Here’s how to download albums from Bandcamp straight to your Android phone:
Downloading tracks is much the same, but they download as single audio files, so there’s no unzipping.
It will work out of the box for most people, but in case you hit a snag here’s how to solve a few of the more common problems.
If you’re downloading an album you’re going to need an app that knows what to do with .zip files (single tracks download as straight audio files). Try a free single-purpose app like Easy Unrar, Unzip & Zip or a more advanced file management app like ASTRO.
If you don’t have an app installed that can handle .zip files your phone will usually refuse to complete the download at all.
It probably goes without saying, but make sure you have an app that can play the format of file you’re downloading. If you’re unsure, go for the standard MP3 option.
If you’re going to download FLAC, get an app that can play it and make sure you have a decent connection. FLAC album files are pretty big and if your connection flakes out you’ll end up with a corrupted .zip file.
Your album will usually land in your Downloads folder, and you’ll want to move it to your Music folder, which will probably be /sdcard/Music. You should be able to specify where to unzip the file, or unzip it then move the folder.
To make your new album appear in your music player you may need to rescan the Media folder. There are several free apps that let you do exactly this – we’ve used Rescan Media.
If you’re looking at this page and thinking “That’s not how my phone works!” don’t just sit and stew – email us with your corrections, ideas and handy tips for making downloading music on Android a fun hobby for all the family.
Still wondering?
