Apple Event: May 7th at 7 am PT
I have a large iTunes Media library which I moved to an external ssd drive and have it permanently plugged into an iMac 24" as the 'Apple' cost of more internal storage is ridiculous. My question is:- can an iPad Pro read the external drive? If not then how would I go about using my media on an iPad Pro, again not being able to afford a 2Tb model? Many thanks to anyone who can guide me on this.
iPad Pro, 12.9-inch, 6th Gen, Wi-Fi
Some third-party File Manager Apps can access and play music/media files, of various types, directly from external storage.
One that comes readily to mind is FileBrowser Professional by Stratospherix:
https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/filebrowser-professional/id854618029
You would be well advised to review the extensive online Manual and help files to determine suitability for your needs.
Some third-party File Manager Apps can access and play music/media files, of various types, directly from external storage.
One that comes readily to mind is FileBrowser Professional by Stratospherix:
https://apps.apple.com/gb/app/filebrowser-professional/id854618029
You would be well advised to review the extensive online Manual and help files to determine suitability for your needs.
In theory, SSD storage can be connected to iPad and iPad Pro with caveats…
To be recognised by iPadOS, the attached USB storage device must be formatted to FAT, FAT32, exFAT, APFS or HFS+ with a single partition. Microsoft NTFS is not supported. Formatting and partitioning, if required, must be performed using a separate computer; iPad does not provide any facilities to format an external storage device.
As the iPad has limited power capabilities, dependent upon the Storage Device, an external power source is often required.
If you have one of the newest iPad Pro models, with a USB-C connector, you may need to utilise a powered USB hub (i.e., it has its own source of power) - connecting both the iPad Pro and the storage device to ports on the hub.
Some additional information can be found here:
Connect external devices or servers with Files on iPhone - Apple Support
https://www.imore.com/how-use-external-hard-drives-your-iphone-or-ipad
Be aware that your iTunes Music Library cannot be accessed by the iOS/iPadOS Music App. For your Music Library to be accessible by your iPad, the iPad must be synchronised with your Mac (using iTunes or Finder - as appropriate for the installed version of macOS) or a Windows PC (using iTunes for Windows). The sync’ process copies an authorised copy of the iTunes Music Library to the iPad - where it can be accessed using the Music App.
Thank you very much for your helpful reply. I understand all that you say, unfortunately I cannot afford a 2Tb iPad so my 1.3Tb iTunes library cannot be synced to one with lesser storage. This is the reason I wanted it on an external drive so that I could just attach it to the iPad Pro as and when I needed it.
You can certainly use appropriately formatted SSD storage with your iPad. What you can’t do, however, is directly access your saved iTunes Music Library using the iPadOS Music App.
If you have a suitable music player App, you may be able to play the mp3/aac audio files that you’ll find within the directory structure of the stored music library.
Thank you for your help. Do you have any suggestions as to a suitable music app for iPad that would allow me to access the library on the external drive?
Thank you once again, very much appreciated.
You are very welcome.
Using external ssd
