Playlist stuck on "Waiting to Download" (Trying to play local files on mobile)

[janislai]

I wanted to be able to play my local files on my phone.

So I made a playlist on Spotify on my desktop.. Put all the songs on it.. I even chose "Available Offline" on my desktop.

Then I went on my android device (Note 2), select "Available Offline", and now it's stuck on "Waiting on Download"..

I was thinking the problem MIGHT be that I do not have an external internet in my apartment.. What internet I have on my desktop it's tethered to my phone's 4G network. So it's not desktop and phone connect to one network per se.. but my desktop connecting to my phone, which connects to a 4G network. I dont know if this is what's causing the problem.

Please help!

[Daniel]

Hi there, you need to use the same WiFi network; please see the guide here on how to sync local files to a mobile device:

https://support.spotify.com/uk/learn-more/guides/#!/article/Listen-to-local-files

[janislai]

As I was saying, my desktop and my mobile are on the same WiFi. However, that WiFi is broadcast from my phone. Please offer an actual viable answer.

[Daniel]

Ah, yes that won't work as both devices need to be the client. 

Do you have another device which can act as the hotspot so that the PC & your phone can be a client on a router?

[Dave-Heath]

I'm having the same / similar problem with Local Music - and trying to sync them for offline use on mobile/other devices.

I only started having this issue after recent spotify updates and re-installs - noticed in the last week - but may have been from much earlier.

I have a small number of mp3's that I have in "local files" - and included in a a playlists (I use for business purposes).

The local files media plays perfectly (through spotify) on laptop where they are stored.

However as soon as I try to sync them to either my HTC M8 or iPad 2 Mini it simply says "Waiting to Download". Or when trying to select the song on mobile devices I get "Song is not Available".

All other standard playlists (with Spotify content) download for offline play on my devices perfectly, however if the playlist is only made up from Local Files or contains some Local files, then the local file content is not available on my other devices.

I have tried EVERYTHING so far:

1: Removed cache on HTC M8 and iPad 2 Mini - this got rid off all downloaded data (included some local files that seemed to have got stuck on the HTC from it's last succesful local file sync). Restarted apps as though a fresh start. No joy. 

2: All devices are connected to the same WIFI network. I know this as it's you can select what device you want to play a song on - which you can do for spotify content - but any local file content can only be played on laptop (as it wont sync - the whole reason Im here). If I try to play one of local files on anotheer device (using the connected devices) and select a mobile device then it won't play.

3: I have checked what devices I have registered in my account and cleared them down to ensure they aren't 'messed up'. Restarted all apps etc. No Joy

4: I've removed all offline content and restarted all apps. No Joy.

5: I've trued moving the local file location and putting the local music in that new location. Playlists appear normal again, and works fine on laptop - but again wont sync to other devices.

6: Have tried deleting the songs from playlists and adding back in. Plays on laptop, but won't sync to other devices.

This used to work flawlessly and was a very valuable part of why I use spotify - dissapointed.

I use my mobile devices to play specific local file content ina playlists for business purposes - and now this means I can no longer do this

Please advise - as this is quite frustrating.

Thanks

Dave

[Dave-Heath]

- Resolved

For some reason, Windows Firewall had taken out Spotify from it's exception lists.

Ticked all auto found namings of spotify and (.exe) back in allow list and sync now works again.

Phew!

[tjyml15]

yes, im having the EXACT same problem.  Does it matter if my PC is hardwired to my router while my phone is wireless? Also, is there a way to manually add the songs through the phone's files?

[jorgrolo]

Thanks for your help, I passed 2 days trying to resolve this problem.

I only deactivate my McAfee Firewall (for a few minutes only, of course) and all local songs automatically start to sync to my Androi device.

[kdale7]

Spotify won't get out of waiting mode on ipad

[joeysmusic]

I have the same problem and tried deactivating my McAfee Firewall. Still, my songs wouldn't download to my android.

[bodonovan]

I have the same issue on an Android device (Sony Xperia). I have no firewall running on this device so I can't see how the solutions decribed here might help.

[Daniel]

Hi @bodonovan

can you make sure that your pc has network discovery enabled. Seems this is a new requirement since windows 10

[tweekly · Accepted solution]

Hey all, I've JUST resolved this on my phone (Samsung S4 - Android). All I had to do was clear some space on my internal device memory. See STEP 4 below.

My exact steps were:

1. Uninstall spotify (I don't know if you actually need to do this - I only did this as recommended by other users).

2. Restart my phone.

3. Attempted to reinstall spotify - this prompted me to clear my phone device memory (couldn't install spotify due to lack of space on device).

4. Cleaned up phone memory / created space. ***I THINK YOU CAN JUMP STRAIGHT TO THIS STEP (and bypass the uninstall/reinstall)***

5. Reinstalled spotify successfully.

6. Once logged into my account, was able to download songs immediately (upon turning on the 'available offline' switch.

Hope this works for you!!

[stephendavidson]

What should I do if absolutely none of these steps have solved my problem? I'm on an iPhone 4s so I'm guessing that's the problem seeing as I've tried every suggested solution. All I want is to listen to some Rice4ever on Spotify, getting oooo sooo frustrated.

[cecilyah]

SO GLAD I SAW THIS ANSWER. I was going crazy trying to figure out why I couldn't sync files to offline when I was able to before and right after I allowed spotify as an exception, my songs started syncing. so happy!

[Toddster]

Just had this issue and my windows firewall had done the same! Thanks!!

[romandimas2000 · Accepted solution]

On windows 8, go to the top right of your desktop, then go to settings, then go down to "Change PC Settings". Go down to "Network" then select the network that you are using on both of your devices. Then under "Find Devices and Content" switch that "ON". now go to your playlist on your phone and download your songs.

[katzmeow65]

Tried deactivating firewall and the playlist downloaded perdfectly.   Thank you!!!!

[LevityProject]

I just had a similar problem. The solution for me was to connect both my desktop and phone to the same wifi SSID. My phone was on 5G connection and my desktop was on a 2.5Ghz connection - same router, same access point, but diffferent SSID connections. It seems like this shouldn't cause the problem, but it did!

As soon as I switched my phone to the 2,5GHz SSID, the local files started downloading immediately to the phone.

[uggj]

GOD FRIKKEN darn IT! Finaly worked! Thank you kind sir