Unable to sync local files from PC to Android

[Eiroth]

Plan

Premium

Device

(PC, Redmi Note 8 Pro)

Operating System

(Windows 10, Android)

My Question or Issue

For a while now I have been unable to sync local files between my PC and phone, despite following the directions on other threads. Currently all songs are playable on PC, but whenever I try to sync a playlist containing them to my phone they are simply greyed out with a grey exclamation mark where the green download arrow should be.

It has occasionally worked in the past, but it always seems more or less random. At some point it may decide to start syncing out of the blue, but not necessarily after I had done anything.

What I've tried/checked so far

• The phone and PC are on the same network
• The files are all mp3s and playable on PC
• The firewall is turned off (I tried just adjusting the exceptions, but as that had no effect I just turned it off completely)
• Upnp is enabled
• Network discovery is enabled
• The network is set to Private on the PC
• The devices are visible to each other through 
• Applications on both devices are up to date
• Both operating systems are up to date, as are drivers
• Restarted the application multiple times on both devices
• Logged in and out on both devices
• Reinstalled the app on both devices (this only lead to me losing files that were already working)
• There is enough free space on the phone, and I have not reached any other limit that I can find (10 000 songs per device, 5 devices)
• Left both spotify running on both devices overnight
• Moving some songs to the standard Downloads folder 

The only thing I have not tried is to connect the PC to the phone via mobile hotspot, since my PC lacks wi-fi capabilities.

Any help would be appreciated, as I am now missing nearly 500 songs from my phone.

Things tried since creation of post:

• Reinstalling spotify on both devices and changing music folder location (only tested with one mp3 previously not in library)
• Played a song on PC and then attempted to switch listening device to phone
• Restarting router and logging in and out of spotify on both devices
• Tried downloading to another android phone (Samsung)

Solution: I ended up moving the files to a different computer with wifi capabilities, and that solved it immediately.

[Eni]

Hi @Eiroth, 

Thanks for reaching out about this. 

 Great troubleshooting so far!

Another useful step in is to change the source folder of the local files on the pc. The steps are: Uninstall Spotify on both devices > create a new folder somewhere else on the pc and move the local files there > install Spotify again > remove any potential source folders and add the new one > download the playlist again.

Additionally, we suggest that you take a look at the steps and recommendations you'll find here.

Let us know how it goes 🙂

[Eiroth]

Thanks for the reply!

I tried reinstalling spotify on both devices and changing the music folder (specifically to one on the main drive, in case if it matters), but with no luck so far. I also tried the trick of playing the songs on PC and then attempting to switch the listening device to the phone, to no effect.

I've looked through the local files guide, but I don't see anything there that I haven't yet attempted.

[Ivan]

Hey @Eiroth, 

Thanks for getting back to us. 

Next thing you can try is restarting your network device (router or modem), then logging out and back in to the Spotify app.

If this doesn't do the trick, check if you observe the same under a different network. If it works with another connection, it's best to contact the service provider of the original network for more information.

Hope this helps. Keep us posted.

[Eiroth]

I tried both restarting and and physically pulling the plug on the wifi, unfortunately with no luck, even after logging out and back in. I have previously experienced similar issues on a separate network (I'm currently using Google Wifi), although that time it suddenly started working again after hours of trying, so it is possible that I just have to spend an afternoon going through the same steps I've already tried a dozen times or so.

Thanks for the reply!

[Alex]

Hey there @Eiroth,

Thanks for the reply and the info.

Can you try connecting both your computer and your phone to a Mobile hotspot? You can activate one from your phone using mobile data. 

After that try to reupload and resync some files to test this. 

Let us know how you get on.

Cheers.

[Eiroth]

I would, but my PC has no wi-fi capabilities. It's the one thing I haven't been able to test.

[Alex]

Hi there @Eiroth,

Thanks for getting back to us.

Some routers don't allow networking protocols necessary for the successful upload of local files across devices and it's difficult to troubleshoot those remotely. Check that UPnP (Universal Plug and Play) is enabled.

What we can suggest is to try with a different router if you have one or check if you can get one from a friend for testing purposes. It might also be worth to reset all router and networking settings to their default.

If nothing works, you can try and reach out to our support team, but keep in mind that they might still not be able to find a solution remotely.

[Eiroth]

UPnP is enabled, but I'll see if I can get hold of another router to test with. Thank you for replying, I understand that problems like this one are difficult to solve over a forum.

[Eiroth · Accepted solution]

I ended up moving the files to a different computer with wifi capabilities, and that solved it immediately.

[manueljaeckle · Accepted solution]

Turning Windows Firewall off solved the issue for me.

[MafeG]

Hi folks,

Thanks for letting us know that everything is working fine now.

We'll keep that in mind to keep helping other users experiencing this issue. Remember to always keep your app updated, so you don't miss any fixes or new features. Don't hesitate to give us a shout if you have more questions.

Don't hesitate to give us a shout if you have more questions.