Car 'Infotainment' Problem

[CygnusX1]

Did you ever find a fix, Pego?
I just paste your issue into ChatGPT to see what it thought……


What you’re seeing isn’t a fault with your USB stick or the exFAT format—it’s how the infotainment system in the Škoda Elroq is designed to index music.

What’s actually happening​

Most modern car systems don’t browse files like a computer (by folders). Instead, they:

• Scan the music files
• Read their metadata tags (ID3 tags)
• Build a library based on Artist / Album / Track info

So:

• Your carefully organised folders are ignored
• Files with missing or messy tags show as “Unknown album”
• Compilations get split because tracks have different “Artist” tags
• Ordering looks random because it’s sorting by tag data, not filenames

---

Why your setup looks messy​

A few common causes:

• Missing or inconsistent ID3 tags
• Different formats of tags (ID3v1 vs ID3v2)
• Compilation albums not marked correctly
• Tracks lacking album/artist info entirely

Changing to MP3 won’t fix it unless the tags inside the files are correct.

---

The fix (this is the important bit)​

1. Clean up your metadata (best solution)​

Use a tagging program on your computer like:

• MusicBrainz Picard
• Mp3tag

What to do:

• Ensure every track has:
  • Artist
  • Album
  • Track number
• For compilations:
  • Set Album Artist = “Various Artists”
  • Keep individual track artists in “Artist”
• Make sure album names are identical across tracks (no typos)
• Add track numbers (01, 02, 03…) so they play in order

This alone usually fixes 90% of in-car music chaos.

---

2. Force consistent tag format​

Some car systems are picky. Try:

• Save tags as ID3v2.3 UTF-16 (widely compatible)
• Avoid exotic encodings

---

3. Keep file formats simple​

Best compatibility:

• MP3 (CBR or standard VBR)
• Avoid unusual codecs (FLAC sometimes works, sometimes not depending on system version)

---

4. Reduce complexity (optional but helpful)​

• Avoid extremely deep folder structures
• Keep file names clean (no weird symbols)

---

5. Look for a “folder view” setting​

Some VW Group systems (which Škoda uses) hide this:

• Check infotainment → Media → Settings
• Look for “Browse by folder” or similar

Not all versions support it, unfortunately.

---

Quick reality check​

Even when everything is perfect:

• The system will still prefer Artist / Album browsing
• Folder view (if available) is usually secondary

---

If you want a simpler workaround​

Instead of fighting the system:

• Create playlists (M3U files)
• Many car systems read playlists better than folders

---

Bottom line​

Nothing is “wrong” with your setup—the car just isn’t using folders at all.
The only reliable fix is clean, consistent metadata tagging.

 

[Pegojack]

Did you ever find a fix, Pego?
I just paste your issue into ChatGPT to see what it thought……


What you’re seeing isn’t a fault with your USB stick or the exFAT format—it’s how the infotainment system in the Škoda Elroq is designed to index music.

What’s actually happening​

Most modern car systems don’t browse files like a computer (by folders). Instead, they:

• Scan the music files
• Read their metadata tags (ID3 tags)
• Build a library based on Artist / Album / Track info

So:

• Your carefully organised folders are ignored
• Files with missing or messy tags show as “Unknown album”
• Compilations get split because tracks have different “Artist” tags
• Ordering looks random because it’s sorting by tag data, not filenames

---

Why your setup looks messy​

A few common causes:

• Missing or inconsistent ID3 tags
• Different formats of tags (ID3v1 vs ID3v2)
• Compilation albums not marked correctly
• Tracks lacking album/artist info entirely

Changing to MP3 won’t fix it unless the tags inside the files are correct.

---

The fix (this is the important bit)​

1. Clean up your metadata (best solution)​

Use a tagging program on your computer like:

• MusicBrainz Picard
• Mp3tag

What to do:

• Ensure every track has:
  • Artist
  • Album
  • Track number
• For compilations:
  • Set Album Artist = “Various Artists”
  • Keep individual track artists in “Artist”
• Make sure album names are identical across tracks (no typos)
• Add track numbers (01, 02, 03…) so they play in order

This alone usually fixes 90% of in-car music chaos.

