Playlist: Relative Path to External Memory Card?

I’ve read that the clip+ will only recognize relative paths in playlists.  I’d like to create an m3u playlist with songs on both internal and external memory but my clip+ only recognizes songs on internal memory.  My clip+ is in msc usb mode.

Can someone help me with the path syntax for the songs on the external card? I’ve tried various paths but my clip+ won’t see the external songs.

The m3u playlist is in the Music folder on the internal memory (my G: drive).  The external card is my I: drive. The songs are in the Music folders on the internal and external cards. 

Here’s what didn’t work:

First Try:

#EXTM3U
#EXTINF:270,I Shall Be Unreleased: The Songs Of Bob Dylan - 2 - Love Is Just A Four Letter Word
Baez Joan\Joan Baez - Love is Just a Four Letter Word.mp3
#EXTINF:342,Mike + the Mechanics - 8 - All I Need Is A Miracle
I:\MUSIC\All I need is a miracle-album-128.MP3
#EXTINF:206, -  -
I:\MUSIC\Jazz\Benny Goodman - Moonglow.mp3

Second Try:

#EXTM3U
#EXTINF:270,I Shall Be Unreleased: The Songs Of Bob Dylan - 2 - Love Is Just A Four Letter Word
Baez Joan\Joan Baez - Love is Just a Four Letter Word.mp3
#EXTINF:342,Mike + the Mechanics - 8 - All I Need Is A Miracle
…music\I:\MUSIC\All I need is a miracle-album-128.MP3
#EXTINF:206, -  -
…music\I:\MUSIC\Jazz\Benny Goodman - Moonglow.mp3

Third Try:

#EXTM3U
#EXTINF:270,I Shall Be Unreleased: The Songs Of Bob Dylan - 2 - Love Is Just A Four Letter Word
Baez Joan\Joan Baez - Love is Just a Four Letter Word.mp3
#EXTINF:342,Mike + the Mechanics - 8 - All I Need Is A Miracle
…\I:\MUSIC\All I need is a miracle-album-128.MP3
#EXTINF:206, -  -
…\I:\MUSIC\Jazz\Benny Goodman - Moonglow.mp3

Thanks for any help.

Ellen

You can’t use an .m3u format playlist to include files from both memory locations. You are correct to have it in the Music folder along with the songs on your internal memory, but it won’t read from both places. You could create one from the songs on the card and put the playlist file in the Music folder there, but that will only read the songs from that Music folder (on the card).

You need to convert the .m3u playlist file (containing songs from both locations) to a .pla file format. I use one I found over at ABI forums, but unfortunately it is no longer hosted on the site he (the writer) had it on. There are others there and other places; you can google “m3u to pla playlist converter” and you should be able to come up with one that works for you.

Thanks for your reply.

I found m3u2pla as part of PLAme.exe.  But creating a pla playlist and saving an existing one with songs on both the internal and external memory created empty playlists as viewed by my clip+.

I read that video4fuze might work, but perhaps because I have songs organized in folders, or perhaps because I have a clip+ not a fuze, I couldn’t open or create a pla file.

If you have any other advise I’d appreciate it.  This problem limits the benefit of providing a card slot if you can’t easily create playlists from your entire collection.

Ellen

@ellentk wrote:

Thanks for your reply.

 

I found m3u2pla as part of PLAme.exe.  But creating a pla playlist and saving an existing one with songs on both the internal and external memory created empty playlists as viewed by my clip+.

 

I think I tried that one too, and had no luck. I’d look further. Remember though, that the playlist must be populated from files on the player and the card , not by the same files on your computer. This will always result in <empty> playlists when you try to play them

Okay, I’ll keep looking.  I found a convulated many step approach using a few programs, but want something quick, just to convert an m3u. 

Thanks for the heads up about file location.   All my mp3s are on my player.  Your reminder reminds me I should back them up <g>. 

Thanks again for your help.  I’ll post here if I find something. 

Does SanDisk plan to make this easier?

Ellen