Discovered how to make Xbox Music (WP8.1) show artist images/bio/album arts!

[alinauman97]

Hey guys! I just discovered a way to make the Xbox Music app on my Windows Phone (Lumia 520 running Dev Preview) display album artwork and artist images, biography and album reviews!

Firstly, I tagged my music collection on my PC according to the Xbox Music cloud. The Windows 8.1 Xbox Music App allowed me to compare my collection's tags with the ones in the Xbox Music catalogue. Then I used MediaMonkey to change the tags accordingly. Then I synced the music to my phone using the Windows Phone App for Windows 8.

Then, using the Xbox Music app on my phone, I searched the store for the artist I needed to get the images/biography of. Once I found the artist, I browsed through the collection until I found the album that I had synced to my phone. On tapping it, and then that three dots button near the bottom of the screen, I tapped "Add to" and then "Collection". Then I just waited, until the streaming icon disappeared next to the songs I had synced to my phone. On going back, I found the album displayed under the collection heading on the artist's albums page, which was previously missing!

I did this for every artist on my phone which showed me a black background and now my music experience on my Windows Phone just got a lot more sexier! Hoping I helped many of you!

 

[anon(5326758)]

great discovery! This helps explain why the Music app in 8.1 seems so broken to those of us that sync music locally - Microsoft gives preference to the cloud for data, not to the local files themselves. It explains too why the app is constantly searching for files, even though the files locally have not changed... it is searching to see if your cloud collection is updated!

Wonder how this works for someone who has no cloud collection at all, but does sync local files.

 

[drlacus]

...it is searching to see if your cloud collection is updated!
Wonder how this works for someone who has no cloud collection at all, but does sync local files.

Actually this is not true. It still looks for changes when you turn off streaming music in settings. It is a POS by the way if you don't have Xbox Music in your country. Black background and it keeps looking for changes. And my favourite part is the UI. It does not have anything else, but the album, artist etc. part, thus it cannot be scrolled. It is amazing.

 

[andreqms]

I could not get the same result as yours. I followed every step. After touching the three dots on the synced local album and then 'Add to' I cannot see 'Collection'. I can see this option for the album on the store, but touching that option will just do nothing for me since I do not pay for Xbox Music usage. I really want this to work. I wish I could link the album to one available on the store through the phone like we can on the Windows 8.1 app.

Do you have an paid Xbox Music subscription?

 

[alinauman97]

No, I do not have any paid Xbox Music subscription. You sure your local music's tag match the Xbox Music catalog's? Sometimes it takes more than one try to get it to work.

 

[colinkiama]

You can get artist background in the music so in Windows phone 8.1. Search for an artist in the store, hold your finger on one of their songs, select add to then select collection. Check the artist in your local collection and you will realize that they have backgrounds now. Repeat that for every artist you have on your phone then almost every artist has a background in your phone!

 

[colinkiama]

You can get artist background in the music so in Windows phone 8.1. Search for an artist in the store, hold your finger on one of their songs, select add to then select collection. Check the artist in your local collection and you will realize that they have backgrounds now. Repeat that for every artist you have on your phone then almost every artist has a background in your phone!

You guys should try this.

 

[tapehead]

Good find, but to do that for every artist in your collection is gonna take a loooong time. Maybe Microsoft could just get their thumbs out of their butts and fix the mess they made.

 

[Ebuka Allison]

Good find, but to do that for every artist in your collection is gonna take a loooong time. Maybe Microsoft could just get their thumbs out of their butts and fix the mess they made.

I just did it on the cloud collection,and downloaded all my music from there. However, I assumed that playing a song automatically gets it to match the artist background and stuff. That's how it worked when,I tried using local music (non Xbox store music). It still force replaced my tags though

 

[colinkiama]

Good find, but to do that for every artist in your collection is gonna take a loooong time. Maybe Microsoft could just get their thumbs out of their butts and fix the mess they made.

Yeah, they really need a get album/artist info option like apple does.

 

[Makm]

This is insane! Isnt the app itself supposed to search for the artist infos automatically? And there should be an option to turn that on/off. Who has the time to search for 100 artists out there manually only for a background!!!

 

[Bashar Awwad]

How do u guys get access to the store? I don't see it anywhere in my music app..

 

[Makm]

How do u guys get access to the store? I don't see it anywhere in my music app..

Just press the search button in the music hub at the bottom and search for an artist who is already in your music collection. You will be redirected to the store.

 

[Bashar Awwad]

Just press the search button in the music hub at the bottom and search for an artist who is already in your music collection. You will be redirected to the store.

I did that and it just showed me the artist in my collection. Didnt take me to the store.

 

[Makm]

I did that and it just showed me the artist in my collection. Didnt take me to the store.

You have to press on "Search more in store"...

 

[Bashar Awwad]

You have to press on "Search more in store"...

I dont see any such option when I search. Just gives me my collection and no other options. Do I need some kind of pass for this or region change?

 

[Makm]

I dont see any such option when I search. Just gives me my collection and no other options. Do I need some kind of pass for this or region change?

Then i gotta ask you, are you searching for them in Cortana or the Xbox music app? In the music app after searching for an artist you should see an option "Search more in store" written in small letters.

 

[Bashar Awwad]

Then i gotta ask you, are you searching for them in Cortana or the Xbox music app? In the music app after searching for an artist you should see an option "Search more in store" written in small letters.

I don't have Cortana so I'm using the app.i still don't see any option for a store

 

[Makm]

I don't have Cortana so I'm using the app.i still don't see any option for a store

Then idk bro, sorry cant help you :/

 

[Bashar Awwad]

Then idk bro, sorry cant help you :/

no worries. At least you tried