The Android operating system and platform was developed by Google. T-Mobile released the very first G1 Google Android smart phone in 2008 and intended it to be a major competitor to the iPhone by Apple. One of the coolest things about the Android system is that it is a complex operating system that completely enhances the user’s internet browsing experience.
Other than browsing the Web, users will enjoy the ability to listen to high quality music on their Android. Unfortunately, some phone users have been confused on how to get their music from their computer to their phone since there is no direct sync like with the Apple iPhone, which automatically loaded music from the iTunes program. Still, transferring music from your laptop or PC to your Android is not all that difficult. Just follow a few simple steps, and you will have mobile music at your fingertips.
The first thing to know is the type of files that can be upload onto your Android phone. The files types that are acceptable are: MP3, AMR, WMD (8), MIDI, WAV, OGG Vorbis, and M4A. iTunes uses M4A files, and if they have a digital rights management-protection it must first be converted or they will not play on your Android phone.
To transfer your music, you first want to connect your phone to your computer using a USB cable. Once you plug the cable into your phone and computer, you will see a USB icon in the menu bar on your phone. Drag the menu bar down and you will uncover a “USB Connected” message. When you tap this message, a dialog box will pop up asking “Mount” or “Don’t Mount.” You want to select “Mount,” which will transfer files from your computer to your phone’s SD card.
Next, you need to open your USB drive on your computer. A dialog box may pop up asking what you want to do with the new hardware, in which case you should click “Open Folder to View Files.” If a dialog box does not shw up, you can go to the Start Menu, My Computer, and double click on “Removable Disk.” You should see a folder titled “Music,” but if not, just create your own.
Now, go again to the Start Menu and My Computer. Open whatever file contains your music. This might be iTunes or just “Music.” Highlight all the music you want to have on your phone, and then drag it to the Music folder on the removable disk menu. It will take a few minutes for the transfer to complete. Once it does, click on “Safely Remove Hardware” icon on the bottom right side of your computer screen. Click on “USB Mass Storage” and click the “Stop” button. On your phone, drag the menu bar down once again and you will see a dialog that says “Turn off USB storage.” Click it and then you will see a prompt asking if you want to turn off the USB storage. Indicate that you do. It will now be safe for you to unhook the USB cord without damaging your computer, phone or files.
All that is left now is to try out your new music by going to the Music Application on your applications screen. Click on it and you can search for the song, album or artist you want to listen to.
Right now, the G1 Google Android is the only phone on the market using the Android operating system, but more will come into the marketplace. When they do, the steps to loading music might be slightly different, but it is likely they will at least be very similar.