Xbox System Media Player

Have been pulling my hair out with the exact same problem:  It will play using the Play To feature, but System Media Player will not see any songs in the shared directory.  Obviously unacceptable because I want to play music while playing a game.  Moved all music to a temp directory, moved the My Music location to new place (to ensure it wasn't a permissions issue), re-ripped a single CD, re-setup share and it's still doing exact same thing.

If you hear ANY solution, please post back!!!

Actually, I think I just got it.

What I did above might have worked but I didn't leave it alone long enough.  Regardless, the following is working...  1) Move your "My Music" folder by finding it in your user account, right-clicking, choosing the location tab and then move.  You should let it move all the files when it asks.  2) Go back to your My Music folder in your user account, right-click, choose location again and then move the folder back to the original location.  You'll probably have to create a new folder in that original location named something like "Music" or "My Music".  Regardless, this time do NOT move all the files.  This will (eventually) clear out your Media Player library and you'll have a clean My Music directory.  3)  Now, copy a few of your artist/album directories from where you moved the original to into the new cleaned out My Music folder - note that I didn't find move to be as successful.  If you have Media Player open when you do this they will add right back into Media Player.  4)  In Media Player chose Organize and Apply Media information.  5)  Finally, when you choose the streaming options they'll appear on your Xbox.  At least they did on mine.  If all that works and you can see the files you just moved on your Xbox, go ahead and do it for the rest of your music.

Doesnt seem to work with mine. I managed to get it to recognise the laptop was there instead of constantly saying there was a firewall problem, but now it only shows one music file which is a wav in My Pictures. Trying to be sly I copied a folder with music into the pictures library and now it wont even find the file it could before!

Is microsoft attempting to force us to buy music through them rather than use our own, or is it the usual microsoft buggy as hell release?

I also have this problem.  Working 100% with windows 7.  Media Center works fine, can see everything I have shared.  Using a media streaming software, Playon in my case, all files are shared and play.  Using the system video player, it shows My Videos folder, then blank, No Videos.  This is obviously a Win8 problem they have introduced, but no one from MS will answer questions on it here, or at their answers web site.  MS, we need an answer to this problem, and then a fix for it.  Sooner than later.

its not a high priority for them to answer as they are plugging the Xbox Music streaming where you have to pay for the service. doesnt help when you want to play music in games though...I have hardly used my xbox since upgrading to win8 as I get fed up of the looped game music.

Im considering downgrading back to 7 or getting a PS3

BillLee3 not sure exactly what you mean with the move the music folder in your account, are you talking about the Xbox?

But yes I have the same problem, I have to use Media center. But there is another option, install the old Zune software and go into the settings and share you Collection to the Xbox, then Zune collection will appear as an entry on the Xbox lwhen you go into the system music player.

still a crappy bug in my book though.

I am encountering the same Problem, I first thought It was because I have a lot of music and took a while to find it all, but I did noticed it only started with Windows 8, I really Do hope one of this days an Update to Windows8 will Fix it, but I am Really Mad of how my Favorite Game, "Beat Hazard" requires my Own Music and now I cant Play it, Microsoft Should Really Do Something, all Here I was Thinking they were doing everything better now.

There are multiple solutions to play music via the xbox from a computer, but none that allow you to play a game at the same time. I have noticed though that no official response to these posts has been made by anyone - either there isnt yet an answer, or no one from microsoft is bothered.

Can I ask that any of the support/embassadors confirm if there is no fix or answer yet as at least then it doesnt look like they are simply ignoring it and trying to make money from the music pass.

Having similar issues here with my Xbox/win8 pro. Xbox will see my pc, will SOMETIMES show artists but will never break it down by artist/album. I can occasionally play an entire artist but I can't narrow down to a specific album. I've tried multiple programs and the results were pretty much the same. Would love a fix or at least a comment by MS.

No on from Xbox support want to answer this question.....Tells you something really doesn't it.