In my own case, the TRACKS are inside the ALBUM folder, which is inside the ARTIST folder, which is in the MUSIC folder… so I just point Sonos path to the MUSIC folder only.. \\NAS\Music … the library held in that music folder only is then indexed and every ARTST/ALBUM/TRACK in that folder only is included in the library - so you just need to locate or create your Music folder on your drive and put your library inside that folder and point to its path.. example \\rjbmusic\g\MUSIC …. (just as an example)

But check your storage drive to see where you have actually put your own music library. 

I have rebooted the router several times. I have physically removed the drive, run a scan/repair, and remapped it.

This is so upsetting. And somehow this thread has been marked “answered”!?!

I don’t know if these are the screenshots you want, but they’re all “fresh” (i.e., tonight).

https://bit.ly/SonosMusicLibraryFailures

And trying to map to the IP vs. sharename is no better:

Why does the My Music folder have the Shield on?

This indicates a permission where Admin access is required. (just saying this as a comment, haven't read the thread or know where you're accessing the data from).

In the last box, I can't imagine a path to the router/gateway with a drive letter could work.

As I read through this I’m confused with respect to upper/lower case required.  Windows doesn’t care much about case, but NAS drives usually do care.

Have you used the “Browse” button in the Sonos controller to fetch the path name? If you use a phone/pad SONOS controller do you see the same path names (paying attention to upper/lower case) as you see using the Windows SONOS controller?

@Alonzo Mosley,

So where are your actual music files stored on the drive? .. it would be helpful to see your Artists/Albums/Tracks. Could you show a screenshot of those, perhaps using windows explorer?

I’m just seeing an available windows DLNA media server service running .. but no actual SMB share with the music files in a shared folder?

I’m not using the My Music folder - for anything (it is literally empty). I presume it’s shielded because I haven’t explicitly given Sonos permission to read it, but that’s because I’ve never asked Sonos to read it.

I’m not using the drive letter to Add the Sonos Library - I’m using the network address. I just posted the screenshot of the mapped drive to show that “the system” recognizes it’s a spinning, active, loving drive.

I have tried multiple configurations of caps/noncaps (and even renamed things offline to take out spaces, caps, etc.). When everything - names, mapping, etc. - was all lowercase, it still didn’t work. (You can tell I never got along with the Unix guys at work, I can’t stand underscores and lower-case file names… [/offtopic])

(Also - you’ll notice that in the router’s interface, “RJBMUSIC” is all caps, in the Network Explorer screen it’s all caps, but in the address bar it’s lowercase...)

And yes I have tried the “Browse” button, results are somewhere on Page One. It was… unsatisfying.

The music files are stored within the “seamusic” subdirectory:

(Turns out that part of the alphabet skews toward a certain genre, doesn’it it?)

First person to blame Pete Frampton for these troubles gets doxxed...

And, yes, it’s:

\\rjbmusic\G\seamusic\ \ARTIST] \ \ALBUM] \ \SONGS]

I swear I will stop complaining about “Alpha by First Name” if I can just get this to work.

Physically, where is the music?  On a USB HDD connected to the router?  What is ‘G’?

If you paste the location into an explorer window does it access the files OK?

The thing I mentioned about the shield, I’m not sure it’s related to Sonos ‘permissions’ because that is shown before you try to access the area.  But yes, if you’re not even going into it then it’s probably irrelevant.

On my NAS I can control access to a connected USB drive.  If you’re connecting to one, are you able to control access to it too?

Have you tried a very basic addition - adding a single folder from another location (eg My Music) with a few songs in to see if access is OK?

Yes, it’s a USB plugged into the router.

Yes, I copy and paste directly from Explorer into Sonos.

This did work fine up until ~December.

[]

@Alonzo Mosley,

I would perhaps consult with the manufacturer of the NAS and/or Router, as clearly there has to be a setting to give users on the LAN permission to access the seamusic folder - it’s not even clear how you would select a version of SMB, or allow certain users read/write access etc.

From the screenshots you have posted so far, it’s difficult to suggest how to go about enabling those things.

