Local music files: Song Couldn't be Downloaded

[haricane8133]

Plan: Premium Mini

Country: India

Device: Tested on Motorola One Power (Android 10), Samsung M21 (Android 11) 

Operating System: Tested with Windows, Mac and Ubuntu

My Question or Issue

I have added local MP3 files to Spotify app in my computer (legal files: I make songs as a hobby. I also tried syncing the royalty free MP3s from YouTube studio)

I want listen to sync these songs in my Android device. The Spotify playlist that I create with my Computer is readily shown on my mobile device. But inside the playlist, all the songs are greyed out. If I try to play it, the progress bar starts at the bottom, but it crashes. If I try to download the song, I get a message "Couldn't download song".

I did try looking at previously provided help, but didn't work for me 

[CarlosE]

Hi there @haricane8133,

Thanks for reaching out to the Community.

Can you let us know all the troubleshooting steps you've tried so far? This is so we don't repeat anything and know where to start.

We'll be looking out for your reply.

[haricane8133]

Hi,

I followed all the steps I could find online. I also tried with the computer connected to my mobile's hotspot. All have the same issue. (I tried with all the devices that I have mentioned in my earlier post)

[haricane8133]

In Windows, I gave all firewall permissions to Spotify...

[Alex]

Hey @haricane8133,

Thanks for the reply.

You can try moving the local files on your PC to another folder. After that clear the local files cache, following this guide. After that try reuploading the local files from the new forlder and check if they can be played and downloaded on your phone.

Keep us posted on this.

[haricane8133]

What do you mean by uploading songs from local folder? This just means adding local songs to a playlist after allowing Spotify to show local files right?

This doesn't solve it. I am still getting the same issue. The playlist that I created with my local songs is available in my phone, but the songs inside are greyed out. When I tap to play, the player shows up momentarily but crashes and does not play anything. When I long press a song and ta download, I am getting the message "Couldn't download song"

Any non-local song which is available in Spotify is working fine in my playlist. The song is not greyed out and play and download both are working

I am wondering whether this has to do with the Mini version of Premium account?

By the way, why does Spotify not allow really 'uploading' our tracks to its servers so that we can sync it directly without needing two devices to be connected to the same network? Apple Music and YouTube music have this feature. But since I really love Spotify for everything else, I am struggling to fix these irritating issues myself without changing the app

[Scripach]

Have the exact same issue.
Region: Russia
Plan: Premium Student
Tried everything at official Spotify guides, but still can't download songs to my Android phone, RMX1927
Also have an issue with cover arts. Some songs have same pictures on cover art, but in reality (windows folder) they are different

[CarlosE]

Hi folks,

Thanks for your posts.

@haricane8133, what we meant is to try moving your files to a new folder in your PC, clearing the cache with the steps in the article @Alex shared above, and then doing the whole process again importing your files from that new folder (selecting it from the available sources under the option Show Local Files in the desktop app settings).

Also and just to confirm, are those files playing fine in the desktop app?

Regarding your suggestion, we recommend searching in our Ideas board to see if someone else has already suggested that so you can add your vote. If there aren't any ideas about it, you can add your own so others can then vote for it or add to the conversation to show their support. You can find the steps to submit a new idea in this article.

You can also read more about how feedback on ideas reaches Spotify here.

@Scripach, can you let us know specifically which troubleshooting steps you've tried so we don't repeat ourselves? Did you already try the suggestion mentioned above about moving your files to a new folder?

We'll be on the lookout.

[Scripach]

Hi. I tried clear re-installation both apps, moving music between folders and discs. Checked that both apps are in same WIFI and Spotify profiles. The music in .mp3 and works on PC.

[haricane8133]

I tried the same steps that @Alex mentioned. The songs play fine in the PC. Only in the phone play and download crashes

I am in the "Premium Mini" version of the plan, whereas @scripach is in the "Student" version of the plan. This shouldn't be a problem as the Terms and Conditions do not say anything about the "type" of premium plan, for syncing local files

If that is not the issue, please let me know the fix. I would very much like to have my local songs synced up

[MafeG]

Hi folks,

Thank you for your replies.

@haricane8133 Thank you for the clarification about your subscription. The feature to sync local files between devices is available only for regular Premium subscriptions, given the reduced list of features that the Mini subscription provides.

@Scripach Sometimes, issues synchronizing local files come from the network. Please try creating an internet hotspot with your phone and connect your PC to it. Then check again if you're able to download the files to your phone.

Let us know how it goes!  

[Scripach]

@MafeG hi there
tried your solution - no download. but except the crash/error sign when trying to download, app shows download sign, but nothing happens 😕

[haricane8133]

@MafeG, thank you for the confirmation

1. Don't you think this must be at least mentioned somewhere in the terms and conditions under Mini, when selling the plan as "premium"? The only thing I see according to the website, is the fact that I can download lesser number of songs per device if I am in Mini; Nothing else

2. It is not even mentioned even in the documentation page for local songs sync, that this doesn't work for the Mini plan

3. This could have at least be at least shown in the app without it crashing so badly.

If Spotify had done any one of the above absolutely necessary and important things, I wouldn't have wasted so much time debugging this, while you guys also took so long to confirm the issue which I have been doubting and mentioning to you guys too all along.

[Alex]

Hi there @haricane8133,

Thanks for the reply.

Premium Mini is a Mobile and Tablet only experience and therefore the Mini experience will only be available on those devices. 

Since downloading local files to any mobile device requires them to be uploaded via the Desktop app, local file sync won't work on while running the Mini Plan.

We've passed your feedback to the right teams at Spotify.

@Scripach, you can try changing the download location on your phone. Go to Settings > Storage > try selecting a different location and re-downloading the local files playlist.

Keep us posted on this.

[Scripach]

There is no such option as changing download location.

[Ver]

Hey @Scripach,

Thanks for getting back to us.

In case you don't see such option in the settings of the app, could you send us a screenshot of what you're seeing? We'll look into this further.

If the option to Show unplayable songs is turned off, it's a good idea to turn it on to see if that helps.

Keep us posted.

[Scripach]

my spotify app is on my local language (russian), so i don't think it would help you
"unplayable tracks" are obviously on, that's why i can see them grey

[CarlosE]

Hi again @Scripach,

The option to change the storage location is in the Settings menu by tapping on Storage, almost at the end of it, just above the option Log out. In there, you'll be able to change the storage location to either device storage or SD card.

Keep us posted on how it goes.

[Scripach]

nope, there is no such option. maybe because i don't have an sd card in my device

[haricane8133]

With Premium Mini, I was able to listen to advertisement-less music in the desktop app too, and it is also nowhere mentioned that Premium Mini is not for Desktop apps

I now tested with the actual Premium plan. It it still not working. After creating the playlist at my Desktop app with local songs, I tapped download for the same playlist at my mobile app. After that the songs are still grey and when I tap to play, I get the message "Spotify can't play this song. The song is not there in your device".

With the actual premium plan as opposed to the mini plan, I could see a new option in my app - "show local audio files". I tried after turning it on, but it didn't work too. Then I tried manually copying my local songs to my phone. Then the synced playlist worked fine

So the crux is if I manually copy all the local songs in all my devices, the playlist is working fine in all devices; Spotify is not able to sync and download the songs in the playlist, from one device to another