Why Can't Many Music Files Be Played from a Land Rover USB Drive?
3 Answers
Reasons why many music files cannot be played from a Land Rover USB drive: 1. Incorrect file location: For example, if songs are placed in folders within the USB drive. Simply move the song files to the root directory of the USB drive. 2. USB drive issues: The USB drive may have bad sectors or some corrupted files. Test the USB drive on a computer to see if the songs play. If they play normally on the computer, the issue might be the file format. The car can only read MP3 format song files, preferably at 128KB, and does not support other formats. 3. The USB drive might be in NTFS format: Generally, car USB drives should be in FAT32 format.
I previously encountered a similar issue when playing music from a USB drive in my Land Rover. It's mainly due to audio format compatibility issues. The Land Rover infotainment system is quite picky—it typically supports common formats like MP3 and WMA. If you’ve downloaded lossless formats like FLAC or APE, it simply won’t recognize them. Another pitfall is the USB drive’s file system—it must be formatted in FAT32, as NTFS can cause erratic behavior when read by the infotainment system. Personally, I convert high-definition music to 320kbps MP3 and rename the files to pure English, which allows smooth playback once plugged in. Also, avoid overly deep folder hierarchies for your music, as the system might fail to scan the files. If the issue persists, try using a high-speed USB drive, as slow read speeds can cause playback stuttering.
I've been using the Range Rover for three years and have figured out the USB music playback issue thoroughly. There are mainly three scenarios: first, the problem lies in the source files, such as encrypted formats downloaded from certain music platforms; second, the USB drive is too old—nowadays, large-capacity USB drives over 128GB need to be formatted as exFAT; third, ID3 tag encoding issues, especially with Japanese song titles which are prone to bugs. Last week, I deleted all music tag information and re-edited them using MP3Tag, and 90% of the songs could play. If you encounter playlist disorder, try initializing the media system on the car's infotainment and then restarting—this method works.