Syncing local files to mobile

[Wal-E]

Plan

Premium

Country

France

Device

Mobile : Samsung A52  / PC : Dell Latitude 

Operating System

Android 12 / Windows 10

My Question or Issue

Hi, 

Can you please help me?

I added some local files (MP3) from my computer to the desktop app. Then I added them to various playlists. 

The issue appears when I try to play these files on the mobile app. The different tracks are greyed out and impossible to read (not available on this device). 

I tried to reinstall the desktop and the mobile app. The disable then enable the local files on each... Nothing works.

Is it a timing issue? I added the local files 2 days ago. How much time it takes the app to upload it to the cloud? 

Can you help me please, I'm quiet desperate since I tried every tutorial/solution on this website.

Thank you very much for your help!

[Wal-E]

So i tried these steps without success:

1. Connect my mobile and my laptop to the same wifi, activate the spotify connect and download the playlist on both. 

2. Clear the cache on mobile and 'force stop" the app many times

3. Activate the download trough cellular data and  use my phone as a hotspot then connect my laptop to it.

4. Copy the same local files on my mobile on the internal storage and SD

5. Delete the playlist, uninstall the app and start over again. 

I'm very disappointed at the moment because I just stopped my napster subscription and took a Spotify one mainly for this "local files" features. My idea was to complete my playlists with songs that are not available on the platform: mainly youtube old lives (No DMR protection, 20 files in total)... But I just discovered that the "local files" technology is far from being ready to use, it's not user friendly, and from what I read in the forums, no one really understands how it works. Big disappointment. 

[Wal-E]

So what finally worked for me is to copy the local files directly on the phone (same file with the same name), on the same root folder where Spotify download my playlists for offline listening. 

The problem is, when I turn the local file on mobile ON, the folder contains ALL THE MUSIC FILES available on my phone. I can't filter or choose a subfolder. 

As I told you in my previous comment, this feauture is far away from being ready to use. Spotify should not advertise for it, nor make it available for users. 

Still disappointed because:

- to make it work I had to copy the files on my computer AND my phone.

- when I activate the local files on my phone I can't filter/delete/choose the files or folders I want to activate

- this feature appears to be a simple copy/paste feature, not linked to the cloud...

[PDybala21]

Hi Wal-E,

I too am having the same issue. Before I explain more, could you please advise on how you were to find the root folder on your phone where Spotify downloads your playlists for offline listening?

However, I tried hotspotting from my S20 to my Windows 11 PC and then when i hit download on my PC app, it downloaded SOME of the local files onto my phone and it did actually play (was not greyed out on my phone).

BUT the annoying part is it only downloaded some of these local files from my PC onto my phone, these few are still greyed out and I cant figure out how to get em onto my phone Spotify after trying all the firewall and local files changing folder ideas recommended on this forum.

I have tried uploading the same raw audio files i uploaded from my PC onto Spotify (PC one), I tried using these same audio files (same title, mp3 etc.) onto phone and then from the phones local files into the Spotify android app. However, the ones i upload via phone are greyed out on my PC and so it makes my playlist number bigger for no reason by not recognizing that the audio files are the same. If all alse fails, I'm gonna have to do this to get all my music in one app.

Also I am on Premium with phone S20 and Windows 11, I forgot if i mentioned this.

Hopefully someone at Spotify can look into this too. Really what everyone needs is the ability to organize music into one app and this one feature if they can fix and make user-friendly, then no doubt they'll eat more and more into their competitors customers.

[Wal-E]

Hi PDybala21,

The "root" file is simply the directory you choose for your storage on spotify. It's either the internal storage or the SD card. 

For me it's the SD card. So I created a folder directly on it, and copy the SAME files on my phone as well as on my computer.

You have to copy the same files on both before adding them to the playlist.

I add them to the playlist on my computer while having my phone USB connected to my PC and it works. 

So :

1. Create a folder on your spotify storage location on your phone

2. Connect your phone USB to your computer 

3. Copy the same computer files on your phone

4. Add the files to your playlist ON YOUR COMPUTER 

Of course you have to enable "spotify connect" before starting this steps. 

For me it works. Good luck!

[HoleExplorer]

Spotify use to offer sync when you downloaded a song on PC and added it from local files it would automatically sync to your phone. Now it downloads the same song on your phone and makes you add it to the playlist again so you have the same song twice but one can only be listened to on PC and the other on phone (example in the photo).

This feature was perfect before I don't know why Spotify goes out their way to make their service even worse but I'm considering moving to Apple music at least they offer sync.

[milkymaners]

Hi how is it that i create a folder on my spotify storage location on my phone?

[himw]

I was having the same problem. But this worked. I added local file on my laptop to the playlist. Then without turning on local files on my phone, downloaded the playlist for offline listening. I have it on my phone without the duplicate. Hope this helps!

[nyjonas]

Coming from Apple Music I can vouch for this feature. However, if you havent made the move to AP from Spotify (this post is some months old) know this. All your playlists and local files will be deleted if you cancel the subscription. For me that was 12 years with playlists and library. Never going back. First I was raging. Now I`m just sad. 

Perhaps a fullblown library with Plex is the best...