FLAC on Groove

[Bobvfr]

Any one know how Groove functions with FLAC format.

I just ripped a CD to .flac and put a copy in my local music file folder and it sounds so much better on my PC with crap speakers than the same album using my Groove Music Pass.

I used Groove to play both copies.

I am intending to use the .flac format for all my CD's and future music on PC/Mobile/Xbox

However when I put the same CD in OneDrive it will not show up on my mobile or the Xbox, I tried deleting some of my old MP3 files in there and their deletion showed up immediately.

If I have to I will forgo using OneDrive and go back to local music (Just means copying them) but it would be easier for me to use OneDrive.

 

[DOGC_Kyle]

FLAC should work fine over OneDrive. make sure you don't have duplicates that are MP3s, it might try to only load the smaller file. It'll probably also take a while to sync (see if OneDrive has finished uploading them).

 

[Bobvfr]

Seems like OneDrive and it's relationship with Groove is in a pickle, I deleted all my old MP3 and their deletion showed up on Groove, I added two purchased albums to OneDrive and they showed up as being on OneDrive with no problem.

It's just the FLAC files I upload to OneDrive, they are there and synced in OneDrive, and for some unknown reason show up as "Local music" on Groove and do not show up on OneDrive via Groove so don't exist on my Xbox One or 950XL yet.

Will look into this when I get back from work, sounds like Groove isn't talking to OneDrive properly like another thread on here.

And no, neither of the albums ripped to FLAC have ever been MP3's although both have been in my Groove music pass, but I deleted them from there.

 

[Bobvfr]

OK I did the experiment:

My OneDrive music folder had two purchased albums (Purchased from Groove) and they both show up in Groove under OneDrive.

I ripped two CD's in the .flac format and put them in OneDrive/Music and they will not show up in Groove under Onerive, in fact they show up as "Only on this device".

I took an old album from another drive in MP3 format and put it in OneDrive/music and it showed up in Groove as a OneDrive album almost immediately.

Is there something in either OneDrive or Groove that does not like the FLAC format or is there a setting I need to change?

Help needed.

 

[DOGC_Kyle]

Looks like I was mistaken, FLAC is not supported. I thought I remember seeing that it was, but according to the FAQ, it won't be streamed (you can still sync it with OneDrive, but it has to be downloaded onto each device, not streamed).

"You can add MP3, M4A (AAC), and WMA music files to your OneDrive Music folder."
https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/3080138/groove-and-onedrive-faq

 

[Bobvfr]

Well done for the conformation, I just ripped another album at the highest MP3 compression and it showed up straight away and the quality is probably good enough for what I want it for and having it available on the Xbox One is the over riding need for the wife.

Luckily I made sure by experimenting rather than ripping hundreds of CD's to find out they didn't work.

Again thanks for the support.

 

[Laura Knotek]

I use VLC Player. It supports FLAC and has an Xbox app. https://forums.windowscentral.com/e...store%2Fp%2Fvlc%2F9nblggh4vvnh&token=mejSDki0

 

[Bobvfr]

OK Laura, I may need some help here, as I have only .flaced two albums and one mp3 at higher quality so far I am prepared to experiment with another music player.

So I downloaded to VLC on my Surface (Hooked up as a desktop) and on my 950XL and the Xbox One.

On the Surface it is showing 5 albums, two purchased from Groove and put in OneDrive, the one MP3 and the two flaced albums, all currently in OneDrive. On the phone I just get the two purchased as they were probably already downloaded to the phone, on the Xbox nothing.

I assume although it will look for music in your OneDrive folder, it will only do this if the music is synced to the device so effectively local music.

On that basis I would have to copy all my music as local music (I don't mind doing that).

But how does this work on the Xbox?

I really can hear the advantages of Flac, I don't mind using local media, but I suppose I have been used to the way Groove integrates easily with OneDrive.

Any help appreciated.

 

[Bobvfr]

Hang on a cotton picking minute, if I have to use local music with VLC to get music onto my phone etc.

I can do the same with Groove, Groove picks up the flac files, but not using OneDrive (Well it picks them up and does play flac, but as local files only).