---

2. Force consistent tag format​

Some car systems are picky. Try:

• Save tags as ID3v2.3 UTF-16 (widely compatible)
• Avoid exotic encodings

---

3. Keep file formats simple​

Best compatibility:

• MP3 (CBR or standard VBR)
• Avoid unusual codecs (FLAC sometimes works, sometimes not depending on system version)

---

4. Reduce complexity (optional but helpful)​

• Avoid extremely deep folder structures
• Keep file names clean (no weird symbols)

---

5. Look for a “folder view” setting​

Some VW Group systems (which Škoda uses) hide this:

• Check infotainment → Media → Settings
• Look for “Browse by folder” or similar

Not all versions support it, unfortunately.

---

Quick reality check​

Even when everything is perfect:

• The system will still prefer Artist / Album browsing
• Folder view (if available) is usually secondary

---

If you want a simpler workaround​

Instead of fighting the system:

• Create playlists (M3U files)
• Many car systems read playlists better than folders

---

Bottom line​

Nothing is “wrong” with your setup—the car just isn’t using folders at all.
The only reliable fix is clean, consistent metadata tagging.

Wow! Thanks for all the info, Cygnus, that's very helpful.
I have a computer nut mate looking at it, but I've also asked Skoda Support at their HQ if they can help. They've assigned it a case number and are apparently looking into it, so we'll see. Thanks again.

 

[CygnusX1]

Wow! Thanks for all the info, Cygnus, that's very helpful.
I have a computer nut mate looking at it, but I've also asked Skoda Support at their HQ if they can help. They've assigned it a case number and are apparently looking into it, so we'll see. Thanks again.

Sounds like point 5 might be your only ‘quick fix’, if your system has that setting.

 

[stevethejack]

Metadata is what I was referring to a while ago, ensuring artist, song, album etc are properly detailed for each song.

 

[K23]

Hi Mike, not sure if you’re still struggling with this issue but here’s another possible option to get your music displayed and played how you intended. I have a similar approach to you in that I have a huge play list (last count 3,962 tracks) organised into 22 folders so all the tracks play in alphanumeric order and I have these exact same folders on memory sticks in both of my cars, the music system in my kitchen and on my main TV plus on my tablet, my phone and an mp3 player I use on flights. Been listening to music like this for about 15 years. However, if I want to use Google Maps on longer journeys in my Lexus (you know the one because you’ve been in it!), I can have Maps displayed on the car’s screen by using Android Auto which I’m sure your new car is equipped with. However, if I’m using Android Auto, I can’t then access the music on the memory stick plugged into the car’s USB-A port as the whole infotainment system is then purely interfaced with my phone but while Android Auto recognises Google Maps, WhatsApp and Phone Contacts among other things, it only recognises certain music players, one of which is PowerAmp. So I downloaded PowerAmp on my phone and, hey presto, I can access all the 22 folders on my phone all beautifully displayed exactly as I want them on the car’s big screen while also using Google Maps. To do this, you’ll have to put all your music on your phone, download PowerAmp and plug your phone into your car’s USB-C data port but the results will be exactly what you want.

Caveat: if you us an iPhone, your car will also have AppleCarPlay so presumably you would be able to do something similar but you‘d have to ask someone else!

 

[Pegojack]

Hi Mike, not sure if you’re still struggling with this issue but here’s another possible option to get your music displayed and played how you intended. I have a similar approach to you in that I have a huge play list (last count 3,962 tracks) organised into 22 folders so all the tracks play in alphanumeric order and I have these exact same folders on memory sticks in both of my cars, the music system in my kitchen and on my main TV plus on my tablet, my phone and an mp3 player I use on flights. Been listening to music like this for about 15 years. However, if I want to use Google Maps on longer journeys in my Lexus (you know the one because you’ve been in it!), I can have Maps displayed on the car’s screen by using Android Auto which I’m sure your new car is equipped with. However, if I’m using Android Auto, I can’t then access the music on the memory stick plugged into the car’s USB-A port as the whole infotainment system is then purely interfaced with my phone but while Android Auto recognises Google Maps, WhatsApp and Phone Contacts among other things, it only recognises certain music players, one of which is PowerAmp. So I downloaded PowerAmp on my phone and, hey presto, I can access all the 22 folders on my phone all beautifully displayed exactly as I want them on the car’s big screen while also using Google Maps. To do this, you’ll have to put all your music on your phone, download PowerAmp and plug your phone into your car’s USB-C data port but the results will be exactly what you want.

