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Microsoft's OneDrive: Can It Store And Stream Digital Music?

OneDrive is a cloud storage service, but can it play your music library?

By Mark Harris Mark Harris Writer University of Wolverhampton Mark Harris is a former writer for Lifewire who wrote about the digital music scene and streaming music services in an easy to understand, no-nonsense manner. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on April 28, 2020 Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email MS Office Word Excel Powerpoint Outlook Microsoft's OneDrive (formerly known as SkyDrive) is an online storage service that allows you to store photos, documents, and other media, as well as create and edit certain types of Microsoft Office files.

What Is OneDrive

OneDrive forms part of a suite of cloud-based services provided by Microsoft. These services can be accessed via a single Microsoft username and password. But what about digital music? Can OneDrive be used to store and stream your song library? Here are a few frequently asked questions on the service's capabilities as a music sharing platform.

Can I Upload My Music Library to OneDrive and Stream It

Yes, but it's not a one-step process. OneDrive can store pretty much any file you'd like, and music files are no exception. However, you cannot stream music directly from OneDrive. If you click on one of your uploaded songs, you will only be given the option to download it. In order to stream audio from OneDrive you need to use Microsoft's Xbox Music service. The two services are linked together, and although Xbox Music is essentially a subscription service (Xbox Music Pass), you can use it for free to stream your own music uploads. Another caveat: You cannot upload your music to just any old folder in OneDrive. It must be located in the Music folder. If you do not use this destination, then Xbox Music will not be able to recognize your files as streamable media. Files can be uploaded using your browser or the OneDrive app.

What Audio Formats Are Supported

Currently, you can upload songs that are encoded in the following audio formats: MP3 AAC (M4A) WMA As you might expect, you cannot play files that have DRM copy protection such as M4P or WMA Protected. Microsoft also says that some lossless AAC files might also not play correctly.

How Many Songs Can Be Uploaded to OneDrive

There's a current upload limit of 50,000 files. The problem with OneDrive is that your uploads count towards your storage limit; Google does not have this restriction on the number of gigabytes offered. That means if you've only got the standard 15GB of space then you'll run out of space well before hitting the 50,000 file limit. If you are already an Xbox Music Pass subscriber, you will get an extra 100GB of storage to play with. To increase your OneDrive storage for free, Microsoft currently rewards users if they install the OneDrive app and turn on the camera backup facility. If you've never installed this app, then this is a great way to get more storage for your music files. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire How to Bring the Windows 10 Experience to iOS and Android 17 Best Free Cloud Storage Services for Backup in 2022 How to Turn Off OneDrive in Windows 11 How to Use OneDrive in Windows 10 How to Send a File Attachment With Outlook.com How to Download Music to Your Android Phone How to Set up Microsoft OneDrive for Mac How to Use Microsoft's OneDrive on Every Device How to Copy a Music CD to iTunes Apple Music vs. Spotify: Which One is Right for You? How to Expand the Storage on Your iPad How to Upload Music to the Amazon MP3 Cloud Player What Is OneDrive and How Does It Work? How to Rip Music From CDs Using Windows Media Player 11 How to Move Your iTunes Library to a New Location Winamp FAQ: Converting Audio File Formats Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies