Pardon my enthusiasm, but I just loaded a huge chunk of my iTunes library onto a 4GB USB drive and plugged it in to the MINI's USB port. It is very cool that you can "carry" that much music around on such a small device, and that you can access and play it in the car so easily.
Neither terrestrial nor satellite radio stands much of a chance against customizable competition like that. Plus, the quality is pretty decent, even without a lot of expensive audio mods.
Sorry, just had to rant a little. The MINI is one cool little car.

 

Gotta love those flash drives! I have about 1GB worth on my cell phone and think its great listening to it at work with a wireless headset.

Just curious, how did you get your iTunes songs onto a flash drive? Was this done in iTunes or were these just MP3 files?

 

I'm curious about playlist support -- have you done any? Does it read m3u? pls?

Oh, and does it always resume playing exactly where it was after leaving the car along overnight? w/ my ipod mini it isn't, so I might go for the MP3 flash drive instead...

 

I have iTunes set to "import" everything in mp3 format, and have burned protected tunes to CD then re-imported them into iTunes (they then import as mp3 files). Cumbersome, but a relatively easy way to convert protected files.

To put mp3s on a flash drive, just plug in the drive, select all the mp3 files you want to transfer, and drag them onto the flash drive icon on your desktop. The mp3s will then copy themselves onto the flash drive. It'll take a few minutes. I haven't tried to import "playlists." I just put all my favorite iTunes on - in one big bunch. I play 'em back with RANDOM selected.

So far, when I come back to the car and select USB drive, it picks up right where it stopped last time I was listening to it.

 

So you are doing this from Explorer and not within iTunes? I was wondering if you transfered the files to flash from within iTunes, because I didn't know if iTunes supports this. iTunes seems to "hide" the music files that are on your hard drive, msking this a bit confusing (to me).

 

The problem with this approach is you're compressing the files twice, and losing quality both times. What do you still have that's protected? If it's older iTunes stuff, I'd consider paying up and converting them to iTunes Plus, which is 256k bitrate and DRM-free. Then copy those AAC files directly to your USB stick, and have much better quality reproduction.

I was originally planning on using a 16gb stick for all my stuff, with AAC files directly out of iTunes. But I haven't figured out how to set up playlists, so instead I just use a 5G iPod Nano, permanently plugged in via the Y-cable. Excellent solution, working like a champ, and the Y-cable charges both the Nano and my iPhone 3GS properly.

 

Yes, lossy to lossy is a BIG no no. Why bother using a flash drive when you likely have an old iPod laying around that will integrate and work much better. If not you can buy a used one fairly cheap and have a lot more storage room plus use in other cars/portable.

 

I am using the splitter that goes into the USB port and IPOD connector in my 2010 (just bought last week). The only connect site I can find is front center, below/behind gearshift. I keep reading about connect options in the glove box etc but I don't see any...so that's in earlier models?

 

@roxie2u - The glove box interface fakes the head unit out so that it thinks an iPod is a CD changer. It's a dealer installed option.

 

This is what I have....it has an odd way of doing a shuffle (hitting next in the shuffle mode doesn't go to the random song, but the next song by that artist, etc.)

That said, you can have a 120GB iPod of music completely hidden in the secret compartment, it auto charges, and you never have to mess with it. It's a fantastic option and I love it.

 

Okay, that solves that. Thank you!

 

I just bought a 32 gig SanDisk usb cruzer drive. I only put about 5 gigs of music on it to begin with. After I plug it in and I select usb in the music menu, the "usb" says "load" for about a half second and then nothing. Any ideas on what the problem might be?

 

Could be a few things. Is 32gb even supported? Not sure if I've read of anyone successfully using a drive that big. Mine is 16gb and that works fine.

Or that may not be an issue at all. How was the stick formatted? I believe it must be FAT-32 to work. There's a USB document @ miniusa that explains some of the workings of the USB connection.. can't locate it at the moment, sorry.

 

As KevinC says the drive MUST be formatted as FAT-32 and the Cruser models are not formated that way and they also have propriatery software installed on them that makes them fail.

As for the size it should not be a problem as long as you can get it to format to FAT-32

 

Whoa! I'm glad I read this post before I ripped open the 8M SanDisk flash drive I bought for the car today! Can anybody suggest a brand that we know is FAT-32?

 

Not important to buy one formatted that way, just do it yourself before loading it up. Windoze and OS X are both capable and it takes literally seconds. I'd imagine that most/all flavors of Linux are as well.

 

OK, as a 40-something with 400+ CDs and 6000+ songs on my iPod...

I've been a satellite radio subscriber since 2002. Every time I consider canceling the sub, I remember how much new music I've been exposed to over the past eight years. Instead of being another crotchety old phart complaining that "all the new music sucks", I've had exposure to new music in similar veins that has broadened my views. Sure, I still think hip hop sucks, but I'm still buying new CDs from current artists. It helps keep me "current".

iTunes is OK, but the random factor of "that's kind of cool. Who is that?" accompanied with author/title is still valuable for us of the ethernet generation.

In other words: sometimes it's kind of nice to have someone shove something new and unexpected in my face, commercial free.