Caveat: if you us an iPhone, your car will also have AppleCarPlay so presumably you would be able to do something similar but you‘d have to ask someone else!

Possibly a daft question from a non-technical person, but would the phone have enough capacity to take all the music? There is 14.2GB worth.

 

[Smurph]

Seems like hard work when you consider streaming apps are available like Apple and Spotify.

Pego, give that a try while you wait to figure this out, honestly I don't think you'll be disappointed

 

[Cooperman]

Possibly a daft question from a non-technical person, but would the phone have enough capacity to take all the music? There is 14.2GB worth.

It depends on how much spare storage space you have on the phone, which in turn is driven by the original phone spec and whatever other data you have saved (photos, files, etc.).

 

[Pegojack]

don

Seems like hard work when you consider streaming apps are available like Apple and Spotify.

Pego, give that a try while you wait to figure this out, honestly I don't think you'll be disappointed

Don't you have to pay for them, Smurph? I've never used them, but what format are they in? Say you're driving along and suddenly you think "I'd like to listen to the entire album Ten Summoners Tales by Sting", what do you do? At the moment, if it was working properly, it would be two taps of the screen and away you go.

 

[Cooperman]

Seems like hard work when you consider streaming apps are available like Apple and Spotify.

Pego, give that a try while you wait to figure this out, honestly I don't think you'll be disappointed

The conversation I had with my old man went something like “you can keep ringing me every time you forget how to manage music data or you can have one of my Spotify logins”

We took the Spotify route and calls into the IT service desk fell of a cliff overnight.

 

[jack123]

Just reading a little bit more about this on google, and I’m wondering could it be just a simple fix like reformatting from ex fat to fat 32?

Since 14.2 GB is well under the 32 GBthreshold, Windows will natively allow you to choose FAT32 in the format menu. This is the ideal size for a Skoda's infotainment system, as it provides maximum compatibility without requiring any special workarounds.
Microsoft Community Hub +4

Quick Formatting Guide (Windows)

1. Backup: Move any music or files off the drive, as formatting will erase everything.
2. Right-click: Find your USB drive in File Explorer, right-click it, and select Format.
3. Select FAT32: In the "File system" dropdown, select FAT32.
4. Allocation Size: Leave this at the default setting (usually 16 KB or 32 KB).
5. Start: Ensure "Quick Format" is checked and click Start.

Important Considerations

• 4 GB File Limit: While your total drive can hold 14.2 GB, no individual file (like a single high-definition video) can be larger than 4 GB on a FAT32 drive.
• Folder Structure: To ensure your Skoda plays the songs correctly, keep your folders shallow (e.g., Artist > Album > Song.mp3) and avoid using special characters in file names.

 

[Muteswan]

Upload your library to iTunes and organise it there and play it off your phone.

This is what I do. I’ve different playlists for different moods and specific genres. Mostly play it on random so I could get a wide variety of genres all mixed in together. I like to get surprised.

 

[Muteswan]

It depends on how much spare storage space you have on the phone, which in turn is driven by the original phone spec and whatever other data you have saved (photos, files, etc.).

Do you have an iPhone? My music is stored in the cloud and is streamed to my iPhone in the car or wherever I am.

 

[Smurph]

don

Don't you have to pay for them, Smurph? I've never used them, but what format are they in? Say you're driving along and suddenly you think "I'd like to listen to the entire album Ten Summoners Tales by Sting", what do you do? At the moment, if it was working properly, it would be two taps of the screen and away you go.

I think Spotify has a free version with add. I pay £26 per month for Apple Music, TV and cloud storage for the 5 of us at home.

The music catalogue with Apple is huge, you'll struggle not to find what you're looking for.

Apple have a free one month trial at the moment https://www.apple.com/uk/apple-music/

I just jump in the car and my playlist kicks in automatically and can manage it using a button on the steering wheel or on the touch screen in the car. My phone is connected to the car via bluetooth, I've used an aux cable in the past.

The car more than likely has apple play already in it's software by the sounds of it, I'm guessing it quite new.

Forgot to add it's really easy to get your head around when using the app.

 

[Smurph]

The conversation I had with my old man went something like “you can keep ringing me every time you forget how to manage music data or you can have one of my Spotify logins”

We took the Spotify route and calls into the IT service desk fell of a cliff overnight.

Outsourcing is definitely the way to go