$10 to the person who can figure this out.
 

2016 BRZ Head Unit.

Will not display album art of MP3's on USB.
I have tried to add the ID3 tag info using MP3tagging software.
Despite attempts at different IDV2.3 versions and using various jpeg images in different formats and resolutions. The HU just displays the generic music note logo and nothing else.

I'll paypal 10 bucks to the first person who figures out how to get this unit to display album art. I'm going on a very long road trip soon and that stupid note will drive me nuts I just know it. :mad0260:

My 2013 only shows album art on a few files (less than 5%), and only if imbedded in the mp3/m4a file.

I have yet to figure out any rhyme or reason to it too.

I can't tell you specifically how it works, but I use JRiver to handle all my music. You can auto import album art to your songs and when you upload them to a thumb drive, etc. the images go along with it. The images are embedded in the mp3 somehow. For a simple solution, you could just use JRiver.


Album art works for me on my 2016...

I have this issue too, especially if I have my screen on half music info/half navigation map. I get the blue music note.
But it sometimes help to switch to full screen and back again. I then can see album art in both screen modes.

Thanks for the suggestion, I tried JRiver but I just get the same musical note image. I've verified Jriver was updating album art with art it pulled from online. Maybe I'm missing something?
Where are you getting your music from?

I use Winamp to organize my music. I can tell it to treat a thumb drive as a music player, and it'll import covers along with organizing albums and directories for me. Not all covers work though, maybe 90%.

Maybe that's why JRiver works for me. I don't just copy files from my computer to the thumb drive... I let Jriver recode them first. I use it to normalize the songs so that they peak at the same volume level and then import them to a thumb drive. That way I don't have some songs that are quiet and some that are loud.


First, I create a playlist in JRiver with all the songs I want. Then I insert the thumb drive and add it to JRiver under drives & devices. Under the tools and options I tell it to normalize the files and to convert to MP3 variable bit rate. Then I synch the thumb drive to the playlist. This recodes all the files and then uploads them to the thumb drive. In the process of doing this, the album art goes with each file. As long as your songs are associated with an artist and an album, the album art "should" go with it. I have some songs that don't have any album art but this is because they were internet recordings I made from streaming radio stations. When I saved these songs I did not assign them an artist or album title and instead it just has the song title. Without the proper artist and album embedded in the MP3, the album art will not properly associate with the file.


So to answer your question, make sure that you have not only the correct song title, but that the album and artist are encoded as well. If these are left blank or labeled "unknown" or "various artists", then the album art will not display and you will just get the blue note.

Tried to recode, insert album art then transfer to usb drive all from Jriver.
Car reads the files and shows Album, Artist, and all ID3 tag info but still will not show album art. Any other device I connect to shows the album art from that drive. I've tried different USB drives as well. At this point I'm at a loss.

I bought an Ipod Classic on the cheap since it's suppose to connect with the unit natively. I'll give that a try and see if album art can be pushed that way although it's not an ideal situation if it does work.

Does anyone know if theirs a Headunit update for the 2016 units yet?
I'm on version .007 according to the display interface. It can be updated via usb so I'm wondering if a new version has come out since the Hyperblue's launched late last year?

Then maybe the difference is that I use a simple USB thumb drive and not an IPod. From the manual, here is a list of compatible IPods:

. iPod touch (5th generation)*
. iPod touch (4th generation)
. iPod touch (3rd generation)
. iPod touch (2nd generation)
. iPod touch (1st generation)
. iPod classic
. iPod nano (7th generation)*
. iPod nano (6th generation)*
. iPod nano (5th generation)
. iPod nano (4th generation)
. iPod nano (3rd generation)
. iPod nano (2nd generation)*
. iPod nano (1st generation)*
. iPhone 5s*
. iPhone 5c*
. iPhone 5*
. iPhone 4s
. iPhone 4
. iPhone 3GS
. iPhone 3G
. iPhone

Corresponding sampling frequency
(Audio)
File type Frequency (kHz)
MP3 files: MPEG 1 LAYER 3 32/44.1/48 (sampling rate)
MP3 files: MPEG 1 LAYER 3 32 - 320 (bit rate)
. This system plays back files with .mp3/.wma/.m4a file extensions as MP3/WMA/ AAC files respectively. To prevent noise and playback errors, use the appropriate file extension.
. MP3 files are compatible with the ID3 Tag Ver. 1.0, Ver. 1.1, Ver. 2.2 and Ver. 2.3 formats. This system cannot display disc title, track title and artist name in other formats.

USB memory device
USB communication formats: USB 1.1/2.0 HS (480 Mbps) and FS (12 Mbps)
. File formats: FAT 16/32

http://techinfo.subaru.com/proxy/108...616ASTIS_9.pdf

Try to use a thumb drive formatted to FAT 16 or 32. Make sure that it is a 1.1, 2.0 device. Make sure your MP3 files have the .mp3 file extension. Encode them with ID3 tags using version 1.0, 1.1 2.2 or 2.3. Be sure that your sampling rate is either 32/44.1 or 48kHz. Be sure that your MP3 is between 32-320 kHz bit rate.

Is there a size restriction on the album art...pixels or file size max?

If their is, none has been stated anywhere that I can find. But I have tried various pixel sizes, file sizes, and jpg/jpeg types. All have failed.

Sly, I have been using a usb thumb drive.
I just bought an Ipod to give that a try. I'll know if it works once it arrives. Got it on ebay on the cheap.

I've tried the bits and sample rates listed above. Was going off that manual from the start. I've even sent an email to Subaru asking for clarification but haven't gotten any response. Audio appears to be an after thought and once implemented you get hardly any support by the manufactures.:sigh:

I received a response from Subaru,

Sly, you said your 2016 DOES display album art correct?
What is the model number on the front of your head unit. Should be CA#### or something to that effect.
I'm getting conflicting info now. If it's true that album art can't be displayed on the 2016 Head units, I find that a sad step back as it does work in the prior head units from earlier years. A bad design choice.

I tested an Ipod Classic and it does push album art to the head unit. Unfortunately the Ipod I received has a failing hard drive so I have to take care of that. But figured I'd let people know in the future. I never have figured out album art with a USB drive "Flash drive/Thumb stick" it just refuses to display but it will display using a connected Ipod device.

Ok, I need to take a step back. It turns out that album art does not work for me if I plug the USB directly into the port to the receiver. I stream music off my Android phone. I hooked my USB stick to the phone using a USB to microUSB cable. If I read the songs off the thumb drive via the cell phone, album art plays. If I plug the same USB directly into the receiver, it does not.

If I stream Pandora or play any other file off the phone, it usually displays album art. It only doesn't work if I plug the USB directly into the receiver. So the artwork is actually on the USB stick. It just won't read it unless it is pushed through a cell phone. Somehow the cellphone carries the album art correctly. I wonder what's different between pushing the art off a cell phone or iPod vs playing it directly off a USB stick?

CA634UL