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Enable MP3 Playback on your LG VX8300
[Update 10/28/06: If you have a new version of the VX8300, this method should no longer be necessary. MP3s will now play in the standard music player by default. Just put them in the my_music directory. Here's how to see if you have the new software: Go to Settings & Tools, then (9)Phone Info, then select SW Version. If your SW Version ends with V01, you have the old version, if it ends with V03, you have the new version.]
For some peculiar marketing reason, Verizon has disabled MP3 support by default on the LG VX8300. (Note: on some newer versions of the phone, this may or may not be true.) If I haven't convinced you to use WMAs on your VX8300 instead of MP3s, here's the method for enabling MP3 playback on your VX8300.
For your phone to recognize MP3 format music, your MP3 files must be stored in a directory you create yourself called my_mp3 on your microSD card. Also, consider my previous article on why WMAs are better than MP3s on the VX8300.
For some peculiar marketing reason, Verizon has disabled MP3 support by default on the LG VX8300. (Note: on some newer versions of the phone, this may or may not be true.) If I haven't convinced you to use WMAs on your VX8300 instead of MP3s, here's the method for enabling MP3 playback on your VX8300.
- Press OK to open the main menu. Press 0 to open the service menu. Enter the service code, which should be 000000.
- Select (11)Music Setting. Choose MP3 Enable and press OK. Press END to close the service menu...
- From the Settings & Tools menus, choose (5)Phone Settings, then (2)Shortcut Key, then (5)Play Key. Choose My MP3s, and press OK.
For your phone to recognize MP3 format music, your MP3 files must be stored in a directory you create yourself called my_mp3 on your microSD card. Also, consider my previous article on why WMAs are better than MP3s on the VX8300.
posted by Andy Moskowitz at 1:00 PM
40 Comments:
Is audio playback too low from headphones or from the speakers? Try ripping and encoding your mp3s with different settings and bitrates. If you think your phone may be defective, try contacting Verizon/LG.
How did you discover me?
I think sending the file as an attachment through Verizon may be the problem. I believe they've been known to reencode files in transit. I'm learning more and more about the phone as I work on this site, so I'll try to post something if I find out anything more about your problem.
Thank you for the kind words.
Fyi, ringtones must be changed to .mid before e-mailing otherwise the sound quality and volume is reduced once its recieved on the phone via e-mail. If you still want it louder, use Audacity to increase the volume.
Nice site, thanks for the write ups.
The directory you need to create is my_mp3, not my_mp3s. I put them all in my_mp3s and the phone couldn't find them, but after putting the card back in the card reader, found that the phone had created my_mp3.
Oops! I feel really bad for letting this go for so long. Thanks for calling me on it. Glad you like the site. I'll try to do more fact checking in the future, sometimes I just figure out how to do something and then write it up later from memory.
I have a VX8300 and having lots of problem sync music files using WMP10. I keep getting an error that Windows Medial Player encountered an unknown error. Any ideas on how to clear this?
Unknown errors are the toughest, huh? I'd try reinstalling the cable drivers and getting any WMP patches available. Or see if you can sync it with just one known good file. I don't really know what else to day, but good luck!
Hi:
I was playing mp3 with the vx8300 and found that it wouldn't ring when there was an incoming call. Does anyone how to fix that. Thanks a lot.
I find that when i upload a folder with mp3s, it can't read it. It can only read mp3s in the root directory. Any way to fix this?
Yeah, it'll only recognize mp3s placed directly in the my_mp3 directory, not in sub-directories therein.
I'm not too impressed with the quality of the mp3s -- they sound very flat.
Should I be able to access my MP3s with the front play button without first going through My tunes - MP3s? I set the play key as the shortcut to MP3s as instructed, but it doesn't do anything until I first play the MP3 through the My tunes menu under Get it Now.
Is there a way to use music as ringtones?
Hi, i just got my vx8300 two days ago and i just want to say your site is just amazing. Finding this site is the biggest payoff for my cellphone search this past two weeks. but i was just wondering if there's a way to put mp3 on vx8300 through bitpim (i don't have a micro sd card just a bluetooth dongle), i've tried to put mp3 files in the mp3 panel in bitpim but when i click on the button with green arrow pointing away from the phone, bitpim checks all the options except for the mp3 folder under media. other words i can upload or convert my file into bitpim but bitpim fails to recognize that there is a file in mp3 to upload to my phone. any suggestions? sorry if i'm being hard to understand.
As per the instructions on this site, I enabled MP3 playback on my wife's phone. I encoded a bunch of MP3s using VBR at 92kbps or 96kbps (I don't remember which it was) with LAME. The songs get cut off early. Searching the web, I see a lot of MP3 decoders have this problem with VBR audio. One suggested solution was to encode at at least 128kbps. Another would be to use CBR, but with a quality loss. What has been the experience of other users?
Thanks!
Harold
Many praises for you, Andy.
An anonymous reader posted having difficulty when trying to transfer a music file into the phone's internal memory via Bitpim/Bluetooth. I'm having the same difficulty. When the send data to phone window pops up, there is not an option to check relating to music. Any suggestions?
Dig the wallpaper site, too. Worked fantastically.
Jason
i_stamp4fun: Yes, just do the steps outline above but switch it to "My Music."
Harold: I'd definitely give fixed bitrate encodings a shot. Those should be the most stable.
About adding mp3s through Bluetooth/Bitpim: This must be possible, but I'm not really sure about how to go about it, unfortunately. Be warned that if you do figure it out, the transfer speed of Bluetooth is atrocious.
