Uploaded content not on Spotify, now it's gone.

[ScarletDiva]

Uploaded an album that is not on Spotify and was able to listen for several weeks. Now all but 3 of the tracks are grayed out. Why did that happen when it was my local files to begin with?

[Joe]

What device is this on? If on a PC are you using the desktop client or the web player. Please also post a link to the playlist (right-click > copy spotify URI).

[ScarletDiva]

It's on my Android tablet so I cannot right click and don't see an option on how to copy the URL.

[Joe]

Sorry but you said the album wasn't available on spotify so I assumed you had the tracks on a PC as local files which you synched from a playlist to your android. Do you not have access to the PC?

You can get the playlist link on your android too. Tap the three dots to the right of the playlist name > share > email which will open a new email with the link already added. Copy the link and post it here.

[ScarletDiva]

When I bought the CD, yes, I ripped it to a PC and then shared it to Spotify, but the problem is not with my PC, it's with my tablet. I can still access the whole playlist on my Android phone, but not my tablet.

Here is the link to the playlist: http://open.spotify.com/user/scarletdiva26/playlist/0F2WaKrA3Y2suAq7op39r3

[Joe]

Ok so only four of those tracks are showing as available in the spotify catalogue so I'm guessing that only those four play on your tablet. If you sync the playlist to your tablet by following the steps here they will then all be playable. 

[ScarletDiva]

So I'm not sure if this has anything to do with the issue or not, but as soon as I logged into the Spotify app on my PC, a message about offline access for this device being turned off showed at the top. I've seen that before whenever an updated version of the PC app is available and sure enough, after a minute or so, the first message was replaced with the "restart Spotify to upgrade" banner. I did restart the PC app and at some point berween then and the time it came back up, my broken playlist on my tablet started downloading the missing tracks. Not sure what the root cause of the problem was though. I always had all of my playlists synced to my devices and listened to them offline multiple times, so maybe after a certain time, I have to log into the original device? That would suck because I barely use a PC anymore.

[Joe]

You need to use spotify online on all your devices at least for a couple of minutes every 30 days so that the spotify servers can refresh your subscription details or offline access will be withdrawn.

[ScarletDiva]

That doesn't make sense, how do they account for failed hard drives or replaced machines?

[Joe]

It is account based. Spotify needs to check that your account still has an active subscription every 30 days. It does make sense. Otherwise you could subscribe for a month, download loads of music then enjoy listening to it in offline mode indefinitely.

Not too sure what your problem with this is.

[ScarletDiva]

I don't have a "problem" it is a very valid question. Obviously my account is still active if I am using it on my phone and tablet in both online and offline modes, and the non-spotify files I have added are ones that I have legally purchased, so if I remove the PC as one of the synced devices (whether by choice or if I have some kind of hardware failure, etc.) then the things I have added to Spotify from that PC should still be accessible on my phone and tablet.

[Joe]

Each device has to "check in" every 30 days independently. Apart from verifying the subscription, the artists need paying too so the relevant play data has to be uploaded. If the spotify cache is removed due to the device not logging in, it doesn't delete affest your own local files - they're still in their original location. If the offline data becomes inaccessible on a device because it has been offline for 30 day, that doesn't affect your other devices at all.