How to Play Local Files with Spotify App

[alanchrishughes]

I found this post about how to do this

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

but it has all kind of craziness about connecting with your desktop and syncing. Is there not just a simple way to play music files that are saved on your ipad, with the Spotify app instead of Apple's "Music" app?

[dinomight]

No, the music has to be on your computer first, and then it can be synced to your mobile device over wifi. If you'll have Spotify open on your iPad and computer at the same time, your iPad should show up on the computer in the left-hand sidebar under devices. Click on it, confirm that you want to sync to that device if asked, and you can check the option to sync local files...however, this method is only good if you have enough space for everything.

The way I sync to my Android, since I don't have enough room for all my local files and also want to have more control over what actually is transferred, is to just put the tracks I want onto their own playlists and sync them to the phone. I create a playlist for each album that's not in the Spotify catalog, but you could also just throw everything into one big playlist.

Here's a screenshot of how I have mine organized:

You can sync either through the computer or the iPad. Just remember the key is to have the app running on both devices, otherwise the iPad won't see the local files.

[jeremygoh]

@alanchrishughes Welcome to the Spotify Community, would like to add on @dinomight post..

It will only sync if the computer and your mobile device is on the SAME NETWORK.. Than it will 'discover' each other and connect and sync.

[alanchrishughes]

Thanks for your help. If I save two different playlists to my ipad that have the same song, it won't save the same file twice will it?

[alanchrishughes]

I also noticed some playlists flat out refuse to save to my ipad. I double check it wasn't a storage issue, I have plenty of room, it just refuses to copy it over. Any reasons that may happen?

[dinomight]

No, if you save the songs to multiple playlists, it should only transfer one copy of the file. Not sure why some songs wouldn't be copying over...Do they happen to be a different file type than the ones that do work for you?

[alanchrishughes]

No, they're all just mp3's. They all play in the desktop app fine.

I also noticed once I save a song to my ipad, there is no way to delete it. I can remove it from a playlist and delete the playlist, but it stays in the local folder, which I assume means it is still on my ipad taking up space.

[Peter__]

It is annoying, but on iOS the only way to unsync content forcibly is to re-install the app (which deletes everything!).