Old Ipad Air - Memory

Yes, you can connect external storage devices to your iPad:

Connect external devices or servers with Files on iPhone - Apple Support

https://www.imore.com/how-use-external-hard-drives-your-iphone-or-ipad

To be recognised by iPad, 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 your iPad has limited power capabilities, dependent upon the Storage Device, an external power source is often required. For HDD or SSD, an external power source is almost certainly needed.

As your iPad has a Lightning port, you will need to use an Apple Lightning to USB3 Camera Adapter to connect USB devices to the iPad. This adapter has both a USB 3.0 Type-A connector and an additional Lightning port to supply power, from your Power Adapter, to both the iPad and connected device. The Power Adapter must be rated at 12W or more.

• Lightning to USB 3 Camera Adapter

https://store.apple.com/xc/product/MK0W2ZM/A

To clarify my earlier response, you can use your iPad Air1 with connected USB storage using the Apple Lightning to USB3 Camera Adapter. However, the installed version of iOS does restrict its usefulness in that your can import and export photos from connected USB media; you’ll not be able to use this solution to manage your mp3 files.

As the iPad Air1 is incapable of update to iPadOS13.x or later, for your stated need, you will need to consider replacement of your existing iPad with a newer model - ideally supporting iPadOS16 - as this will provide considerable additional flexibility in file management for both internal and external storage.

For information, here is a list of the highest version of iOS supported by the older models of iPad (for simplicity - “generations” are shortened to a number) that are restricted in their ability to be updated:

32-bit devices (obsolete)

iPad1 - iOS 5.1.1

iPad2, iPad3 and iPad mini1 - iOS 9.3.5 (WiFi Only models), iOS 9.3.6 (WiFi & Cellular)

iPad4 - iOS 10.3.3 (WiFi Only), iOS 10.3.4 (WiFi & Cellular)

64-bit devices

iPad Air1, iPad mini2 and iPad mini3 - iOS 12.5.7

iPad Air2, iPad mini4 - iPadOS 15.7.7

Newer models are all able to be updated to the current version, iPadOS 16.5.1

• iPad Pro (all models)
• iPad Air (3rd generation and later)
• iPad (5th generation and later)
• iPad mini (5th generation and later)

My initial response was misleading, for which I offer apology.

USB external storage works with iOS 13 and iPadOS 13 and later.

Details: Connect external storage devices to iPad - Apple Support

(Version info per this, so not an option available here.)

You can offload to iCloud, or to some other file-hosting service with an app that still supports iOS 12, too.

I will concur with Mr. Hoffman.

You cannot use any external drives with any Apple devices that are stuck on iOS 12 or earlier.

Sorry.