If you are new to the world of personal audio devices, you may wonder how to play a USB drive on a Bluetooth speaker. Many of the best speakers, after all, are Bluetooth speakers, and they can play audio from a wide variety of sources. So why use Bluetooth speakers to play the contents of a USB drive, and how do you get started? Keep reading to find out.
Key Takeaways_
- Integrating a USB device with a Bluetooth portable speaker is a great way to access thousands of songs and conduct phone calls.
- Many wireless speakers accept flash drives via an integrated USB flash drive port, and others allow SD card access.
- If your speakers lack such a port, plug the USB device into your computer and use that computer’s Bluetooth.
Why Connect a USB Drive to a Bluetooth Speaker?
Convenience is the name of the game here, similar to when learning how to make a speaker Bluetooth. These wireless speakers let you listen to audio without cables.
USB drives are large enough to hold thousands of songs and movies, so you won’t have to learn how to connect a record player to Bluetooth or how to connect Bluetooth speakers to a projector.
Additionally, you can learn to connect a Bluetooth speaker to a PC as well as what to do if you have had to ask, “why does my Bluetooth speaker keep cutting out?”
insider tip
Some Bluetooth speakers also include enclosures for SD cards and MicroSD cards.
Both Bluetooth speakers and flash drives are hearty gadgets, minimizing the chances of having to learn how to take apart Bluetooth speakers with no screws. They also both allow for many connection types if you are learning how to use AUX mode with a Bluetooth speaker. Additionally, if the speaker supports it, you can learn how to use A TF card in a Bluetooth speaker.
How to Play Music From a Flash Drive to a Bluetooth Speaker
There is no universal solution here, as each speaker is different, as you can read about in our Echo Dot 4th Gen review. However, here are some common ways to get a flash drive to play on a Bluetooth speaker.
Connect Via USB
If your speakers have a USB port and your drive connects via USB, then you should be good to go. Check the instructions that accompanied your speakers to see if this will be a plug-and-play affair or if this will require the installation of some software drivers. Your speakers will not only have to allow playback from a flash drive, but they will also have to include some control method so you can search through the files. For those interested in which wireless technology is better, read our comparison guide on AirPlay vs Bluetooth.
Connect Via Computer
Do your speakers lack a dedicated USB port or anything that could accept an adaptor of some kind? Don’t worry, as you can use any number of external sources. These are wireless speakers, after all, so take advantage by plugging your drive directly into a computer and using the computer’s Bluetooth to stream audio out of the Bluetooth speaker. As a bonus, a computer’s file selection process will be much more intuitive than whatever is available on the actual speakers. But if the audio seems very quiet, you’ll want to find out how to enhance Bluetooth speaker sound.