Just have to get the files to the Xbox One which is the same question I have with VLC anyway.

 

[Bobvfr]

"FLAC to the left of us, FLAC to the right of us, and I said FLAC you Fritz".

That was a quote from a TV series in the UK called Goodnight Sweatheart.

But it's how I feel at the moment, I copied .FLAC files to my phone, superb, Groove can play them, so CD quality sound (Almost) on my 950XL and Surface Pro through Groove.

It all falls down on the Xbox One, no way to play local files through Groove........ Yes I can use Media player but this is as clunky as anything. I can actually use the actual hardware and put a CD in the machine, but this is also clunky.

VLC picks them up, but I really would prefer Groove as my wife is used to it and it doesn't have as much stuff to confuse her like Video etc.

B*gg*r

 

[Ryujingt3]

"FLAC to the left of us, FLAC to the right of us, and I said FLAC you Fritz".

That was a quote from a TV series in the UK called Goodnight Sweatheart.

But it's how I feel at the moment, I copied .FLAC files to my phone, superb, Groove can play them, so CD quality sound (Almost) on my 950XL and Surface Pro through Groove.

It all falls down on the Xbox One, no way to play local files through Groove........ Yes I can use Media player but this is as clunky as anything. I can actually use the actual hardware and put a CD in the machine, but this is also clunky.

VLC picks them up, but I really would prefer Groove as my wife is used to it and it doesn't have as much stuff to confuse her like Video etc.

B*gg*r

You could try Bread Player. That supports FLAC and is available for both PC and W10M. It doesn't have OneDrive support though so to play FLAC music from your phone you'd need either an SD card or to copy the music to the local memory of the phone.

https://breadplayer.com/

Kudos for the Goodnight Sweetheart reference too.

 

[techiez]

But how does this work on the Xbox?

See if you could setup plex media server on your surface and then use plex client on xbox. Plex might even stream from xbox but need to check that.

 

[Bobvfr]

OK got this all sorted, by by Groove for good.

VLC installed on 950XL, Surface Pro 4, Xbox One, it took a bit of thinking about as it has made me change the direction I was thinking regards my Hi-Fi system.

I have .FLAC'ed about 30 CD's so far (Hundreds to go and more to buy), I have deleted my 600 Groove pass albums and VLC has now taken Grooves place on my start menu.

Yes it means using local music but the increase in quality makes up for the pain and once flac'ed and copied to three places it's done and probably done for good.

My Hi-Fi system was Tannoy Cheviots speakers, Quad 33/405 pre and power amps and the first CD player the Philips CD 101 (Sick at the moment) so I was on the lookout for a better CD, but I have discovered one thing.

The CD player on the Xbox is top draw, so is the FLAC playback, really sounds good. So I no longer need spend money on the CD player, one the Xbox One is good and two I wont be playing many CD's as I have them in FLAC format.

But the Quad amps are from the 70's, very good quality and very powerful but no ability to be controlled by the Xbox One.

So although I will keep them and hook them up to another system, they will be replaced probably by a Cyrus One amp.

I am not into 5.1, honestly believe stereo is better, it has infrared red so the Xbox can control it, and very high quality.

With the real added bonus of a superb minimal look. I do have a Pioneer AV receiver but its ugly.

My system will end up being.

Tannoy Cheviot speakers.

Cyrus One amp (The only component I need to buy)

Xbox One media centre with FLAC (May become an Xbox One X if I can bring myself to give MS any money in the future).

And a top of the range 65 inch Panasonic 4k TV

 

[Bobvfr]

Ok the final problem is down to how the Xbox One deals with storage, there is an option in VLC to copy to internal storage, but it doesn't work, the hard drive and my external hard drive hooked up to it are formatted for games, so no way to copy media.

So the only real option is to use another external drive formatted for media, I tried a passport drive but this effectively switches off and then VLC has to build the data again, the best so far is a simple USB stick drive, but this uses up the last remaining USB port, OK not the end of the world.

Another option would be to use the network option, I haven't looked into this properly yet.

VLC and FLAC working fine on the PC and phones.