Downloaded music becomes "locked"

[tyw7]

I have noticed a strange quirp with Xperia devices where music moved to the SD Card's folder and played with the Walkman app becomes "looked. " When I try to download the album art, the app says it's a protected file. The only way to fix this is to move to a computer and then move it back to the phone.

[Uliwooly]

Is the music DRM protected?

[tyw7]

No. This is evident by the act of simply moving the file to the computer using Windows Explorer and moving it back unlocks the files. Nothing is done with the file.

[Uliwooly]

That's quite odd, what if you re-transfer the files with mediago?

[tyw7]

I don't know. I don't have the software. The issue is also present on Xperia SP. Just download a music file from the Web and copy it to music folder and play it. Then try editing it with Walkman app.

[tyw7]

Edit: I found that that copying the file to another place and back again will lock it. I'm using ES Explorer.

[tyw7 · Accepted solution]

Edit 2: I pin pointed the problem to the ES File explorer. I've reported to the developer.

[jeroensky1972]

So not DRM related.

By the way, i refuse to use audio/video files with DRM.

I pay for a album, so i deside on what device i want to play it. Also in lots of countries (like mine The Netherlands) you can do more with mediafiles by law, then what the restrictions of the entertainment industry allows you to, and so the drm restrictions are officially illegal.

So best way is, buy CD (only with compact disc digital audio logo, to prevent rootkits and DRM) and rip it to FLAC or Ogg-Vorbis (open audio codings), then you're free to do whatever you want in a legal way, because you bought the CD.

Don't buy DRM'd media. The more we buy, the more limited the future of digital media is.

[tyw7]

Amazon MP3 and Google Play produce MP3 that are DRM free. Also ogg is not playable by many devices; it's not that cross platform and low end phones might not be able to play it.

[jeroensky1972]

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@tyw7 wrote:
Amazon MP3 and Google Play produce MP3 that are DRM free. Also ogg is not playable by many devices; it's not that cross platform and low end phones might not be able to play it.

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Yeah, so weird, a open format unsupported. I hear that Ogg Vorbis is too complex for mobile devices and use too much battery power (their are Ogg-Vorbis audio players).

Mp3 is really outdated. (sorry but it's true, but hey i'm a audio engineer).

Their are many newer and better audio codecs that sound way better, and can work on mobile devices.

I'm happy that our Z1 supports Flac 16 & 24bit

I mean listen to the 'Audiophyle' version of Nine Inch Nails - Hesitation Marks album (so flac 24bit from 24bit source). Play it on your Xperia Z1 with Bluetooth headset with bigger is better drivers(headset/phone speakers diameter) and you'll be amazed over the sound quality, you'll never hear those low frequencies booming so good before with soundsettings on neutral.