[LongBeachJim]

I just downloaded a good portion of my iTunes library to this little glow-in-the-dark 32GB USB drive purchased on eBay for just $6.00. My last car didn't have a USB port, so now I feel like I'm catching up with the times, lol. I've been finding Pandora to be too glitchy (where sometimes I have to drive the car several blocks before the music comes on, or certain stations go "offline" for no apparent reason). Regarding Sirius, I have found their billing practices to be sleazy when I've subscribed to them in the past. I'll let them lapse after the one year free trial. Anyway, I'm really happy with the sound quality of the USB and this might be the way for me to go forward with in-car music. By the way, you can purchase pre-loaded USB drives on eBay if you feel that this is over your head, i.e., someone is selling 1,500 popular 50's/60's songs on a USB for $20.

 

[Stelvio]

I just downloaded a good portion of my iTunes library to this little glow-in-the-dark 32GB USB drive purchased on eBay for just $6.00. My last car didn't have a USB port, so now I feel like I'm catching up with the times, lol. I've been finding Pandora to be too glitchy (where sometimes I have to drive the car several blocks before the music comes on, or certain stations go "offline" for no apparent reason). Regarding Sirius, I have found their billing practices to be sleazy when I've subscribed to them in the past. I'll let them lapse after the one year free trial. Anyway, I'm really happy with the sound quality of the USB and this might be the way for me to go forward with in-car music. By the way, you can purchase pre-loaded USB drives on eBay if you feel that this is over your head, i.e., someone is selling 1,500 popular 50's/60's songs on a USB for $20.

I did the same. Like it also because there is no fooling around. Instant music.

 

[TomM]

I'm really enjoying Pandora. I loaded all the artists from my iTunes library into the station, and it's suggesting similar artists that I generally like. I'm trying to expand my music awareness beyond the stuff I already know, and it generally does a good job. Sound quality is excellent, as well.

Downside is indeed that it's a bit slow to load, but I can live with it. I do intend to load up a USB stick for when I'm out of cell range, though.

 

[sharkcohen]

I am loving the Pandora integration. Being able to thumb up a song on the fly with the console controls is awesome. Much safer than fussing with my phone, and I can leave my phone on my GPS.

 

[TDPerry]

I had a spare iPhone 5s that I never use and I simply loaded all my music onto it and then placed the phone in the little console cutout. I like the iTunes interface and it also gives me a spare phone with me in case I ever do something to my iPhone 7 that I carry for actual cell phone use.

One thing I hate about the Pandora integration is that if I ever restart my iPhone 7 I have a prompt on the thing to allow Pandora access from the car that I have to acknowledge. As long as it's left running in the background you don't normally get that prompt on the phone. It IS an issue that is specific to the iPhone with the newer versions of IOS as it is an IOS "security" feature.
I like the Toyota process better. They have an app called Entune that you have to load on the phone and then IT integrates directly with Pandora on the phone and I never get those prompts in the RAV4.

I am in the process of looking for a "shorty" 64GB USB stick that doesn't stick out like a sore thumb from the USB socket, but haven't found anything yet.

EDIT:
Think I may have found what will work well..
https://www.amazon.com/SanDisk-Cruz...d=1486243574&sr=8-6&keywords=64gb+thumb+drive

 

[PureAdrenaline]

I have a 32 gig stick also...lots of music...

 

[stevet]

LongBeachJim- in regard to Sirius, I've been an arm wrestler with them for 5 years in my other car. A word of caution, do not simply let your account lapse. Their standard practice is to auto-renew and charge your credit card, without ever letting you know. The best way to avoid this is to call a couple days before the end of your service period and instruct them to close the account and specifically not renew for another service term.

Steve.

 

[2naCanDan]

I had a spare iPhone 5s that I never use and I simply loaded all my music onto it and then placed the phone in the little console cutout. I like the iTunes interface and it also gives me a spare phone with me in case I ever do something to my iPhone 7 that I carry for actual cell phone use.

Are you using the iPhone 5s as a "mass USB storage device" where you queue the songs on the radio?

 

[LongBeachJim]

LongBeachJim- in regard to Sirius, I've been an arm wrestler with them for 5 years in my other car. A word of caution, do not simply let your account lapse. Their standard practice is to auto-renew and charge your credit card, without ever letting you know. The best way to avoid this is to call a couple days before the end of your service period and instruct them to close the account and specifically not renew for another service term.

Steve.

Yeah, I know the drill as I dealt with Sirius for years. Towards end of contract I'd always do a 'fake' cancellation on the phone to negotiate the best price (when pushed they connect you with a manager just like at a cheezy car sales lot), and I'd have them MAIL me a bill.

