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Question

Music-library folder plays tracks from subfolders instead of its own tracks

  • June 22, 2026
  • 5 replies
  • 34 views
M

I am having an issue with the Sonos app (Android) and a music library stored on a network share.

My library contains a folder named A, which has its own music files as well as several subfolders that also contain music. However, when I browse to folder A in the Sonos app and select one of the songs stored directly in that folder, Sonos plays a song from one of the subfolders instead.

For example, selecting the second song listed in A plays the second song in sub1. The apparent track order is preserved, but Sonos seems to ignore the files stored directly in A. As a result, I cannot play the songs located in A itself.

Example:


A/
├── 01 - Song in A.mp3
├── 02 - Another Song in A.mp3
├── sub1/
│   ├── 01 - Song in sub1.mp3
│   └── 02 - Another Song in sub1.mp3
└── sub2/
    ├── 01 - Song in sub2.mp3
    └── 02 - Another Song in sub2.mp3


Expected behavior: selecting 02 - Another Song in A.mp3 should play that file.

Actual behavior: it plays 02 - Another Song in sub1.mp3 instead.

I am somehow surprises that nowbody seemed to have reported this issue yet. Is there anyone else encountering this?

5 replies

MoPac
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  • MoPac
  • Headliner III
  • June 22, 2026

Do that many people store their music with that folder structure?

Stanley_4
  • Stanley_4
  • Grand Maestro
  • June 22, 2026

How are you selecting the tracks to play?

Are the track names similar?

 

Might be worth creating the problem, submitting a diagnostic and then call Sonos support. 

My library is a bit different and I don't  see a problem.

First letter like a b or c

--  artist

---- album

------- music

K
  • kdowling
  • June 22, 2026

The Music Library, Folders listing doesn’t actually display file names. The track names it displays are from the file metadata tags. Are you sure the metadata are unique for the files in the directories/sub-directories so that isn’t the reason Sonos is picking the wrong files to play?

Just the first thing that comes to mind. I don’t have my library set up that way. Maybe someone else that does can check it out.

M
  • mariof
  • Author
  • Contributor I
  • June 23, 2026

Thanks for the replies. I know that this is not the majority setup, and it applies only to a few of my folders, for example, single tracks that are not part of an artist's albums or EPs.

Also, I should clarify

  • I access my library always through “Folders” (as I prefer my own ordering). There I go on the network share, enter a folder, and just press the track name. The correct track is played as long as that folder has no subfolders with more tracks
  • The Folders listing does only display file names if the MP3s are not tagged; otherwise, it displays the artist and track name. That is the case for the majority of my tracks.  I got curious and actually tried to play a file without any metadata (a recording). It is the same behavior. Additionally, I found out: if there are subfolders but those don’t contain tracks, nothing will be played at all.
  • My artist-trackname metadata are unique for all files in the folders and subfolders
  • I tried with several folders with different tracks, all following a similar structure, and the problem is always the same. 

I’d be happy to see if someone could just reproduce the same issue, e.g. by just copying/moving some track out of the “leaf” in the directory tree.

Stanley_4
  • Stanley_4
  • Grand Maestro
  • June 23, 2026

Might be an issue with the Sonos index process.

Probably best to reproduce your test cases above, submit a diagnostic for each and note the number. Once you have sent the diagnostic data call in to Sonos support. 

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