Won't sync offline tracks even after upgrade/reinstall/deletion etc

[michaeldresser]

I've spent days trying every single solution I can find online and I STILL can't sync offline tracks.  I've got over 2 GB of space on my iphone, I've done a full reset of my phone and reinstalled every single app, I've tried every trick I could find listed online and tracks which are physically stored anywhere except spotify streaming simply won't sync, despite being tagged as available offline on both my windows pc and my iphone... it's been like this for several months now and I'm getting pretty fed up given that I pay for a premium service! How can I resolve this issue??

[Jordi]

Are you syncing with a WiFi connection or a Mobile connection (3g/4g)? If you are on a mobile connection you should go to Settings -> Sound quallity -> Mark Sync with mobile connection (last option).

[michaeldresser]

Wifi.  And yes both devices are on the same wifi.

[michaeldresser]

to be honest it's pretty much always been clunky activating a sync of any kind (off or online tracks) - there doesn't seem to be any rhyme or reason to whether it works or doesn't - sometimes it seems to work better if you open the pc spotify first and then the phone... sometimes the other way around... somtimes not at all!

[jeremygoh]

@michaeldresser It sounds to me like your router/ISP firewall is causing this problem, or could it be in your workplace.

Can you try to sync probably a few tracks on a playlist using 3G/4G (If you've enough data), if it works means that the router firewall is blocking access.

Used to have this problem with my past workspace.

[michaeldresser]

I dont' think so - it's not a work wifi, it's personal, it's open (unpassworded) and I've had the same problems on numerous wifi's I've tried doing it on over the last few months

[michaeldresser]

Unfortunately I'm not able to try syncing using 3G because I'm in an area of the country where I get no phone reception.  I don't leave the area very often so I'm pretty much restricted to doing things with wifi.  My understanding of syncing, however is that it has to be done over wifi (as both devices need to be on the same wifi) so I'm not quite sure what you mean by trying to sync using 3G - could you elaborate?

[michaeldresser]

I should also add that this is purely a problem with physical tracks (ie mp3s which I own on my pc) - syncing the spotify streaming tracks is basically ok.

[jeremygoh]

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@michaeldresser wrote:

I should also add that this is purely a problem with physical tracks (ie mp3s which I own on my pc) - syncing the spotify streaming tracks is basically ok.

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Ah - That answers the question! If you have physical tracks (Local Files) that's located on your computer, you need to make sure you open the Spotify app on your PC/Mac/Linux and head to the Devices Tab AND open the app on your iPhone.

Also make sure that the computer and the phone is on the same wifi network.

If it still does not work, go to your iPhone and open a Personal Hotspot and connect your computer to the wifi network on your iPhone and all should be well!

Jeremy.

@michaeldresser 

[michaeldresser]

OK - I have done a test: I saved an mp3 track on my pc desktop, then connected the iphone to the pC, then opened the spotify app on my PC then opened the app on my iphone - both are on the same wifi network.  Despite not having synced last night when I did the same test, the track was now synced this morning.  I then added a second mp3 to the desktop, then added it to the playlist on the pc app and it showed up in the iphone app but won't play and is not synced offline....

I know it's possible to have physical tracks synced to the iphone to play offline and when not connected to the computer because I've been doing this for the several years I've had spotify mobile. This is happening with tracks which have previously been synced offline successfully to my iphone but then have suddenly stopped being synced and when I try to sync them again simply won't sync, even though they show up in the playlist, they're not playable on the phone - either online or offline.

It seems to be random which tracks will sync and which won't and when they will do it. 

[jeremygoh]

I've just checked my local files on my Spotify app - I realised that when the files are synced they no longer have a green color download icon.. I might be wrong but let me give me a check.

Jeremy.

[michaeldresser]

I've tried more tests with a variety of mp3 files: it seems like they will only sync into offline mode if the track is one which is available through streaming on spotify's own library.  If they are an mp3 which is not offered by spotify they will not sync or play on the iphone spotify app!

But in the past i was able to successfully sync these same tracks into offline mode and play them on the iphone spotify app so I don't know what's changed??  Why are they suddenly not able to sync and play offline, when they were previously??

(and on my phone app the ones which are synced and available to play offline have a little green symbol next to them - if they aren't available offline or to play they symbol is greyed out)

[michaeldresser]

So apparently there's no solution to this completely inconsistent issue...??

[jeremygoh]

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@michaeldresser wrote:

I've tried more tests with a variety of mp3 files: it seems like they will only sync into offline mode if the track is one which is available through streaming on spotify's own library.  If they are an mp3 which is not offered by spotify they will not sync or play on the iphone spotify app!

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Absurd, I don't think so, i have some offline tracks that is not part of the library, can you try to confirm this again with more tracks?