You do not have to give up your music collection while on the move. Streaming services such as Spotify are excellent, but you should not have to pay for the music you already have. If you want to transfer your music to your Android device, here's how.
USB cable file transfer
The easiest way to transfer your music to your Android device is to connect to your PC with a USB cable. You can then manage your collection with the help of a music application such as Phonograph once the files are on your phone.
Connect your device to your PC and wait for it to appear. On Windows, it should appear under "Devices and Drives" in the File Explorer.
MacOS users will have to use Android file transfer. Download it and install it on your Mac, then connect your Android device. You can then browse the contents of your Android device and copy your music files directly.
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Sometimes, Android defaults to a charging mode that prevents you from accessing the file system of your Android device via USB. If your computer has not detected your Android device, check if the USB setting is correct.
Your device may ask you what you want to do with your USB connection when you connect it, rather than automatically deciding it, with options such as "Transfer files". It may be worded a little differently on your arrival, choose this option. Once your PC has recovered it, you can then start moving files.
Now open your music folder and start dragging items to your Android device where you want to store your music collection. This process may take some time depending on the number of files you decide to transfer.
Transfer using Flash Drive
You can also use a USB flash drive to transfer your music files from your PC to your device. You can either use a USB-C key (if your Android device uses USB-C) or use a USB-C OTG Adapter (On The Go) to allow you to connect a standard USB flash drive.
RELATED: How to use a USB stick with your Android phone or tablet
Your internal file manager on Android may vary, but when you connect your USB storage, it gives you the option (in your notification bar) to view the files. If this is not the case, locate the file management application on your device (or download a first one, Asus File Manager) and locate your USB key.
Most file managers will either support the direct move of your files, or copy them to leave the original files intact.
in the Samsung My Files app, for example, you can select a file or folder located in your connected USB storage and choose "Move" or "Copy" at the bottom.
Select your music files (or the folder containing your files) and choose to copy or move them. Switch from your USB storage to your internal storage or SD card, then paste or move the files there.
Your music files will then be stored on your device, ready to be used in the music application of your choice.
Transfer to Google Drive
With 15GB of free storage, Google Drive is the easiest way to keep your music collection synced across all your devices, including Android and PC.
The Google Drive app for Android does not allow you to download entire folders directly to your Android device. If you do not want to upload your files one by one, folder by folder, the easiest way is to use CloudBeats.
Using a third-party music app for Android allows you to upload your files to your device directly from cloud storage providers, including Google Drive and Dropbox. You can use alternatives like CloudPlayer instead of.
Start by downloading your music on Google Drive on the web. Click "New" in the upper left corner and choose "File Download" to download individual files or "File Download" to download your music collection at one time.
If you prefer, you can use Google backup and sync synchronize files from your PC. Download the installer, open it once the installation is complete, then click on "Get Started". You will be asked to sign in to your Google Account.
Once you're signed in, select the music folders you want to sync with Google Drive by clicking "Choose a folder" and then "Next."
At the next step, confirm that you want to sync Google Drive to your PC and click "Start". Your existing Google Drive files will start downloading to your PC, while your music collection will start downloading to Google Drive.
Once your files are in place, install CloudBeats on your Android device, open it and swipe left to "Files".
Click on "Add Cloud" and choose Google Drive. You will be asked if you want to allow CloudBeats to access your Google Account. Choose "Allow".
You will then see your Google Drive files and folders in CloudBeats. Locate the folder containing your music collection, press the menu button (the three vertical dots), then click "Download".
The files will be synchronized on your device. You can play your music collection in CloudBeats or, if you prefer, once the files are downloaded, you can play them via Google Play Music or another Android music app.
RELATED: Best Free Music Apps for Android and iPhone
Transfer to Dropbox
If you prefer to deviate as much as possible from the Google ecosystem, but you like the idea of a cloud solution for your music collection, you can use a service such as Dropbox.
Dropbox comes with 2GB of free storage, enough for hundreds of songs. Downloading entire folders using Dropbox requires a Dropbox Plus subscription. So we recommend, as with Google Drive, to use Dropbox with an application such as CloudBeats unless you are willing to pay for a membership.
Downloading files on Dropbox is easy. Head to the Dropbox website, log in and click on "Upload Files" or "Upload Folder" on the right.
If you plan to synchronize files regularly, it may be easier to install Dropbox on your PC. Download and install Dropbox and log in with your account.
Once installed and connected, you can then start moving your collection to a folder in your main Dropbox folder. You can also change the location of your Dropbox folder so that it matches the one you are currently using for your music collection.
RELATED: How to change the location of your Dropbox folder
Windows users can find their Dropbox folder by going to "C: Users your-username Dropbox" or by selecting "Dropbox" in the left sidebar of the Windows File Explorer.
It may take a while to download your collection. Once done, you can use CloudBeats to play your music on your Android device.
Open the CloudBeats application, scroll left to select "Files," then click "Add Cloud."
Choose "Dropbox" and sign in with your Dropbox login credentials. You will be asked if you want to allow CloudBeats to access your Dropbox files and folders. Click on "Allow".
Your Dropbox folders should then appear in the application. Locate the folder containing your music collection, click the menu option located next to the folder, and then click "Download."
Once you click Download, your music files will start downloading, ready for offline reading in CloudBeats or your favorite music app.
Wireless transfer using Airdroid
If you do not have a USB cable at your fingertips, you can use AirDroid transfer files between your PC and your Android device instead.
Install the app on your Android device and create an AirDroid account (or sign in if you already have one). You will then need download the AirDroid client for your PC.
AirDroid supports Windows and macOS, but it also has a Web interface to allow you to download files using your browser. Once downloaded, sign in with the same AirDroid account as your Android device.
Once you are connected to both devices, you should see your Android device listed under "My Devices" on your PC. If you do, click on "Files" in the side menu.
Click on "SD Card" or "External SD". "SD card" in this case means your internal memory while "external SD" is your external SD card. Right-click on the folder area and create a new folder by selecting "New Folder".
Rename this to something obvious, such as "Music" or "Music Collection".
Open the Windows File Manager, select your files (but not the folders, if you only have the free version of AirDroid), and start dragging them into the folder you created in AirDroid.
AirDroid will then download these files to your wireless Android device. Once this is done, you can access it in the music application of your choice.
Transfer to Google Play Music
Google likes to keep you connected to Google services. We've already recommended Google Play Music as a way to sync your music collection to your Android device.
Note: Google Play Music is about to retire and be "eventually" replaced by YouTube Music in the near future.
For the moment, however, you can use the Google Play Music Manager to enjoy this free storage of 100,000 songs. This tool will scan your PC by checking the current folders (like those that would use iTunes) or any folders that you personally select for music files.
When Music Manager scans these folders, it starts downloading your files to Google Play Music. You will be able to access your music collection via the Google Play Music app on your smartphone or via your PC via the Google Play Music website.
You do not need to stay to watch your music download because Music Manager will start downloading immediately.
Once downloaded, the files will be available in your Google Play Music app.
It is important to note that information about the future of your collection when Google disappears but that Play Music is not available. The company will probably announce if your files will be transferred with you to YouTube Music when announcing an end date for Google Play Music.