Local Files -- Must Click Files Multiple Times to Play / Local Files Automatically Skipped

[kurodotnekodot]

USA, Spotify Premium, checked as I am writing this post and Spotify is up-to-date, no update required across ALL of my devices.

iPad Pro 17.6.1 (this issue has persisted across all updates since I got the iPad in September of 2023)

I have approximately 5k local files on an external hard drive. I use these files on my Macbook Pro with no problem -- both in Spotify and Apple Music, and although Spotify on Android used to have gobs of bugs over the years, all of these files have synced to my Android devices with ZERO problem -- practically ever -- over the past three to four years. Whenever a small bug has persisted, I have been able to uninstall and reinstall Spotify to fix it, or, alternatively, clear the cache and move on with my life (on Android). Not so with the iPad...

Two major things happen on my iPad:

1. If I want to play MOST of my local files, upon clicking, a quick flash as if the song were about to play happens, but then any indication that a song was going to be played (album artwork, time left to song, etc.) disappears. If I continue to click the song, I will be presented with a prompt that claims the song is not downloaded, that I can click to learn more or cancel. If I keep canceling and clicking and canceling and clicking, eventually the song will play! I have to be extremely persistent with some songs though, clicking them around a dozen times and going through the same set of prompts over and over until they work.

2. 99% of local files get skipped on playlists -- whether my local files playlists where there are no songs downloaded from the Spotify app, or playlists where there is a mix of local and Spotify songs. Again, I can click these songs a handful of times to make them work, but if I want to passively listen to my music, I am stuck listening almost exclusively to Spotify downloads and none of my personal library.

Uninstalling and reinstalling has not helped. Clearing the cache does nothing. Deleting and (painstakingly) recreating playlists does NADA.

Why am I paying for this service if it is broken? Spotify -- GET YOUR ACT TOGETHER!!!!

[mitch1393]

I've had no problems with this before. I have a folder on my desktop that I place songs in and allow access for Spotify to pull from. The songs sync into a folder on Spotify called "Local Files" and I am able to play these songs through Spotify. At the same time, that folder and it's song show up within the app on my iPhone, too. But I got logged out and now it disappeared and no matter what I try I can not get my local files back onto my phone

[Ivelina]

Hey @kurodotnekodot,

Appreciate you taking the time to post this thread in the Community and for sharing all of these details with us.

It's worth mentioning that we've changed the main way of how local files work and at the moment, local discovery is the main way to be sure that everything's in order and is working well. Local files discovery simply means that you'd have to have the files stored on the device that you desire to play them on and I recommend checking out the info under Local files discovery in this article if you haven't already done so.

Local files sync is still available as a function and works well in many cases, but as it is no longer the intended way of making the files available on another device, we cannot always guarantee flawless performance.

Hope this helps clear things up and don't hesitate to let us know if you've got any other questions!

[kurodotnekodot]

I have done this before, and, while it may work for a brief burst, the same exact problem recurs after very little time. I have checked and double-checked that all of my files are synced between my iPad and my Macbook Pro, and yet Spotify still has this problem.

[mitch1393]

What about if I never have used iTunes before and have only done Local File Sync? Why all of a sudden do none of my local files work on my iPhone? I cannot even get the "Local File" playlist to show up