Help In-line music on Nexus 7

[chaz4]

I recieve an mp4 music file by email as an attachment. I want to listen to it, but when I click on the attachment, I have only Save as an option.

So I save the file. Then I can't see where it was saved. I go the the apps screen and find "Downloads". After rooting around on that screen for a while, I find the file, but what I go to play it, but it doesn't play.

There must be some facet of the Android system that I haven't understood. Why should this simple request be so difficult?

Please, somebody, tell me how to organize my tablet so that when I click on an attached audio file, I can hear it play!

CW++

 

[John Bean]

MP4 is video, not audio. I use the excellent (and free) MX Player on the Nexus 7 for all my videos.

If you install it (or some other MP4 player) you may then get an option to play it directly (I don't know) but you certainly can't until you have a working MP4 player.

 

[Demache]

MP4 is video, not audio. I use the excellent (and free) MX Player on the Nexus 7 for all my videos.

If you install it (or some other MP4 player) you may then get an option to play it directly (I don't know) but you certainly can't until you have a working MP4 player.

It should be able to play MP4 video out of the box. Pretty much every Android device (and many phones period) can.

Granted, MP4 is just a container, so downloading MX Player may give you the appropriate decoder. Its a pretty good video player anyways and its free so it never hurts.

 

[chaz4]

My problem is the procedure. I click on the email attachment, and am invited to download the file. There is no "play" option.

I agree to download, and then I have go run around looking for the downloaded file. It doesn't appear on the screen or a playlist. I have to go to Apps/Downloads/etc. to find the file. Time consuming and annoying. Isn't there any way I can listen just by hitting the link that shows on the email?

C

 

[Demache]

My problem is the procedure. I click on the email attachment, and am invited to download the file. There is no "play" option.

I agree to download, and then I have go run around looking for the downloaded file. It doesn't appear on the screen or a playlist. I have to go to Apps/Downloads/etc. to find the file. Time consuming and annoying. Isn't there any way I can listen just by hitting the link that shows on the email?

C

Figured something out (it doesn't really fix your issue, but it does explain why).

I sent this email with a song attached as an mp4 file. However, the Gmail app thinks its a video. And for some reason, you can't directly open videos in the Gmail app.

Even more interesting, I sent the exact same attachment to my MS Exchange account, using the regular email app, and apparently, it lets you play it straight from the app.

So yeah, I don't know what's up with that.

Better question is, why are you getting music sent to you with the .mp4 extension? Normally, from what I've seen, its supposed to be m4a.

 

[chaz4]

The guy who's sending me the files is an audio pro. He says that mp4 is better quality than mp3.

C

 

[Demache]

The guy who's sending me the files is an audio pro. He says that mp4 is better quality than mp3.

C

He would be correct on that statement. MPEG 4 audio gives you better quality at comparable bit rates (its a fair bit more advanced). I'm not questioning his reasoning behind using MPEG 4. That's totally fine.

My actual question was why was he sending them with the mp4 extension. Its the name of the file that is tripping up Gmail, not the contents. Computers are a bit dumb when it comes to figuring out filetypes, and Android is no different. Those three letters literally are all that keeps your PC from confusing a music file with a text file. Renaming it to m4a would not change the contents (M4A is used specifically for MPEG 4 audio, MP4 is normally for MPEG 4 video) and allow Gmail to play the file properly.