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I'm using a Samsung Galaxy Note 3, not to be confused with a small surf board, and I've run into a new problem this morning. I usually load some smutty audio books (ok, Star Wars audio books) to listen to during the more mundane parts of the workday, at the gym, etc. When I added the next few in my current series, I noticed that my audio book player was only playing about 5 min. of each file and then moving on to the next one.

I checked on my PC to make sure that the files weren't corrupted, and they were fine on the desktop (when VLC opened them, they played for the proper duration). Okay, I thought, I'll delete the files that got screwed up when I loaded them via WiFi and retransfer them using my cable. Same problem once I got the files on again. Next I tried to use the Samsung Music app instead of my audio book player but got the same result. Even in the system audio file player I get the same problem. What should be a 1:17:46 file keeps trying to play like it's a 00:05:14 file.

This behavior was seen pretty heavily across the 40 or 50 files I put on this morning (using the USB, over WiFi I only transferred the one book), but some of the files didn't have any problems. It also seems like entire books are treated the same way; if one plays fine, all play fine, and vice versa.

Technical Details: Android: Version 4.4.2 Kernel 3.4.0-722276 Build KOT49H.N900AUCUCNC2 SE for Android status: Enforcing SEPF_SAMSUNG-SM-n900A_4.4.2_0013 Security revision MDF v1.0 Release 2

Files: Type .mp3 Bit rate 128kbps

Audio Book App (not sure this is relevant since it's on the system and Samsung players as well): Smart AudioBook Player

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    No idea what that could be, but a suggestion on how you might find out: with the USB cable connected to your device and ADB tools installed on your computer (see e.g. Is there a minimal installation of ADB?), at 4:50 start adb logcat and capture its output. Then especially take a look at the lines appearing about the time the premature stop happens. For details, also see How can I view and examine the Android log?
    – Izzy ♦
    Aug 7, 2014 at 14:40
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    Just wanted to update: 1) Found a workaround using the VLC Player (still in beta) to open the files. 2) After going back to google basics and figuring out a better way to ask, it looks like it might be an issue with variable bit rates; unfortunately, when I downloaded an app to fix that, it came back telling me that based on the file tags, it thinks they're constant bit rate and not variable. I'm way outside my area of focus on this one, but TL;DR is that the file on the device is not corrupt, as I can get it to play with the VLC app.
    – jvance
    Aug 7, 2014 at 17:24
  • You might want to answer your own question with that (and accept your answer later): It includes a solution to the problem (VLC), plus some hints to possible reasons behind the issue. Both might prove helpful to other people in comparable situations! Good job :)
    – Izzy ♦
    Aug 7, 2014 at 23:49

2 Answers 2

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Since this has been open for a week, I decided to post my workaround and the other details I found as an answer. Mods, please don't close other similar questions, because this is not an actual answer, just a hotfix that might help someone later.

Just wanted to update: 1) Found a workaround using the VLC Player (still in beta) to open the files. 2) After going back to google basics and figuring out a better way to ask, it looks like it might be an issue with variable bit rates; unfortunately, when I downloaded an app to fix that, it came back telling me that based on the file tags, it thinks they're constant bit rate and not variable. I'm way outside my area of focus on this one, but TL;DR is that the file on the device is not corrupt, as I can get it to play with the VLC app.

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I wanted to hop in an add that using the VLC Beta solved a possibly related problem I was having on my 4.4.4 SlimKat ROM. I couldn't play large audio files (7+ hours each) on any of the other players I've used, but VLC handles them like a boss.

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