Thanks for the website - very helpful to get around Verizon's gimping!
I can't believe that enabling mp3 support was actually that simple... and they wanted me to buy the 8500 / Chocolate.
And FWIW, I found you through a google search.
-Adam
hi i tried to enable the mp3 playback and i do all the steps but when i click the last step to press the (11.music settings it tells me not availible) please help!!!!!
ps. love your site very helpfull
Glad you like the site. Perhaps you got the new version of the phone which has mp3 support built in by default?
No longer available in V03 firmware upgrade as of 2006-10-28.
How do we know if we have the newest version of vx8300 that allows mp3 playback by default?
I recently ordered my phone on 10-27-06 and received it today, 10-30-06. Would I have the latest update?
Go to Settings & Tools, then (9)Phone Info, then select SW Version. If your SW Version ends with V01, you have the old version, if it ends with V03, you have the new version.
Looks like I still got v1 even though I ordered the phone 10-27-06. Anyhow, where do I find firmware updates and how do I upgrade?
Is there any significant disadvantage to upgrading?
Thanks (your page is great).
I actually haven't yet upgraded, but try searching Howardforums.com for more information on the new firmware. Try calling your local Verizon store and ask them if they'll upgrade it for you.
Andy:
Since you are considered the expert for creating this site, I am curious as to why you haven't upgraded yourself? (I'm assuming you are still running on v1).
Thanks
My local Verizon store just upgraded my VX8300 to version 3 firmware at N/C. My 2 gig SD card now registers correctly but I hapened to notice that the hack for enabling MP3s no longer works. Access to the 'Music Settings' area is now prohibited.
Anonymous: Been busy and haven't needed the new features.
Chucktps: MP3s should now play in the default music player.
I recently got the 8300 and love the phone, much better than the moto i had. The only problem i am having is that when i go and do the procedure to make the exterior buttons active (after 0000000 step and go down to 11. Music Settings) i get "Not Available." Any insight on what I need to do to make the exterior buttons functional?
Thanks for the site. I just wanted to add that using my Dell laptop with XP Media Center made it easy to copy songs off of my CD's and tranfer them to the MicroSD card. It makes them into WMAs and that does work nicer on the phone. No additional software needed which is also good. I have a Dell E1405 that has an SD card reader built right in. If you're in the looking for a laptop that's a feature I'd recommend.
HELP. My 8300 worked great as an MP3 player. I activated the front buttons, added MP3's to my SD card and it all worked...UNTIL I updated to the version 3 firmware.
Now the MP3 player is dead and I can't play any music from either the my music area or with the front button MP3 player.
I went back to the setup menu where you enter all the zero's to get in and it gives me an error saying "not available"
Any ideas on how to fix this???
Thanks,
dlwhite@tampabay.rr.com
Since I was the one to first mention that Verizon had changed the way MP3's are played after upgrading, I guess it's only fitting that I actually explain how to get the VX8300 to play MP3s with VO3. :)
First method: Hold down the play/pause button on the front controls for 10 seconds. Player will load and start playing first song.
Second method: Go to the "Get It Now" menu and press 14 to enter the "Music Library", then press 7 to "Play All". (Other options are available after pressing 14).
Posted date: 2006-11-29
P.S. One missing feature of this comment area is the missing posting date (which I have included myself above). The posting time is rather useless since even a stopped clock is right two times a day. :)
P.P.S. I would like to take this opportunity to thank Andy for putting this web site together, I've learned a lot about my VX8300 (first cell phone) and I tribute that to Andy's hard work in accumulating the information.
P.P.P.S. Incidentally, if anyone is interested, V03 does allow for 2GB MicroSD cards. I picked one up about a month ago and it is just amazing the amount of room in such a small cereal leaf like package. But be aware, like all MicroSD cards, they are difficult to pull out of the included SD adaptor.
If i update my phone's software to the latest version (vo3) will my mp3's in the my music folder be grouped by album, artist, genre, etc. like files gotten from Vcast? Or is there a way to put a playlist on the microSD card that the phone will read?
I cant get my phone to play any music. I have done every thing this forum has said to do and I keep getting "PLAYER ERROR" Music is not available. Or if I try the front buttons I get "No songs found in memory". I have a 1 gid micro SD card with adapter. I have formated it. Changed the the MP3 file on the phone and did the MP3 enable thing. What am I missing?
i have the v03 firmware so mp3s shouldnt be a problem but for some reason some of my songs dont work. I have like 120+ songs on the memory card but the phone only displays 80 or so. They're all mp3s so i dont know what the problem is. Anyone having a similar issue?
k figured it out- some of the titles were too long or something, so i shortened them to include no spaces (on my comp) and then they worked.
I have a v03 only problem is when i do that i says Not Available for me and it wont play no mp3...
Nice site. I, too, found this site through Google.
After following the instructions I now have my 1 gig card loaded with podcasts and playing from the front play button.
Thanks so much!
Jim
Excellent website Andy. Keep up the great work. One and only stop for anything to do with VX8300 phone.
If I upgrade from V01 to V03 @ the Verizon store, would I be able to play mp3s using the standard player? Right now, I am having to convert every mp3 to wma to use the default music player functionalities. Thanks -AJ
Yes, the new player will play mp3s.
Further questions should be directed to the forums.
I've enjoyed responding to your hundreds of comments, but I've finally decided to disable comment posting now that I've created a better alternative. Please use the VX8300 forums for any further questions, where they'll me answered by me, or any number of other helpful VX8300 users.
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