Can't download/play music from local folder on Android phone

[lakers_hamid11]

I have uploaded songs to my local folder from my desktop app and can easily listen to them on the desktop app, but I can't download them so I can listen to them on my mobile phone. It keeps telling me that "This song is not available".  I have followed the steps from another issue and still nogo. 

https://community.spotify.com/t5/Android/Play-quot-local-files-quot-on-my-mobile-device/m-p/4787441#...

[lakers_hamid11]

Hi folks,

Thanks for the feedback and comments.

We'd like to report this issue to the right teams at Spotify for investigation. Can you provide us with the following info, which will help the investigation and finding a fix for this faster:

• Country of your account.
• Exact device & Android version.
• Spotify app version.
• A screenshot of how the Local files appear on the app.

We'll be on the lookout for your replies.

[Alex]

Hey @lakers_hamid11,

Thanks for the post.

Make sure that:

• In your router settings, check that UPnP (Universal Plug and Play) is enabled.

• Windows shows your network as private and not public. And that your PC is visible on the network.

• Spotify is set as an exception in any firewall or internet security program. 

If none of these do the trick, you can create a mobile hotspot on your mobile and connect your PC to this hotspot via wifi. Syncing the local files should then work.

Hope this helps. Don't hesitate to reach out again if you have questions.

[lakers_hamid11]

Hi Alex, 

Unfortunately none of the above suggestions worked out for me. The download starts but after a few sec. it stops (fig1.) and nothing happens.

I hope you have some other suggestions. It's tiring and I spend a lot of time on it and therefore I think the easiest thing would be to drop Spotify and find another service. fig1.fig2.

[Cosmonautikal]

I'm also experiencing this issue after the recent update.

Samsung Galaxy S21 Ultra.

Have followed the usual troubleshooting steps as far as resetting wifi, restarting devices and clean installing the mobile app (but not the desktop one)

[Alex]

Hey @Cosmonautikal,

Thanks for the reply.

Can you try the following:

• Create a mobile hotspot from your phone, connect both the PC and phone to it and try to re-upload the local files and download them on your phone.

If that doesn't work again - run a clean reinstall of the Desktop app and the clear the local files cache on your PC, following this guide.

Keep us posted on how you get on.

[Cosmonautikal]

I've already tried using the mobile hotspot.

As for a clean install of the desktop app... just... why...

I've clean installed the desktop app dozens of times now at various times, usually for a similar issue as this. Sometimes it fixes the problem, mostly it doesn't.

By now I know it's usually Spotify's fault. It's just a matter of waiting for you to wake up and update the apps properly.

How can you put the troubleshooting process up to us when the service is just a black box? If we had just the slightest amount of control over the app, some insight into how it all works, some advanced options, maybe users would be able to fix it ourselves.

But we can't.

It's a closed service and whether or not it works is entirely in the hands of the developers.

I mean for god's sake. It's a paid service that we have no significant say over. It better just work.

Fix it. Put it to the developers. I've done enough "troubleshooting" for Spotify to last an eternity.

You should have testers and full-time developers and automated data collection working on this.

Stop wasting our time.

You'll drive us all away eventually.

[Cosmonautikal]

I have since performed a clean install of the desktop app (Lenovo Legion Y540, Windows) and this did not fix the issue.

[lakers_hamid11]

What Cosmonautikal said.

Waste of time, possible that it works for a small amount of users, but it is a very well known issue across users. Therefore, I do not understand why people at Spotify do not take it more seriously and act on the problem. You reply people back with a standard response even though they have been through it all. 

Act now and fix the issue. I'm pretty sure it can be solved in an easier way, the question is when do Spotify see this as a very well known issue. Because as a paid user, it's annoying I am paying for a service I can't use 100%.

[Alex]

Hi folks,

Thanks for your responses.

We understand your frustration with not being able to use the download feature, and we're doing our best to offer solutions which have helped other users in similar situations.

Since we don't have access to your account data, we can only troubleshoot remotely.

This issue has been reported to the right teams at Spotify and it is mostly due to networking limitations, which come from certain networking protocols (mainly Bonjour protocol) not being supported/ blocked on the user's network. Or from the devices, not being discoverable on that network, and in turn file sharing over WiFi can't go through.

@Cosmonautikal, can you try to play some local files from your PC on another device, using the Connect function and let us know if that works as expected?

We'll be on the lookout for your reply.

[Cosmonautikal]

Hi!

Yes, apologies for the rant. It's directed at the abstract entity and practices of 'Spotify' more than you. I understand that you have limited resources and are doing the best you can. So thanks for that, then.

Now.

If you're asking if I'm capable of playing local files on the desktop using the phone as a remote (that is it displays "Listening on 'ComputerName'") then yes that works. Sadly the local files still will not play on mobile, all being marked with encircled exclamation marks.

Thank you. Hope that helps.

[Ver]

Hey @Cosmonautikal,

Thanks for getting back to us 🙂

In case you're using an SD card, could you try removing it, reinstall Spotify and then try running the app without the SD to see if that changes anything? Sometimes the SD card can lead to issues with the cache.

Just to double-check- does this persist after trying these steps?

In case nothing changes, you can send us a screenshot of what you're seeing. We'll look into this further.

Keep us posted. 

[lakers_hamid11]

Hi Ver, 

It made no difference unfortunately. I just tried what you suggested to Cosmonautikal and nothing happens. The problem is still the same on all tracks I see a circle with an exclamation mark, I see the same like I always do. For screenshots see my reply to Alex Friday last week. 

I have tried the same scenarios on another Android phone (Samsung S10) and it was the same.

[Cosmonautikal]

Thank you.

I'm not using an SD card.

 

I have followed those steps.

The problem remains.

[Alex]

Hi folks,

Thanks for the replies.

Can you let us know if you were able to sync local files to your phone before the last update.

Also, let us know your exact Spotify version after the last reinstall.

Cheers.

[lakers_hamid11]

Hey Alex, 

Desktop version: 

Spotify for Windows
1.1.67.586.gbb5ef64e

App version: 
8.6.60.1126

I'm still not able to sync local files to my phone,  neither before nor after the latest update. But now the circle with the exclamation mark on all songs has been replaced by a download icon of a circle with an arrow in it. However, nothing happens when I press download.

[Cosmonautikal]

For me there is no change at all:

Android Version: 8.6.60.1126

Windows Version: 1.1.67.586.gbb5ef64e

And yes I was able to sync files before the... second-last update.

[Ver]

Hey folks,

Thanks for the info 🙂

It's a good idea to try syncing the local files while being logged in to another account. Does that make a difference?

In case you're using a VPN, we'd suggest you disable it to see if that changes anything.

Let us know how it goes.

[Cosmonautikal]

I'm not using a VPN.

I may try the other account suggestion. I'll update this reply if and when I do.

Thank you for replying.

I hope that the developers are testing this themselves and working on a solution?

[Cosmonautikal]

The exact same error persists when using a different account:

 

 

[Cosmonautikal]

Huh.

Well as long as Spotify is taking time gathering preparatory data before addressing the problem:

I recommend making use of PowerAmp or CloudPlayer and your preferred cloud storage service (Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Drive) to listen to music you already own on your mobile device.

Sadly, since Spotify's tracks are tied to the app with proprietary DRM, you'll have to get your music from a different source in order to recreate your favourite playlists on the alternative platform.

Happy listening 🙂