duplicate itunes library on flash drive?

[psywzrd]

This is what I'm looking to do. I just got a new car that has a USB port and I am able to plug my ipod in and access all of my music via my stereo controls. I can access my music by my playlists (which is what I almost always do) or by album, artist, etc. This is great and I can actually leave my ipod connected when I turn my car off and when I start it back up it will pick up right where it left off.; however, I have concerns about leaving an ipod in my car all the time. I'm not so concerned about theft since the ipod is hidden away in the center console. What I am concerned about though is temperature extremes and how they will affect my ipod. I figure that a flash drive is much cheaper and not as sensitive to temperature but I don't know if I will be able to access my music the same way on a flash drive.

Is there any easy way for me to duplicate my itunes library on a flash drive? I'm only interested in audio files of course but I want all my playlists to remain intact and I'd like to still be able to access my music by artist, album, etc. Basically I want the flash drive to mimic an ipod as far as how I can access it from my car stereo. Is this possible?

 

[Tomorrow]

Curious, is your vehicle a Ford with the Sync system?

I'm asking because my setup is exactly the same - I'm familiar enough with Sync to know that, if you use a USB drive directly in the port, you don't actually need the iTunes library; you only need the .mp3 files. The system will recognize metadata on the drive, but not playlists (as I understand it).

As for your concerns with the iPod - I live in north Texas, where it routinely gets above 100˚F in the summer time, and much hotter than that inside the truck. I leave my iPod in the console, plugged in, all the time, and I've never had an issue. I've been doing this for going on 7 years now, so if you want to try it I think you'd be good to go.

 

[psywzrd]

Curious, is your vehicle a Ford with the Sync system?

I'm asking because my setup is exactly the same - I'm familiar enough with Sync to know that, if you use a USB drive directly in the port, you don't actually need the iTunes library; you only need the .mp3 files. The system will recognize metadata on the drive, but not playlists (as I understand it).

As for your concerns with the iPod - I live in north Texas, where it routinely gets above 100˚F in the summer time, and much hotter than that inside the truck. I leave my iPod in the console, plugged in, all the time, and I've never had an issue. I've been doing this for going on 7 years now, so if you want to try it I think you'd be good to go.

Nope - GMC Terrain. Almost bought a Ford Explorer though - the new ones are really nice. The playlists are actually the most important aspect of this for me and I believe my system will recognize the playlists if I am able to set them up properly on the flash drive. I just don't know if it's possible and, if it is, how I go about updating them whenever I add new music to my library.

The temperature concerns I have are both for hot and cold as I live in the Northeast. You've calmed my concerns a bit as far as hot weather goes but I doubt you guys get anywhere near the cold weather we get up here in the Northeast. That's why a flash drive is more appealing to me but only if I can get it to do what I want.

 

[psywzrd]

Sorry for bumpin this but does anyone have any input for me? I'd really like to use a flash drive instead of an ipod if at all possible but I'm not sure if it can be done.

 

[psywzrd]

Does anyone have any input on this?

 

[TigerBabe]

Never had a problem with my ipod overheating and I live in southern california. I've had it in my car for 2 years now. As for the putting the music on a thumb drive I would just search on the net for how to do it properly.

 

[psywzrd]

Well so far I've had a couple issues already where my radio doesn't recognize that the ipod is attached and I've to reset the ipod. I figure if I can use a flash drive instead I might be able to avoid those problems.

 

[psywzrd]

As for the putting the music on a thumb drive I would just search on the net for how to do it properly.

Are you saying that it's as easy as me just copying my itunes library to the flash drive and all of my playlists, etc. will automatically be transferred over as well so that my radio will recognize them?