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Can't sync Local files to iPhone - "waiting to download"

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Can't sync Local files to iPhone - "waiting to download"

Hi! I've been having this issue for about a month now and it's so frustrating. 

I have a premium account and iPhone 5c. Over 1 gb of free space. I've tried everything that has been posted before, editing the files name, uninstalling the app in both, my computer (MacBook Air) and my phone, checked my wifi connection, clearing the caché, deleting the devices, etc.

 

I've created a new playlist with local files and i can play it on my computer, but on my phone they appear greyed out and once I press on the "available offline" button, it just gets stuck in "waiting to download" mode. Nothing else happens. I've reinstalled the app multiple times and the error persists. The only way of seeing the mp3 (although greyed out) is by creating a new playlist. The default Local Files playlist is remains empty. I have updated the app in both my computer and iPhone.

 

Thankssss!

 

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Accepted Solutions
Marked as solution

Ok, found a solution!

I guess something is messed up with my wifi connection. I simply took my computer and my phone to my gf house and it worked over there... So it is just the wifi in my house =S

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Marked as solution

I just went to settings in the Spotify app and clicked on playback then click offline. Then i just turned the offline back off and it started downloading my music again.

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Marked as solution

I disconnected my Iphone from the wifi by clicking the "forget this network" button and then i reconnected and i opened spotify, then all my local files synced onto my phone from my computer!! 

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This totally works.  I forgot the network and signed back in on both my phone and computer, relaunched the spotify app on my phone, and everything started downloading. 

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I made a separate thread about this, but it's worth putting here after weeks of trying to figure this out and it being such a simple fix.

 

I've seen many threads that contain bits and pieces of the solution, but here is what I did. Ignore the whole uninstall/reinstall/firewall bs. At least I've been through all that to no avail. Here's how I got this solved:

 

ON YOUR MACBOOK: So you have your local files that appear on Spotify. Make a new playlist and call it "Local Files". Drag all the songs (or whichever songs you want synced to your iPhone) from the original Local Files on the Spotify sidebar, to your new Local Files playlist.

 

ON YOUR iPHONE You will see the new "Local Files" playlist appear. You click download, but the songs are not syncing when you try to download the playlist. The playlist is either "waiting to download" or "waiting for wifi" and most of the songs are greyed out (minus the tracks that Spotify found in its own database--those may be downloaded.) However, keep the playlist switched to Download.

 

HERE'S THE FIRST STEP THAT MOST "SOLUTIONS" ARE MISSING: On your iPhone Spotify app, click "Your Library" in the bottom right corner. Now on the top right, click the Settings icon. From there, click on "Streaming Quality". Scroll to the bottom and you will see "DOWNLOAD USING CELLULAR", meaning you will be able to download songs over 3G/4G/LTE. MAKE SURE THAT IS TURNED ON. After it is turned on, go back to Your Library, and exit the app.

 

Create a personal hotspot from your iPhone. Settings -> Personal Hotspot. Turn that on, and join that hotspot on your computer under the WiFi icon on the top bar. Keep Spotify open on your desktop. Open Spotify back up on your iPhone.

Go to playlists on your iPhone. If you haven't yet, download your new Local Files playlist.

 

This, at least in my situation, magically cured this issue. All of the files now started downloading on my iPhone.

 

After success, be sure to turn off the "download using cellular" unless you don't mind Spotify downloading music when you're not on wifi.

Let me know if this worked for you!

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46 Replies

I have this same exact problem and I agree, it is EXTREMELY frustrating. I used to be able to listen to my local files but now, they won't sync even though I am on the same connection, my phone and computer are on the same WiFi, and my spotify is open on my computer and iphone. I give up. I just want to listen to my local files at school...

Same same for me ...

 

days before i could sync the files without any problems. now it stucks for any file with 'waiting for download'. Even in my home network as in my work network. could/should not secirity releated. i rebootet my mac and my iphone.

 

MacBook Air OSX 10.10.5

iPhone 6S iOS 9.0.1

 

best

thomas

 

Also the same, bug in the new version? Have Spotify in my iPad and android phone, same in both 

Has anyone found any solution for this issue????

I too am having this issue. Please, do not force me to switch to #applemusic.

I have thi same issue since i've update my IOS to 9.0.2. 

I have the same issues, it's frustrating that Spotify doesn't update us on the situation. This is a pretty important feature of the premium account and we are all paying $$ for it...

I'm having the same issue... It's really frustrating...

I'm also having the same issue. I have iOS 9.0.2.

Deleted the app and downloaded again, worked on my ipad 2 ios 9.0.1 😄

Spotify, I have the same problem. This is totally unacceptable. Sort this out!

I am also having this issue. 

 

If you leave the playlist open on your phone and have it set to "available offline" then click and start playing the playlist, it downloads as it plays the songs. 

 

Temporary fix and super annoying (given that some of my playlists I used to have on my phone are 10+ hours long..) 

Marked as solution

Ok, found a solution!

I guess something is messed up with my wifi connection. I simply took my computer and my phone to my gf house and it worked over there... So it is just the wifi in my house =S

Found a solution.

I uninstall the app and installed it again the thing with that is that you have to go under every playlist and re-sync the music but it worked .

Can't sync local files to my iphone. The local file's music are audiobook mp3 files that I imported to Spotify. They play fine on my Mac. They show up, but greyed out on my iphone. When I select them it says for me to sync and gives me instrcutions. I do the instructions and nothing improves. The files (which are in playlists) are stuck in "waiting to download" -- I have tried all of the instructions listen on Spotify's troubleshooting page. I have tried using my cell data. I have tried a different wifi connection. Firewalls, restarting, resetting, redownloading... yet nothing works. But, a good tip to note that all of the music already a part of spotify will download like normal. I can search for a song, add it to a playlist and select 'Available Offline" in that playlist and it will download for me to listen to even if I am no longer connected to the web. But NONE of my own songs that I have paid for before spotify was even in existence will sync this way. None of them.

 

There are 177 files that I am trying to sync to my iphone. I do not have more than 3,000 songs in my entire collection. No other playlist I have are in download/offline mode. I am a premium user and have been for a long while now.

 

I have a MacBook Pro (Retina, 15-inch, Early 2013), 2.4 GHz processor, running on OSX Yosemite, Version 10.10.5 as well as the iPhone 6s Plus on IOS 9.2.1 (7.9 GB of space left) -- I'm on AT&T network when using 4G Data and I'm on TWC Internet at home pulling 20-22 mbps download, 5-6 mbps upload.

 

I need this issue resolved with the quickness. I need to have those audios available. Thanks in advance.

What was the difference between those two networks? Any hint to why it would work on some and not others would be nice (like the GHz frequency or security differences?). I'm hoping it can work for me too. Thanks!
Marked as solution

I just went to settings in the Spotify app and clicked on playback then click offline. Then i just turned the offline back off and it started downloading my music again.

Came here after googling the same problem, your suggestion solved it for me!

this is my situation exactly, please fix

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