Not everyone with 32 Gigs of music has 32 gigabytes of storage on their BlackBerry. Enter Wi-Fi Music Sync. This handy feature allows you to access all of your home music without wires. It's dead simple to set up.
- Start Desktop Manager 6 and connect your BlackBerry via USB
- Click Wi-Fi music sync at the bottom of DM
- Select "Turn wireless sync on"
- Click OK when the process finishes
- Click "Music" then "Sync"
- Disconnect your BlackBerry and enjoy
Simple, right? Well...there are a few things you should know about setting up and enjoying this feature of BlackBerry OS6. Keep reading and we'll explore all there is to know about Wifi music sync.
Getting Ready
In order to access the music on your home computer, you must have iTunes or Windows Media Player installed. Your BlackBerry will be able to browse songs and playlists that are in those libraries. Make sure your BlackBerry and your computer are on the same network. Generally, this means they both connect to the same router, wireless or not.
Limitations
You can only download music over your home wireless network; you can't sync your music library from McDonald's. Though while you're at MickyD's, you can choose which songs to download later. Your BlackBerry will automatically sync them when in range of your home network.
First Time Use
After you have seen this dialog, you might think you were done. I did the first two times I tried to use the wireless music sync, but there's an additional step. You need to sync your available music and playlists with your BlackBerry via USB. Connecting via USB is required only for the first time you enable the feature.
In Desktop Manager, click "Music" and then "Sync." It might not be required to click "Sync," but selecting "Music" is. I figure one extra step isn't going to hurt anything. After - and only after - completing this step can you disconnect your BlackBerry.
Syncing Music
Artists, albums, and songs that show as dimmed are available for download. When connected to your home network, clicking one of these songs will download it immediately (assuming you clicked that "Do not show again" box). You can also choose to download one song or the entire album. If you're not on your home network, you can queue songs and albums for later download.
Final Thoughts
Wi-Fi Music Sync does have some limitations, but still serves a useful function. Once you've set things up, any music you add to your computer can be wirelessly added to your BlackBerry. Want to free up some space by deleting some synced songs? No problem. You can always download them again. And let's not forget the coolness factor; well geek-coolness anyways.
With just five minutes of your time, you can get things up and running. Ready? ... Go
Reader comments
Wifi music sync on your OS6 BlackBerry Smartphone
Will not sync with my Itunes library at all. only music I have in the windows media library which are only the default crap stuff as part of windows in their media folder :(
i just updated to os6.0.0.344 yesterday and installed wifi music sync 2day
it froze my phone with the thinking clock going around for 30min
did 2 battery pulls
ended up having to uninstall
I am running DM 6.0.0.43 and OS 5.0.0.714 on my 9700, and I have no optiont o either set up ore use wifi sync. Does anyone have a solution?
os 6 is req on your device
never mind, I figured it out... was glad to know it wasnt a theme
thanks for the video love the feature!
JOSEPH!!! Where did you get your theme? I'm not asking about the wallpaper but the theme... I saw something like that on an iphone 4 and would kill to have your theme on my phone just love the negative!
derp derp, derp!
My wifi music sync was working well and now it doesnt at all. My device is telling me to connect via USB and activate the wifi sync. I did it again and no luck!
"You can also create and change playlists and synchronize these playlists from your device to your computer."
I've also found that the blackberry to computer compatability that was advertised is just not there. No new playlists I created on my Torch nor do any changes I made to existing playlists get synchrinize back to my computer. I'm a fan of the WIFI Sync or at least was when it worked.
Could this just be initial bugs getting worked out?
RE: "I did it again and no luck"
You may be missing an additional step not mentioned (and often assumed) for this feature:
(If using a PC) You have to allow the connection within Windows Media Player to share the music, otherwise the phone will continue requesting the music but the computer will continue to reject the request because it is not set for sharing.
Hope this helps
I use to remove all BB desktop and all BB software on my HardDrive, reinstall it and now, it's working
Joseph i let it sync overnight for 8 hrs 40k songs is roughly 150 gb so i agree with u on the time factor but this morning no avail lagg for days felt like my 8310 running os 5 apps had to safe mode boot again.... also for some odd reason this os 6.0.0.246 keeps asking to reinstall every time i connect quite annoying cant uninstall a program without redoing the os so i had to uninstall the os version on my comp any tips for my sync issue
Thanks in advance
I'm using 9800 on Telus Carrier.
