You can plug your portable audio player right into your Xbox 360 console for instant enjoyment of your music through your TV or stereo system's speakers.
To stream music from a portable audio player to your console:
- Connect a USB cable (not provided) between the device and a controller port on your console.
- Press the Xbox Guide button and select Media.
- Select Music Library, then select your portable audio player as the source.
- Select the music or playlist you want to listen to.
Note
You can also listen to music on data-storage devices, like USB flash drives. Unlike portable audio players, however, data-storage devices don't let you browse by artist, album, genre, or other characteristics. You'll simply see a list of media files.
Most players don't play files that are protected by DRM (digital rights management).
To listen to music from your Zune, see Use Zune with Xbox 360.
To listen to music from your Apple iPod, see Use an Apple iPod with Xbox 360.
Play Music from a Portable Audio Player in Place of a Game's Soundtrack
Games all have music soundtracks. The great thing about Xbox 360 games is that a game's music soundtrack is actually optional: if you'd rather hear music from your favorite bands while you game—in addition to the game's sound effects and your conversations with other gamers on Xbox LIVE—you can.
Listen to tunes you've ripped from your CDs to your Xbox 360 Hard Drive, or plug in a portable audio device.
To replace a game's music with music from your audio player:
- Turn on your Xbox 360 console and load an Xbox 360 game.
- Plug your portable music player's USB cable into a controller port on the Xbox 360 console. Make sure your player is on.
- Once the game is running, press the Xbox Guide button and select Media.
- Under the music controls, select Select Music.
- Choose your portable device from the list, then select the music you want to hear.
- Press the Xbox Guide button to return to your game. Your selected music will play in place of the game soundtrack.
Note
While you're in a game, the maximum number of playable audio files is 100.
To balance the music level against the non-music elements of a game:
- After you've started your music as described above, select the sound-level (speaker) icon in the music controls in the Media blade of the Xbox Guide.
- Use the left stick to raise or lower the music level relative to the game's non-music elements.
- Press the Xbox Guide button to return to your game.