Been asked a 1000 times, well aware…. Didn’t have working NAS storage before.

Hate most things Apple with certain passion and consider iTunes a worthless piece of crap. Loaded a bunch of music with it a couple of years ago when i got the phone and got rid of it.

Using Windows machines if needed. Tried copying from NAS with Qfile (QNAP), VLC (my default player) and no joy. Getting the empty folder created at best. Need a straight forward file manager that can see my Windows machines or the NAS and be able to do the most basic copy/paste operations .

Am I SOL?

You can do it, but, then there's nothing useful you can do with the music. There is, or was, last time I looked, no music player for iOS that will play them in sequence.

You can play them one-at-a-time. As in: Click one. It plays. It stops. You go back to Files. Click another. It plays. It stops. Go back to Files...

I use VLC, no problem. Watch also downloaded mkv tv series episodes.

VLC has its own file transfer prg but need it running at both ends. That is what i used for years between my download machine at work and my iphone. Slow but effective.
Too lazy to copy my folders to the PC and run VLC against my phone.

Would love a one step solution.

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Why can't you just connect to yo your NAS and copy them over?
Not a problem with my Android phone and Google-Foo says similar procedure for IPhone.

quote:

Originally posted by smschulz:
Why can't you just connect to yo your NAS and copy them over?

If his NAS supports the SMB network filesystem, he can. I do it to my Linux box.

The problem isn't getting the music onto the iPhone, it's playing it once you get it there.

Apple wants you to use iTunes and only iTunes. I suspect that's one reason there are no third-party music players that can play from file folders on iThings.

It's annoying, but not a deal-killer for me. If it was, I wouldn't be using iThings.

Which is kind of ironic, when you think about it.

quote:

Originally posted by ensigmatic:

If his NAS supports the SMB network filesystem, he can. I do it to my Linux box.

The problem isn't getting the music onto the iPhone, it's playing it once you get it there.

I got the impression the issue from the OP was in the data transfer process.

However, if it is a file compatibility issue then that is another thing.

You can't transfer and play MP3, FLAC, WAV or other files on iPhone?
And there are no other players of these files?

IF it is a proprietary format that is not helpful then I would want to convert or abandon.

Using VLC as i’ve done since i ditched the early Windows players, not a single issue so far.

Player NOT a problem, AT ALL.

smschultz, i wonder why i can’t just copy from the network ditting the n front of the NAS and router. Blaming Apple for this.

i can browse at will with several managers but the copy/ paste process stops after creating a properly named empty folders.

Using admin credentials, no fancy permissions, it’s just me on the network.

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Nicky I would look at the permissions set on the folders.
Like ensigmatic said ~ SMB set on QNAP is how I do in Android (and Windows).
Can you copy any individual file instead of just a full folder including residual files?
I saw some tips Googling your issue.

quote:

Originally posted by 0-0:
smschultz, i wonder why i can’t just copy from the network ditting the n front of the NAS and router. Blaming Apple for this.

In this case it's the archer, not the arrow.

I use iOS'/iPadOS' "Files" app. Press on the "...", select "Connect to server," fill in the appropriate into. Easy peasy.

If it's not working you're doing something wrong. As smschulz suggested: Permissions problem on the server or something.

Connecting, browsing, playing, reading from network no problem. Using iPhone built in files manager and VLC browser with no hiccups.

Got steady connection as in permanent and am THE ONE and only Admin / User. Rest of devices in network work hunky dory

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^^^ still a permissions issue.

READ vs WRITE are different.
Check the folder permissions.

In the early days of my IT I always said if you understood TCP/IP (networking) and Permissions (NTFS but it applies to other in principle) you could solve almost all problems.
It has morphed a bit since those primary LAN days.

Don't feel bad -it's just a challenge.
Sometimes easy sometimes not so much.
Eventually you will figure it out and may have to continue with some tests.
It may not be recognizing you as the user you think.
Happens a lot in the Windows realm.
If not on Domain then it assumes your computer-name inasmuch as {computername\username} not just a user.
That user would be NASname\user not just the admin name. (connecting from network - not a local connection)
Of course it could be something in the folder permissions too.
You can do it.

Don’t grow old, guys!

Used to be lighting fast at troubleshooting and outsmarting these little issues.

Been looking at this partially wrong.

Can NOT copy folders contents if
selecting the Folder. It will copy just the Folder with no content.

Can copy content, one by one, at will. Definitely not practical.

So, i’m short some type of permission I guess.

Container YES, Content YES, Container including Content NO.

Betting the itch is on the Apple side of things. It despises me as much as i despise most things Apple, but the Beatles record company

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quote:

Can NOT copy folders contents if
selecting the Folder. It will copy just the Folder with no content.

Can copy content, one by one, at will

Can you select more than one file (start with two) and copy them?


I would review your settings in the QNAP NAS.
* Shared Folders under Priviledge
* WIN/Mac/NFD under Network File Services.


One more thing could you enable the FTP service and download that way?

Keep at it - you'll figure it out.

Nicky,

When I go to a SMB file share exported by my server, using the Files app on my iThing, I can choose Select, "check" a directory I want to copy, then click Move (yeah, not intuitive), choose the destination directory in iCloud or on my device, click Copy, and the directory and all its contents get copied to there.

And now I owe you a debt of gratitude! I've been trying to figure out for several years how to play music on my iThings without iTunes. I even asked, a couple times, in an iPhone forum and got no help.

Well, tonight, you having told me its possible, and now, knowing it was possible with VLC, I poked-around until I noticed a VLC folder, in Files, with a file named "Place media here..." So I copied a folder full of music in there and voilà: I can play whole albums!

So thanks!

Since music in my hearing aids sounds so tinny, now I again have a use for my AirPods, too

Glad i was of any use.

But for a couple of quite unusual music file types for the most exquisite audio crowd, VLC has performed in outstanding ways for me over decades.
Not reached 4k status yet with my TV yet but already have a few movies waiting…..
Didn’t pay much attention to my Qnap NAS app but prefer to rather stick with an universal solution and VLC is my answer.

iThingies music player is so unattractive I have been avoiding it since my first iPhone 3.

Returned to my PC and VLC for copyy entire folders to the iPhone. Sometimes best is good worst enemy. Wasted too much time on this just for a dozen albums.

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quote:

Originally posted by 0-0:
Returned to my PC and VLC for copyy entire folders to the iPhone. Sometimes best is good worst enemy. Wasted too much time on this just for a dozen albums.

Yeah, well, for me that's another place Apple strikes again.

I don't run MS-Windows. We had been planning on a couple Mac desktops, probably Mac Minis, until Apple came up with their brain-dead plan to install spyware in iOS, iPadOS, and, most remarkably, MacOS. That put all Apple purchase plans on indefinite hold. (Haven't purchased a single Apple product since.)

There is an open source Linux connectivity solution, but Apple keeps mucking with the protocol and breaking it--I'm quite certain deliberately.

I really have little love for Apple these days. The only things that keep me from going back to Android is the investment we have in Apple kit and that I like and trust Google just slightly >< less than I do Apple.

My wife has her iphone by her side all the time.

It is DISGUSTING that we can’t have a conversation with sone form of related advertising popping up in the following hour.

Someone told us about bat infertation in another building, word bat haven’t been used in ages in our conversations, and next thing you know we are covered in pest control adds.

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