Spotify, one of the largest and most well-known music streaming services, continues to set the bar high by releasing innovative new features and expanding its music library. One of Spotify’s many useful functions is the ability to play local audio files. However, user feedback suggests that this program feature often fails to function. Spotify song not downloaded local files issue is common these days.
When this happens, it may not be very pleasant, particularly if this function was the reason you downloaded the program in the first place. This article will provide some tried and tested strategies to help you fix the Spotify local files syncing issue.
How Do Spotify Local Files Work?
Spotify now has over 82 million songs available and adds thousands more every day. However, there are times when your desired track is absent in Spotify’s extensive digital catalog. So what can you do about the unavailable songs?
In such cases, although it’s not well known, Spotify allows you add songs on your local system (PC, mobile, tablet, etc.) to your Spotify collection.
Thanks to this innovative feature, Spotify music app allows you to import your library of songs (e.g., .mp3, .mp4, .m4a) to build your favorite ideal playlist.
You can access these locally stored files by going to the ‘Your Library’ button in the left sidebar and then to the ‘Local Files’ panel on the right. Click the ellipses (…) to the right of the song’s title to add it to your playlist.
These Spotify local files are also critical for the proper functioning of your audio setup, especially if you stream Spotify through your mic.
Requirements for Playing Spotify Local Music Files
Although you can play your local files on Spotify, there are a few requirements to consider. Spotify won’t let you sync your local files if you don’t meet one of these conditions.
Spotify Desktop App
The only way to upload local files to Spotify is through Spotify desktop client on Windows and Mac. However, it does not mean that your local files will not play on Spotify mobile; you must have access to the desktop app to add them to your account.
Subscription
Spotify Premium subscribers are the only ones who can access this feature; therefore, you have to upgrade to a premium membership if you want to play local files.
File Format
Remember that Spotify only plays.mp3,.mp4 (if QuickTime is installed),.m4p (unless it includes video), and.m4a (unless it is in FLAC or another lossless format) files. Therefore, you will need to convert your file if it is not in one of these formats.
How to Sync Spotify Local Files on Android Device
You can sync Spotify locally if you use an Android smartphone and meet the criteria mentioned above. Remember to add local files to a playlist on the Spotify Desktop app to access local files.
Here is what you need to do.
- Launch Spotify on your computer and choose the down arrow next to your name in the upper right corner of the interface.
- Choose ‘Settings’ from the menu.
- Turn the “Show Local Files” button ON by navigating to the “Local Files” section.
- In the “Local Files” area, there should now be a “ADD A SOURCE” button. Just press this button.
- Locate and choose the folder containing the audio files you wish to play. Your local files will load via Spotify.
- Choose the “Your Library” tab from the sidebar on the left and the “Local Files” panel on the right to add them to a playlist.
- Select the three dots to the right of a song you want to play to add it to the appropriate playlist. Alternatively, you can make a fresh playlist only for your local files.
- To access your library, open the Spotify app on your Android smartphone and tap the “Your Library” option.
- You should be able to view the playlist that stores your local files now. Find it by browsing your playlist.
How to Sync Spotify Local Files on iOS
Before you can play your local files on an Apple device, you need an additional option to activate them on your Apple device. To construct a playlist consisting of your local files, you must follow the first six steps mentioned in the section” How to sync Spotify local files on Android” section. Next, carry out the following actions:
- Launch the Spotify program and go to the playlist to which you added the music from your computer’s local files.
- Click the down arrow button to download the playlist containing your iPhone/local iPad files.
Pro-tip: Go to Settings and choose the Playback tab if you face Spotify local files not showing on your iPhone issue. Be sure that “hide unavailable music” is not selected. You may now see your local files as they synchronize.
How to Fix Spotify Local Files Syncing Issue
These are the things you need to do to sync local files on Spotify:
Check Your Network Connection and Spotify Accounts on All Your Devices
If you’re using both your desktop and mobile device, you need to use the same Spotify account and same WiFi network on both for the local files to be accessible.
Ensure Your Spotify App Is Up-to-Date
Spotify is continually updated and enhanced to match the pace of rival streaming services since it operates in a highly competitive software industry. Problems with file synchronization and other functionality may result from using an out-of-date app on your computer or mobile device.
It happens because unresolved flaws in recent versions may prevent your files from downloading or because old cache files may interfere with the synchronizing.
Reinstalling a program is the simplest approach to check whether it has been updated and is virus-free. By doing so, you can be certain that you have the most up-to-date version of the software and may eliminate any unnecessary cache files causing performance issues.
As an alternative, you may use the following methods to see whether your devices have any updates available:
When Using Android
Locate Spotify in the Google Play Store. The app’s page will provide an update button if one is available. Your app is up-to-date if there isn’t a drop-down menu with that choice.
When Using iPhone
In the app store, click the “Updates” tab in the lower right corner. If you see Spotify there, you should choose UPDATE. Otherwise, it seems like you have the most recent version of the program.
When Using PC
If a new version is available, a little blue dot will appear next to the menu button in the top right corner of your home screen. Select “Update Available” from the drop-down option. Click the “Restart Now” button.
Clear Spotify Cache
Do you realize that every time you open the Spotify app, all of the associated data is stored on your phone? They use a lot of storage space and interfere with the smooth streaming of your favorite Spotify songs. Additionally, certain faulty files might cause this issue. For it to function smoothly, you must delete all the caches.
- Navigate to Spotify’s Advanced Settings
- Check the location of Spotify’s cache under the Offline music storage option.
- Launch File Explorer and go to the location
- Delete all of the folder’s contents and then restart Spotify
Change Firewall Settings If Using Windows 10
Here is a workaround for anyone having trouble using Spotify on Windows 10. You may not get good results with Spotify due to a configuration issue on your computer. So here’s a quick and easy tutorial on customizing your firewall protection.
- Go to Windows Firewall on your Windows 10 PC and choose “Allow an app.”
- In the upper right corner, click Change settings.
- Locate Spotify.exe and then choose the Private tab to tick the box.
- To save changes, click OK.
Once the setup is complete, you’ll see that the problem with Spotify not presenting local music files has been corrected.
Reset Your Local Files Preferences
Occasionally, Spotify may malfunction while modifying settings, meaning it may not update your choices.
In the Settings menu, toggle the ‘Local Files’ option off and on to ensure Spotify has properly recorded your file preferences.
You may also choose a different folder to store your local files in. By doing so, you can ensure that Spotify has updated your settings, like when you open a new tab in your browser.
Final Words
We have outlined six solutions to the Spotify local files not synching problem. Try the solutions above to build your local files playlist without any issues and enjoy Spotify playlists you love.
As you deal with the issue of Spotify local files, you may also encounter issues with Spotify playback, such as frequently pausing Spotify app.
We hope our quick guide on how to enable local files on Spotify was helpful.
