Music MP3 player for iPad?

skiphunt

Hey, I have an extra legacy iPad that isn’t being used. It won’t run the latest iPadOS since it’s an iPad Air 2 (I think) but it’s still working great and the battery is still decent.

I thought I’d copy over a large library of mp3 music files and use it as a music/jukebox player via Apple AirPlay to my stereo.

Only, it doesn’t look like I can import these MP3’s into Apples music app anymore. Or, if you can, it doesn’t look obvious.

Does anyone recommend a basic mp3 music player app that will run on an older iPad, lets me import in or set a folder full of mp3s to play… and maybe create playlists and shuffle music. Preferably free or cheap. No subscription

uncledave

Hi. I use FE File Explorer Pro. It's a general file manager, but you can use it for this. Create a folder, play one song, or all, shuffle. No playlists, tho'.

skiphunt

@uncledave said:
Hi. I use FE File Explorer Pro. It's a general file manager, but you can use it for this. Create a folder, play one song, or all, shuffle. No playlists, tho'.

Thx, I’ll check it out. Seems you used to be able to import your non-iTunes mp3s into the Apple app to play and make playlists… but you can’t do that any more?

Poppadocrock

@skiphunt said:

@uncledave said:
Hi. I use FE File Explorer Pro. It's a general file manager, but you can use it for this. Create a folder, play one song, or all, shuffle. No playlists, tho'.

Thx, I’ll check it out. Seems you used to be able to import your non-iTunes mp3s into the Apple app to play and make playlists… but you can’t do that any more?

I think you can you just have to find specific apps that allow that functionality. Particularly apps that let you access the file manager, thus storage, and cloud storage spaces.

wim

I like VLC. Not the friendliest interface to figure out, but its free and has all the basic functionality you mention plus tons more. No need to import either, you can reference the file system. Good for videos too.

skiphunt

@Poppadocrock said:

@skiphunt said:

@uncledave said:
Hi. I use FE File Explorer Pro. It's a general file manager, but you can use it for this. Create a folder, play one song, or all, shuffle. No playlists, tho'.

Thx, I’ll check it out. Seems you used to be able to import your non-iTunes mp3s into the Apple app to play and make playlists… but you can’t do that any more?

I think you can you just have to find specific apps that allow that functionality. Particularly apps that let you access the file manager, thus storage, and cloud storage spaces.

I've got tons of mp3s from when I used to listen to them. Now I mostly stream, but I also download albums I don't have via a local library account. When I play them on my macOS machine, I use a little free app called Pine Player. Easy, drag and drop, and easy playlist creation. Was hoping for something similar on the iPad.

Not vital though... just looking for a new use of an old iPad that still works fine but isn't being used. It's not worth enough to bother selling either.

skiphunt

@wim said:
I like VLC. Not the friendliest interface to figure out, but its free and has all the basic functionality you mention plus tons more. No need to import either, you can reference the file system. Good for videos too.

thanks! I might actually have that already installed somewhere. I think I had it at one point for video playback, but didn't know it did mp3s also

Nighur

I love JetAudio and Evermusic Pro.

filo01

I'm using Music Speed Changer for playing of MP3. Free version is sufficient for that and you don't need to import files into the app.
https://apps.apple.com/us/app/music-speed-changer/id1595494271

cdnalsi

foobar2000

EdZAB

@cdnalsi said:
foobar2000

+1 on Foobar200 - I use it all the time.

FizzyLizzy27

I use FooBar as well. Let’s me listen to downloaded game soundtracks and albums I buy on Bandcamp.

Ailerom

Came here to suggest Foobar

skiphunt

Thanks for all the suggestions! Will check them out. Foobar looks popular too

busaudio

I think, foobar cannot play from network sources, or?
VLC offers better connectivity.

While FE File Explorer Pro is quite decent, I switched to File Browser Professional, @uncledave https://apps.apple.com/app/filebrowser-professional/id854618029

But it also has no playlists.

So finally, EverMusic Pro could be the best solution, as it also offers network sources.

qqq

The "Documents: By Readdle" app works great as an MP3 player among other things.

skiphunt

I tried a couple of the free options, VLC and FooBar2000.

Looks like FooBar only lets me add music via FTP or playing iTunes playlists?

Moved on to VLC.

So far, VLC is hitting all the marks. So much so... if it continues to work well... might even send that dev a tip!

I was able to connect and playback from an external drive via SMB connect... and I also easily transferred folders of mp3s to the VLC folder on the iPad. Categorized, artwork, etc.

Easily created playlists.

Only one issue so far... that I think I've already resolved. For some reason, after you start playing back a playlist, then manually lock screen, it only plays one or two songs before stopping. However, if I just let the iPad playback without locking the screen… iv3 got it on the dark setting and the battery is not running down excessively quick. I can live with that.

A side note... I'm impressed that this iPad Air 2 that we've had for 10years... got several years of use by me... then, even more years of use when I gave it to my wife (we upgraded her iPad to a new air recently) - is still running just fine. I just set it up with a bare-bones set of apps to free up maximum space for mp3 libraries. Battery still lasts several hours. I even browsed online and went through email with it last night and almost forgot I wasn't using my newer iPads. I can tell it's a little slower.... but for the most part... pretty much still runs as well as it did when it was new. 10 years ago!