Spotify How to Sync Local Files to Phone

Not only are you able to stream music on Spotify at any given time and place, but you also have the option of adding local files to your Spotify playlists. This unique feature makes Spotify a music app with which you can stream countless new songs and add your own favorites from your computer to create the ideal personalized playlist.

In this article, you will learn how to add local songs to your Spotify library.  It will also answer frequently asked questions about things you can and can't do with local files on your Spotify account.

How to Add Local Files to Spotify

Spotify has 70 million tracks, with new songs uploaded every day. But sometimes, the song you are looking for isn't available in the database. Usually, that's the case with songs that are not very popular, recorded in other languages, very old, or unavailable for legal reasons.

Not many users are aware of this, but you can actually import your own music to your Spotify library. It's a great way to store all your tracks in one place, taking into consideration that your storage isn't limited to a certain number of songs. If the local files are all stored on your computer, and you want to listen to them on the mobile app, you should definitely consider this option.

What's great about this feature is that it isn't only available to Premium subscribers – users with Free accounts also have that option. However, it's important to note that only users with a Premium account can listen to local files on the mobile app.

How to Add Local Files to Spotify on PC and Mac

Before we go into the details, note that you can only do this on the desktop app. Spotify doesn't allow you to upload local songs on the web player. On Windows, Spotify actually runs a scan on all your music folders as soon as you install the app. However, if your music files are scattered across different folders, Spotify is unlikely to locate all of them.

On the other hand, Mac users have a couple of more steps to complete. In order to add local files to your Spotify library on your Mac, you need to first enable them. This is how it's done:

1. Open your Spotify desktop app.

   

2. Go to Settings on the left sidebar. Go to Edit, and then to Preferences.
   (On Windows, Settings are in the drop-down menu at the top right corner of your screen.)

   

3. Find Local Files on the list of sections.

   

4. Toggle the Show Local Files switch. It will turn green.

   

Now it's time to insert the files from your computer. This is done the same way for both Windows and Mac.

1. In the same section, Spotify will suggest folders from which you can add the files (usually Downloads and Music library).

   

2. Click the Add a source button.

   

3. You can add separate songs or an entire album.

   

4. All the songs added will be stored in the Local songs folder in the Spotify library.

   

5. If you want to move the local songs, you can add them to separate playlists or you can make a brand new playlist for them.  If you want to stream the local files on your phone, we suggest you do this.

Keep in mind that the local files you want to add to your Spotify library must be on the computer's hard drive. To make the process easier, make sure to download everything first and store all the tunes in one folder. Once the local files are added to your Spotify playlists, you can listen to them just like any other song.

Note: You can only insert mp3, mp4, and m4p files.

How to Access Local Files on Mobile

Unfortunately, adding local files from a mobile device is not possible. You can only listen to the local songs on your phone if you have a Premium account. If you have a Free account, you can only add local files and listen to them on your computer. However, if you were to open your mobile app after you had added the local songs on your desktop app, you would still be able to see them, without the option of playing them.

How to Access Local Files to Spotify on Android

If you want to listen to local files on your mobile app, you still have to insert them through your computer by following the steps outlined in the previous section. Once you have moved the local music files to a new playlist, follow these steps:

1. Open the Spotify app.

   

2. Locate the new album with the local files.
   
3. Download the entire album by tapping on the arrow icon.

   

Now you will be able to listen to the local files freely.

Note: To make sure this works, both your phone and your computer have to be connected to the same Wi-Fi network.

How to Access Local Files to Spotify on iPhone

Once again, you can't add local files directly from your phone, as you can only listen to them as a Premium user. The process of accessing the local songs on an iPhone has a few additional steps:

1. Open the Spotify app.

   

2. Go to Settings at the top right corner of your screen.

   

3. Scroll down to Local Files.

   

4. Toggle the Local audio files switch.

   

5. Find the local songs, whether they are all stored in one playlist or different ones. Download the playlists. (You have to download the entire playlist since Spotify doesn't allow you to download separate songs.)

   

How to Fix Local Files Not Showing on Phone on Spotify?

Even if you had followed all the steps correctly, you still might encounter some problems. In case the added local files do not appear in your Spotify library on your phone, make sure that:

• Your mobile device and your computer are connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
  
• Your Spotify app is updated on all your devices.
  
• You are using the same Spotify account.
  
• All your devices are up-to-date.
  
• You've enabled your local files on your desktop app.

Additional FAQs

What Is a Local File on Spotify?

Local files are files that are stored on your computer's hard drive. It's important to note that the only local files you can add to your Spotify library are songs. However, not all file types are supported on Spotify. These are the ones that Spotify allows you to upload:

· .mp3 files

· .m4p files

Note: M4p files that include video will not be permitted.

File formats that aren't supported are FLAC files (m4A) and other lossless formats.

In case you still can't find your local files, make sure you didn't turn on any filters in your playlists. Also, make sure that you are using the right account. To find a song in your Spotify library, go to the Search bar and simply type it in.

Note: Spotify doesn't allow you to upload local songs or those obtained from illegal sources.

How do you transfer songs from iTunes to Spotify?

If you want to upload your music to Spotify from iTunes and not a specific folder on your computer, this is how it's done:

First, you need to make sure that you can share files from iTunes:

1. Open iTunes.

2. Then go over to Preferences.

3. Choose the Advanced option.

4. Check the "Share iTunes Library XML with other applications" option.

Now that you have enabled the option to share the music from iTunes, you can upload the songs. This is how it's done:

1. Open the Spotify desktop app.

2. Click on Settings from the Drop Down Menu

3. From the menu, chose Add Source.

4. Click iTunes.

5. Choose the specific folder that you want to upload to Spotify.

Listen to All Your Music on Spotify

Now you've learned how to add local files to your Spotify library, how to play the local files on your mobile app, and many more tricks. There is a ton of options Spotify has to offer, and once you figure it all out, listening to music will be an even better experience. By combining new tunes uploaded on Spotify every day and your own local songs, you can create the most personalized playlists ever.

Have you ever added local songs on Spotify? Did you use the instructions outlined in this article? Let us know in the comments section below.

Spotify How to Sync Local Files to Phone

Source: https://www.alphr.com/add-local-files-spotify/

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