iPad experts - where did my music go?

[geoff_hartwell]

How do you guys organize music on your iPads?

The iTunes on my relatively new iPad is nothing like my laptop.

I can only see music that I've purchased through iTunes, and mostly in cloud form.

For example when I email at track to myself, or get one from someone else and download it (demos etc), where does it go?

They haven't showed up in iTunes, and I can't find anything from my settings page, or in iTunes itself.

What gives?

[devrock]

You probability have iTunes set to "Show All Music" on your iPad, which would basically synch with whatever you have on iCloud. I'm pretty sure you want that setting to be turned off (go to Settings->Music). Also, when you have the iPad plugged in to your computer, you want to select "Manually manage songs and playlists" checked.

[gorch]

Total switch to Amazon Music. Works in sync on most platforms.

[specialk]

Total switch to Amazon Music. Works in sync on most platforms.

This might be an option.

No iPad here, just an iMac. Apple updated iTunes to version 12 recently and it's confounding me to get it to look/behave like 11 did.

I wish I was still back on 10.7 with Coverflow!

[gorch]

Total switch to Amazon Music. Works in sync on most platforms.

This might be an option.

No iPad here, just an iMac. Apple updated iTunes to version 12 recently and it's confounding me to get it to look/behave like 11 did.

I wish I was still back on 10.7 with Coverflow!

The nice thing with it. On occasional CD buys it auto rips into the player even before the CD arrives.

[specialk]

Off topic, but speaking of iPads:

[geoff_hartwell]

But, specifically, I open my email on the iPad, there's an mp3 attachment, I click, it says downloading, but to where?

can't find it anywhere...

[fractal]

But, specifically, I open my email on the iPad, there's an mp3 attachment, I click, it says downloading, but to where?

can't find it anywhere...

If you hold your finger on the attachment (assuming you are in the Mail application), a menu pops up that allows you to open the attachment in any appropriate program (or email it, etc.). If I do this to a sound file attachment, it allows me to open it in iTunes. There are other sound player apps that would work too in case you didn't want iTunes for some reason. These all should be shown as available if you hold your finger on the attachment.

[cynic]

It sounds like you're asking about the method of file management the iPad uses. To the best of my knowledge, you can't access any sort of "stored music" folder to see things outside of apps.

The complete lack of file management was one of the main reasons I put off buying any iDevice for a long time. After using an iPhone and iPad for a couple years now, I really can't remember why I thought I'd need it, but for the limited file management needs I do have I use dropbox.

[scottcald]

If it comes as an email attachment, when you tap and it downloads, it stays with the email. You can tap on it again and it'll play, but then go back to the email and do as fractal suggests. If you open the email on your computer, drag that file into the iTunes window and it'll make it available in iCloud if you have that turned on.

Hope that's helpful.

[gorch]

But, specifically, I open my email on the iPad, there's an mp3 attachment, I click, it says downloading, but to where?

can't find it anywhere...

It goes to the email app's sandbox temp file system. Any of the mobile OS does not support a classic file system anymore. The OS follow an app approach with content that's being handed over between apps using the send-to operation. Any app has its own sandbox in which it maintains its contents. Partly you should be able watch and access this space with iTunes. I use iExplorer to maintain files the classic way on iOS.