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My local files can't play/sync on my phone

My local files can't play/sync on my phone

Plan

Free/Premium

Country

 

Device

(iPhone 8, Samsung Galaxy 9, Macbook Pro late 2016)

Operating System

(iOS 10, Android Oreo, Windows 10,etc.)

 

My Question or Issue

I can't play any local files from my laptop on my phone and I've tried everything. The local files do appear on my phone and I can select them but they wont play even if I have them downloaded. I've toggled local files on in both my laptop and phone, I made sure that they are on the same network and that the network is private, I allowed Spotify to bypass through Windows Firewall, all the local files that I'm trying to sync to my phone are mp3, I went to settings on iOS and allowed Spotify to access local networks, I even tried to do everything on a mobile hotspot and it still won't let me play music. Like I said I can see the songs that I synced if I add them to a playlist and they play perfectly fine on my laptop but when it comes to my phone it just won't. If anyone could help I would highly appreciate it this has had me stressed for like the past 2 hours lol.  

Reply
13 Replies

Hi, thanks for asking!

 

No worries, here are some steps you should try.

First of all make sure to read this FAQ about local songs which will clear some doubts on why they might not be working for you. Next if you are up with the FAQ then try turning them off and removing all local songs from the App. Restart the App and then import local files again, check if it is working now.

If it's still not working then try a clean install of the Spotify App, more steps in this guide for you. Keep us posted how it goes.

 

Throw a like my way or choose this as a solution if I helped!

AmayySpotify Star
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Unfortunately it still doesn't work and I still don't know why because I downloaded my playlist with the local files and it plays fine when connected to my laptop but when I disconnect and try to play music on my phone it just pops up for a second and doesn't play any music.

Hey @cruant,

 

Thanks for the post.

 

You've said that the local files are downloaded successfully to the phone and don't appear grayed out, but they don't play.

 

What happens if you add some of the local songs to a playlist and try playing that. Does it play the local files, or does it skip them?

 

Keep us posted.

AlexModerator
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Yeah even if I add them to a playlist and download that playlist to my phone it just skips but they aren't greyed out

Hey Cruant, I have the same issue here, they are downloaded and are not greyed out either and when I click on the song icon it appears for a split second in the bottom corner, and then dissapears, it's like it is trying to play it but can't. Does it appear in the bottom for you as well?

Hi folks,

 

Thank you for your posts. 

 

In this case, please run a clean reinstall of the mobile app, then synchronize again your files. 

 

Also, keep in mind that local files that were downloaded from unofficial sources are not supported. In this article you can find more information about it.

 

Let us know how this goes.

MafeGModerator
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@jontte10002 Yeah exactly how you described it, it will try to play the song but can't.

@MafeG Still doesn't work for some reason but it's okay I completely lost hope for this lol

I'm having this exact same issue, right down to every detail you described. I have tried everything suggested here and more, I'm really hoping someone has a solution! ;__;

@cruant Bruhhh. I have the same problem. It's not greyed out on my phone yet when I press it and it pops up and disappear in a split second. My old local songs can still play. Its just the recent one I tried to download today can't 😕

 

I hope someone comes up with a solution.

@Rahkali me too :(((((((

not greyed out on my phone. Just pops up and disappear instantly when I press to play....My old local files work perfectly fine. Just the recent ones doesn't seem to work anymo...

Hi folks! 

 

Thanks for getting in touch about this. 

 

@cruant, no worries, we can add a few more steps to make sure we've covered all bases. 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.

 

@Rahkali, would you mind letting us know if the issue persists using a different internet connection? Additionally, sending us the exact make/model, operating system and Spotify version of your devices would come in handy. 

 

@Kris69, could you send us a screenshot of how the app settings look like on your end? Also, could you let us know which troubleshooting steps you've already tried? 

 

We'll keep an eye out for your replies.

EniModerator
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“Music acts like a magic key, to which the most tightly closed heart opens.”– Maria von Trapp

Exactly the same problem, nothing works 😞

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