Why won't a mp3 CD play in car player but plays on computer?

What could be the reasons for a new car CD player (has the markings: RDS, MP3 and CompactDisc) not to play MP3 files from a CD, that normally is read on every computer or so? The plaser in the car reads audio CDs without problems.

I've tried recording the MP3s on two different brands of CDs, and with two different speeds (16x and 24x; for some reason I cannot get it to record at lower speeds although they are offered in options, it just defaults back to 16x).

Rook

Posted 2015-10-15T20:53:58.293

Reputation: 21 622

2@DavidPostill - Well aware; I've been here awhile now. My question is primarily aimed at possible problems with recording CD in different ways (with regards to file systems, and maybe CD speeds) but to work towards that end I had to elaborate on the problem and the environment in which it occurs. – Rook – 2015-10-15T20:57:19.290

2Fair enough. Close vote removed. – DavidPostill – 2015-10-15T20:58:21.350

@DavidPostill - Thank you. Hopefully, others, as well, will not see it differently. – Rook – 2015-10-15T21:33:55.427

Answers

Recording the CD at:

No multisession
ISO 9660 + Joliet mode
Some restrictions on filenames & path length as well as maximum tree depth

Seemed to solve the problem altogether. Additionally, recording it at minimum speed (in this case 10x, due to either CD/drive/software combination) seems to aid in the reading in the CD player.

Rook

Posted 2015-10-15T20:53:58.293

Reputation: 21 622

I've seen several car stereos that can read MP3 data CDs if they're CD-Rs, but they can't handle CD-RWs. you're using RWs, try an R and see if that works.

Also (from the PC side), ensure you're fully closing the CD/session when done writing, most stand-alone CD players I've run into over the years (auto or otherwise) don't like unclosed/multi-session CDs.

Ƭᴇcʜιᴇ007

Posted 2015-10-15T20:53:58.293

Reputation: 103 763

I've used CD-Rs in both cases, thinking them as a "safe bet"; RAMedia 52x 700MB/80Min and TRAXDATA 52x 700Mb/80 minutes. They are common brands in my part of the world, and I've had nothing but good experience with them so far. Both brands written as Audio CDs the car player reads without problems. Compilations were written with InfraRecorder and CDBurnerXP as disc-at-once (or whatever they call them) and finalized, as well as verified. – Rook – 2015-10-15T21:05:48.743

Interesting. :) What actually happens when it tries to read them? Just a generic "disc error" or alike, or does something else happen? Perhaps it's MP3 format compatibility -- Are all the MP3s static bit-rates? If so, are they al the same bit-rate, and what bit rate are they? :) Lots of stuff doesn't like VBR, and I've had a few players puke when trying to deal with 256+ (static) bit rates, yet they can play 128 and/or 192 all day, no problem. – Ƭᴇcʜιᴇ007 – 2015-10-15T21:11:04.880

Yes, a "Reading error" is what it shows before ejecting the disc. I don't know the details about the files, but since they came from different sources I imagine there is all kinds of them. Windows 7 explorer on Bit rate column shows varying bit rates, from 128kbps to 225, 204, 211, 320, ... I'm guessing that they vary amongst files. Two of the six directories (there are six directories in compilation; the rest of the files are in root directory) have only 96kbps files in them. If you can give me pointers on how to check whether they are VBR I'll try to do so. – Rook – 2015-10-15T21:18:12.033

Search SU and ye may find... :) How to know whether a audio file is CBR or VBR?, and Is there a tool that can detect (and if possible, fix) glitches in MP3 files?. The 204 and 211 bit-rates reported on those files tell me those are either VBR, or (less likely) a really bad choice in CBR. :)

– Ƭᴇcʜιᴇ007 – 2015-10-15T21:42:48.123

Just to report, yesterday evening I recorded several CDs, with different filesystems and with different speeds of recording (although 10x seemed the lowest my recorder managed) and this morning one of them (haven't tried all of them yet) seemed to work. It hasn't been able to recognize any folders on the CD (although there is a button on the device for transversing folders) but has been able to read numerous MP3 files with different bit rates, so it is my conclusion that is not part of the problem. I'll buy a new box of discs today and try to figure out what makes the one disc – Rook – 2015-10-16T06:52:18.330

that works different from all the others, and then report here. The folder conundrum caught me at suprise - is there something in the way folders are made that could differentiate them and cause the drive's internal file system not to recognize them? – Rook – 2015-10-16T06:53:23.373

-3

CDs can be written to in several modes : audio CD and data CD mode. Audio CD is the one CD players use, and recognize only that one. PCs are fine with either.

From an audacity burning CD tutorial

A data CD containing for example MP3 or WAV files will play happily on your computer but is unlikely to play in a standalone CD player or in-car CD player (note that some modern CD players will play data CDs). An audio CD will play on any standalone or in-car CD player and in your computer and in modern DVD players.

Solution : burn cds in digital audio mode. See the tutorial by the good people of audacity for more info on the format

Jiby

Posted 2015-10-15T20:53:58.293

Reputation: 95

I'm sorry Jiby, but you missed the topic altogether. Yes, CDs can be recorded in Audio mode and Data mode. The question was all about Data mode and what could be the reasons for not it being readable; while it should have been. Audio CDs work normally. There was no problem with those. – Rook – 2015-10-18T14:02:44.503

I don't understand : Your question mentioned audio CDs working, and burned ones not working (despite working on PC) but not any distinction between the two writing modes, or that you were even aware of the difference. I feel that my answer, despite being incorrect in your case, is still relevant to the community :) – Jiby – 2015-10-18T14:51:04.633

Both CDs are burned; as a matter of fact they all are. Depending whether you have a "regular" CD player or a CD player that supports reading MP3 files from disc, you either can burn them in Audio CD mode or in Data mode. All CD players that support reading MP3 files from disc support reading of Audio CDs as well. In this case, the one in question was such so there was no question about that. The question was why it was not reading Data CD which contained MP3 files properly, and what options used when burning were affecting that. – Rook – 2015-10-18T14:54:56.353

Since the question was not about Audio CDs and your answer did not address any point about Data CD with MP3 files, and potential problem when burning those, I downvoted it. It adds value, thus true, but not to this question. You were answering some different question. – Rook – 2015-10-18T14:59:27.873