I exactly follow the steps required to set-up the WI-FI sync but I'm just UNABLE to install the software IN the device. On BB desktop, the icon says ON but I doesn't have the proper icon in my MEDIA file on the device at any places.
My network is on as my wi-fi on the device.
Anyone is having the same issue or can help me.
That is exactly what I have going on, except on a 9650. That's why I asked my question. I have restarted the PC and DM and still won't install the program.
Are you with a canadian Carrier!!! Maybe it's the issue?!
Wi-Fi music sync has been turned on for your devices that support the feature. Your current device 'Blackberry Torch 9800 (MYPINHERE)'does not support this feature.
WTF???
HELP MEEEEE
My PC is not connected wirelessly but rather by an ethernet cable. Would this still work since they are on the same network or no?
Refer to subject line
Its not the fault of RIM it is Steve and his death grip that he is squeezing more and more on product syncing outside of his corp.
@intenseone: 40,000 songs is a huge amount of data. Your BlackBerry might have slowed down due to the sheer amount of processing that the media player requires to index and make available 40k songs.
@svanneck: Here's what I *think* might happen. If WMP/iTunes can include it in its library, then you should be able to download it to your BB. WMP can add music to its library from other computers on the network. Just make sure the computer that has DM on it also has a copy of WMP with a "master list" of all the songs on your network. Can you let me know if this worked?
@Thade: CB Wallpaper Changer found it for me.
http://crackberry.com/wallpaper-tv-movies-star-trek-enterprise
http://crackberry.com/wallpaper-tv-movies-star-trek-1
Thanks! I thought it wasn't working cuz I didn't know about the last step.
Joe where did you get that star trek theme
I started doing this but then it looked like the music library has to be on the same PC you use to connect your BlackBerry using Desktop Manager. So my questions are:
1) Is BBDM required to be installed on the PC that hosts the music library?
2) If so, do I need to connect up to that PC at least once, or can I just enable the feature from my laptop, which is where I normally backup & sync?
3) Will my Torch get confused about which PC to pull the songs from?
Thanks.
I have 40000+ songs I took 3 hrs to sync Then my phone froze and showing the hourglass forvever every 40 seconds. Had to do a safemode boot to delete wifi sync. Any help??
mine is the same damn things, over 160 gigs of mp3's and 200+ gb of wav, and wav isn't included, but it just lags the sugar honey iced tea out of my torch, ive just decided to delete it, but it is useful as fluff when it works!
Only issue I have is with older DRM iTunes downloads but that is not the software it is a license issue. You use the USB connection to turn it on after that it is wifi (it's a security thing).
For me it works perfect, I use it and I like it. Just last night I was getting on my treadmill thought of a song I would like. Looked it up via sync, clicked to download and in a short time was running with that song and a few more I selected.
also sync over the album art??
How is this wifi-sync if you need to connect to the USB?
I dont get it.
You only have to connect it via USB for the initial setup. After that it uses WiFi.
I believe the USB is needed only for initial setup, possibly even just to initialize the sync every time. However I do recall reading a line about disconnecting the USB
It's one of my favorite of bb6.
the thing is, i beleive it only syncs music. I would like it to sync pictures and video the same way :(
I guess I should just invest in a 32gb microsd card :P
Is this similar function going to roll out for Mac based desktop managers as well?
I had to use my netbook just to load OS6 onto my Bold 9650. Mac users seem to get left in the dark
A little birdie has told me theres a beta being tested of a new desktop manager for mac and yes wifi sync is included. :)
That would be awesome if a new Desktop Manager rolled out for Mac's with extra features and what not.
RIM should really plan for simultaneous release of its functions though, sometimes it is a huge annoyance to have to boot up a second computer or worse yet use a friends' computer just to use something that isn't offered for Mac.
Joseph Holder, you might have the best voice on this blog, try to getting on the podcast!
this sux!! i mean every os ive used to do wifi sync doesnt work. the leaks and the official from rogers and att. i can connect and see all the effin thousands of songs from my pc on my phone but when i hit download it says cannot connect to home wifi sync or something of the sort... its really a mess!!
You may be missing an additional step not mentioned (and often assumed) for this feature:
(If using a PC) You have to allow the connection within Windows Media Player to share the music, otherwise the phone will continue requesting the music but the computer will continue to reject the request because it is not set for sharing.
Hope this helps