# Why wont Plex identify some mp3 files? **URL:** \ **Category:** General Discussions\ **Tags:** server-windows\ **Created:** [March 23, 2025, 8:57am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/why-wont-plex-identify-some-mp3-files/909939 "2025-03-23T08:57:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![acco1650](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/65b543/32.png) [@acco1650](https://forums.plex.tv/u/acco1650)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2025, 8:57am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/why-wont-plex-identify-some-mp3-files/909939/1 "2025-03-23T08:57:54Z")
Hi I have some folders where Plex sees my .mp3 and some, where it doesn’t. My guess is that is there a different codec or type of .mp3 format(??). I have tried the .mp3s on my PC (outside of Plex), and it works ok. When I go into my Plex folder, it says “empty folder”, which it definitely isn’t The naming procedure of the files appears normal, as that has been a problem in video files in the past Any ideas or suggestions would be welcome. ---
**Author:** ![tom80H](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/plex/user_avatar/forums.plex.tv/tom80h/32/19753_2.png) [@tom80H](https://forums.plex.tv/u/tom80H)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2025, 2:59pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/why-wont-plex-identify-some-mp3-files/909939/2 "2025-03-23T14:59:25Z")
There’s no alternative types of mp3 which might not be supported by Plex. You could even rename a text file to a mp3 file extension and Plex will catalog it (it won’t play, but it’ll show up in your library). How are those files of yours organized inside the folder you’ve linked to your Plex library, and how are they named? [https://support.plex.tv/articles/200265296-adding-music-media-from-folders/](https://support.plex.tv/articles/200265296-adding-music-media-from-folders/) ---
**Author:** ![acco1650](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/65b543/32.png) [@acco1650](https://forums.plex.tv/u/acco1650)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2025, 10:04pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/why-wont-plex-identify-some-mp3-files/909939/3 "2025-03-23T22:04:39Z")
I appreciate you taking the time to help me with this. I have gone through the folder structure and it will pick up sub folders. Some of the sub folders have mp4’s in them and it picks them up. It just wont pick up the mp3. So the structure is Libray Folder, Main folder, Sub folder then mp3 files. I have even changed the file names to clear out any possible obstruction, so it is named “01 induction.mp3” and it wont pick it up. With that exact folder structure it does pick up the mp4 ![2025-03-24_08-25-12](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/plex/original/4X/0/4/f/04f53f1d7027b4e6993e366e286865b4c5d3499e.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![acco1650](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/65b543/32.png) [@acco1650](https://forums.plex.tv/u/acco1650)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2025, 10:10pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/why-wont-plex-identify-some-mp3-files/909939/4 "2025-03-23T22:10:02Z")
The above screen grab was just with the mp3’s and this one is when I added the mp4 and still had the mp3’s in the same folder ![2025-03-24_09-08-42](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/plex/original/4X/6/1/8/61893bda07c0102f2879d33a4029d452ab727a05.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![Divideby0](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/74df32/32.png) [@Divideby0](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Divideby0)\ **Post date:** [March 23, 2025, 11:47pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/why-wont-plex-identify-some-mp3-files/909939/5 "2025-03-23T23:47:37Z")
What Library type is this? ---
**Author:** ![acco1650](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/65b543/32.png) [@acco1650](https://forums.plex.tv/u/acco1650)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2025, 7:34am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/why-wont-plex-identify-some-mp3-files/909939/7 "2025-03-24T07:34:08Z")
See below to the solution. I fully appreciate your help and guidance and apologise for my stupidity ---
**Author:** ![acco1650](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/65b543/32.png) [@acco1650](https://forums.plex.tv/u/acco1650)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2025, 7:35am UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/why-wont-plex-identify-some-mp3-files/909939/8 "2025-03-24T07:35:05Z")
You are a champion, and I am embarrassingly an idiot. I didn’t even think of what sort of folder I made it and I obviously made it a video folder. The reality is that I placed this mp3 folder under another folder that had been made for videos without even thinking that the top folder had been created as a video folder. Made a fresh music folder and placed this under it and it worked 🤦🏻‍♂️ I appreciate your help, and I apologise for wasting your time 🙏 ---
**Author:** ![Divideby0](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/74df32/32.png) [@Divideby0](https://forums.plex.tv/u/Divideby0)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2025, 3:19pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/why-wont-plex-identify-some-mp3-files/909939/9 "2025-03-24T15:19:39Z")
Haha, I had a sneaking suspicion that you might’ve been using a Videos Library type instead of something else. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/plex/original/3X/2/a/2acb9765406f63293d357b4ec509ec39aa28f2ad.png) [@system](https://forums.plex.tv/u/system)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2025, 3:20pm UTC](https://forums.plex.tv/t/why-wont-plex-identify-some-mp3-files/909939/10 "2025-06-22T15:20:20Z")
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