musicolet?

 

[DougK]

the Sync 4 does let me play the Pulsar music from my phone, but I usually am in Android Auto and not in Sync 4. I don't remember if I can see my Pulsar folders from Sync 4 - will have to test..

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