For those of you unfamiliar, NEVER give Sirius your credit card because they will auto-bill you a year later for 2-3 times what you paid the previous year. Dispicable company. Glad to dump them for my little USB, lol.

 

[LongBeachJim]

I have a 32 gig stick also...lots of music...

I was transferring multiple albums this morning. Regarding 32 gigs, do you have a rough idea of how much music it stores, or if there is a way to know how many gigs are left?

Update: Listened to the B52's on the way to a party tonight and Sinatra on the way home, top down with heated seats on. The sound is really crisp and clear. A friend thought the blue glow-in-the-dark USB made the 124 look like a space ship, lol.

 

[RBH58]

Seem to spend most of my time on Pandora's Shoegaze channel. My Bloody Valentine, Slowdive, Swervedriver, Lush, Jesus & Mary Chain, Smiths, Cure, Interpol....Love it!

 

[RBH58]

Update: Listened to the B52's on the way to a party tonight and Sinatra on the way home, top down with heated seats on. The sound is really crisp and clear. A friend thought the blue glow-in-the-dark USB made the 124 look like a space ship, lol.

LOL....Actually saw the B52s live! yesterday. I've seen them about 5 times live over the years, and yesterday, celebrating 40 years together, they were better than ever!

 

[einsteinxx]

Is there a way to have the USB song list default to return to your song in the folder view? With a lot of songs on USB, I play a song towards the bottom of the list and when I go to choose a song near that, it always starts at the top of the list. I'm usually viewing through the FOLDER view.

 

[Bob Z]

I have a 32 gig stick also...lots of music...

I am not very tech savvy so tell me: if you have a stick with a lot of songs on can you skip over a song if you don't like it? I was looking at the pre-loaded sticks on ebay and for the money it seems they would be perfect me.

 

[LongBeachJim]

I am not very tech savvy so tell me: if you have a stick with a lot of songs on can you skip over a song if you don't like it? I was looking at the pre-loaded sticks on ebay and for the money it seems they would be perfect me.

Yes, you can skip songs. There are the classic skip arrows which appear on the screen. You can also scroll by turning the round knob on your center console. You can also search by artist or album.

 

[ameridan]

Is there a way to have the USB song list default to return to your song in the folder view? With a lot of songs on USB, I play a song towards the bottom of the list and when I go to choose a song near that, it always starts at the top of the list. I'm usually viewing through the FOLDER view.

This isn't a direct answer to your question, but there is a tweak available that will atleast let you go backwards from the top of the list into the bottom, rather than having to scroll forward all the way to the bottom.

Option [K] in the All-in-One Tweaks: Enable List Loop so that as an example, you can scroll backwards with your Commander knob from the “A”s in your folder list and go directly to the “Z”s

I am not very tech savvy so tell me: if you have a stick with a lot of songs on can you skip over a song if you don't like it?

Yes, using the Commander controls, touch screen controls, steering wheel next button or with Voice control.

(Oops, I guess it was already answered)

 

[Stelvio]

I'm really enjoying Pandora. I loaded all the artists from my iTunes library into the station, and it's suggesting similar artists that I generally like. I'm trying to expand my music awareness beyond the stuff I already know, and it generally does a good job. Sound quality is excellent, as well.

Downside is indeed that it's a bit slow to load, but I can live with it. I do intend to load up a USB stick for when I'm out of cell range, though.

When I posted my original comment about I prefer the memory stick, because I haven't had my car long I hadn't really experimented with the Pandora APP option. I tried it based on your post, and with the Pandora fully integrated into the screen and selector knob and other controls, I have to agree that it is a very slick option as well. Still like my USB instant on feature, but that fact that the Pandora app allows you to set your phone down and forget it, switching off between to two, is a great way to go.

 

[TDPerry]

Are you using the iPhone 5s as a "mass USB storage device" where you queue the songs on the radio?

I simply plug the iPhone 5s into the USB port via the charging cable. When I go to select it it shows USB2 - Apple Device, detecting that it is a USB device but using the Appple iTunes data that is available to it via the "player" that allows control of the music playback via the head unit.
The main difference is it allows me to filter based upon Artist, Genre, Album and more whereas the USB thumb drive itself only allowed me to basically browse through the folders (which were broken down by artist) and select that folder or to play ALL songs.
Of course, I simply copied the directory structure from my iTunes layout over to the thumb drive and they were in .m4a format instead of MP3 - but I don't think that has anything to do with it. I didn't update the music DB, which may have made a difference (the option in the system settings I think).