You could maybe try to take ownership of the seamusic folder first and then set the read/write permissions via windows explorer perhaps, or to inherit permissions from the rjbmusic/g directories that appear to be hierarchical, but that may cause you other issues with the DLNA/FTP services that I see available via the router interface, or NAS software interface, so I’m reluctant to suggest taking that approach.

You are most probably best to go onto speak to the respective support desks relating to your chosen hardware, or maybe ask relevant questions in their user-forum (if they have one) and see if someone can put you on the right path to solving the issue. 

It’s just strange that once in manifested on Sonos (which, to my understanding, is the only thing with relevant changes - the firmware on my router didn’t change, nor did the physical HD), it continued to (mis)behave this way, even after installing a new router. (And it is supposed to be a pretty good router...

I haven’t assigned specific access to the music folder on the router, because the drive - and all its folders - support other things on the network.

I suppose the solution at this point is to buy a burner PC, put it on the network, share its My Music folder, and hide it under the couch.

Might it be worth a try, despite apparently being unnecessary?

What is your current router make and model?  (Sorry if I have missed this info)

So in all this trouble accessing the drive from Sonos, you haven't assigned any specific access and just hope it will work.

And instead of looking at how the access is configured, your next step is to get an extra pc and leave that powered on just to serve music files? ‍♂️

Another suggestion that might (or might not) narrow down the possible causes. Put a few dozen tracks on a USB flash drive, put it in the USB slot on the router and see if Sonos can find and index the music.

Um, I have spent probably a hundred hours going around with Sonos “help” options to get it to work.

I have not specified a folder on my router; it is a networked drive, not a networked subdirectory.

As I have posted several times, I have tried every option that I can think of for Sonos to map to that directory.

In other words, I have not limited the network to one specific subdirectory. I have a drive on my network that should be unrestricted to any and all authorized network users. The Sonos interface appears (and at one time, did) to be able to connect to a specific subdirectory on that network drive. To limit the access at the router level renders massive amounts of network functionality obsolete, just for the sake of Sonos’ convenience. And, since many people have posted that they can map Sonos to specific subdirectories on their drive, I am fairly confident that cannot be the cause/solution.

I don’t know where you think I am “not looking at how the access is configured”; I have tried every suggestion, no matter how irrelevant, the Community and Sonos “help” has offered.

I thought I remembered that “solid state” drives were a concern - I don’t remember if that was router-based, or Sonos-based. But since I can’t find where I “learned” that, I actually just bought a new Sandisk stick that I will try this weekend.

I also bought a higher-gauge extension cord for the router and a shorter cord for the USB drive. For the love of God, if this comes down to just being fluctuating current...

Link was in post immediately above yours - TP-Link Archer AX73 AX5400 Dual-Band Gigabit Wi-Fi 6.

(Because I learned to type on a typewriter, I still underline things and on this forum underlines look like links….)

@Alonzo Mosley,
So perhaps try this suggestion .. ignore the seamusic folder altogether and instead create a brand new folder called ‘Music’ next to it, with path of //RJBMUSIC/g/Music

Drop a few music tracks into that new music folder (just as a test), then add that path to the Sonos App Library settings and ‘index’ the library and see if that then see’s the few test-tracks in the music folder.

Not just this forum; the underlining of links is a world wide web standard, which is why underlining for emphasis is frowned upon.  Try bolding or italics.

I have used a USB stick plugged into a router as my Sonos Music Library. It was at least 5 years ago and was using a travel router. So it is, or has been, possible.

But the worldwide (not just web) standard is to mark links in other colors. And, yes, italics are the digital-age equivalency, but I find in most cases that when writing in a space that refers to lots of things that should be italicized (e.g., album titles), underlining can enhance clarity.

Also, underscoring something and italicizing something are two different levels of intensity. I can’t believe that I, of all people, am mansplaining this. Ah, well. c’est la vie!

Cool. Got a new 512GB stick right here. Will report back…

It does depend on whether the router supports that as an NAS, though. Some routers do, others don’t. Best bet would be to test, as you’re doing, or read the router’s instruction manual extensively, since it will be non-obvious. 

I am not sure if this is relevant (clearly it’s for a different TP-link model) but I’ll throw it into the mix just in case:

https://www.tp-link.com/fr/support/faq/2039/