Solved: How to Fix Spotify Local Files Not Working

Part 1. How to Fix Spotify Local Files Not Working

1. Check File Format

The first thing to do is make sure your local music files are in a format that Spotify supports. Only MP3, MP4 (audio-only), and M4P files will work. If your files are in a different format, you’ll need to convert them. A tool like ViWizard Audio Capture can record and convert computer audio into over 10 file formats, offering flexibility if you’re handling audio conversion. If you’re trying to transfer iTunes purchases formatted in DRM-free AAC, you can use ViWizard Apple Music Converter to bring them together.

• For Windows:
  1. Open the folder containing your music files.
  2. Right-click on a file and select Properties.
  3. Look at the Type of file under the General tab to see the format.
• For Mac:
  1. Open the folder containing your music files.
  2. Right-click on a file and select Get Info.
  3. Look at the Kind to see the format.

2. Place Files in a Supported Folder

Next, make sure your music is stored in a folder that Spotify can access. If files were added and later moved or renamed on your computer, Spotify will lose track of them. To fix this, put them back in the same folder or re-add the new folder to Spotify.

3. Enable Local Files and Re-Upload

If you’ve added the right folder and your files still don’t appear, try toggling Local Files off and then back on. Then, re-add the source folder: Go to Settings > Your Library > Show Local Files, then click Add a Source and select the folder where your music is stored. Once you do this, your files should appear in the Local Files section in the left-side library. If they don’t, double-check that the folder path is correct and that the files are in a supported format.

4. Connect to the Same Wi-Fi Network

For syncing with your mobile device, Wi-Fi is essential. Make sure both your desktop and mobile device are on the same network. On your phone, you should then see it listed as a device in the desktop app. This connection is what allows playlists with local files to transfer smoothly.

5. Restart Spotify and Your Device

Sometimes the simplest fix is also the most effective. Close Spotify on all devices, restart your computer or phone, and then open the app again. Restarting clears temporary issues that may block local files from appearing or playing.

6. Other Potential Fixes

• Update Spotify to the latest version: Always make sure your Spotify app is up to date.
• Disable VPN temporarily: If you’re using a VPN, turn it off temporarily, as it can interfere with local file access.
• Ensure sufficient storage: Confirm there’s enough storage on your device for offline playback.
• Delete index.dat file (only if other steps fail): This refreshes Spotify’s local library.
  • For Windows:
    1. Open File Explorer.
    2. Navigate to C:\Users\[Your Username]\AppData\Local\Spotify\Storage.
    3. Locate the index.dat file and delete it.
  • For Mac:
    1. Open Finder.
    2. Navigate to /Users/[Your Username]/Library/Application Support/Spotify/Storage.
    3. Find the index.dat file and delete it.

Part 2. How to Fix Spotify Local Files Not Syncing

1. Verify account and subscription status

The first step is to make sure you’re signed into the same account on all your devices. Local files will only sync if your desktop and mobile are using the correct account. Also check your subscription status - only Premium subscribers can sync local files over Wi-Fi by downloading the music from desktop to mobile. If your account isn’t eligible, this is the time to upgrade.

2. Check Wi-Fi connection

Next, ensure both your computer and mobile device are connected to the same Wi-Fi network. Local files rely on Wi-Fi to transfer, so if either device is on a different network, the sync won’t work. Switching to a stronger or more stable network can often fix the issue.

3. Force Sync Local Files

You can try re-syncing your local files by recreating the playlist.

• For Desktop (Windows/Mac):
  1. Open the Spotify app.
  2. Go to Your Library > Playlists and find the playlist that contains your local files.
  3. Right-click (or Control-click on Mac) the playlist, and choose Delete.

  

  4. Recreate the playlist and add the files back to it.

  

  5. Try syncing again and check if the playlist appears on your mobile device.

4. Check offline mode

Offline mode can interfere with syncing. On your mobile device, go to Settings and make sure Offline Mode is turned off. If it’s enabled, your local files playlist may not appear for download or sync.

• For Desktop (Windows/Mac):

  

  1. Open the Spotify app.
  2. Click the three-dot menu (top-left on Windows or the Spotify menu on Mac).
  3. Click File and ensure Offline Mode is disabled.
• For Mobile (iOS/Android):

  

  1. Open the Spotify app.
  2. Tap the gear icon (Settings).
  3. Go to Settings & Privacy > Data-saving and offline and toggle off Offline mode.

5. Enable offline downloads and retry

Once your Wi-Fi and account are confirmed, you need to enable offline downloads for the playlists containing your local files. On desktop, make sure the playlist is downloaded. Then, on your mobile device, locate the same playlist in Your Library and toggle the download option. This ensures the files are available for offline playback after syncing.

• For Desktop (Windows/Mac):

  

  1. Confirm your computer and mobile device are connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
  2. Open the Spotify app, then add your local files to a playlist.
  3. Go to Your Library and find the playlist containing your local files.
  4. Click to open the playlist.
  5. Click the Download button at the top to download the playlist to your computer.

6. Check firewall and security software

Sometimes local files fail to sync because of firewall or antivirus restrictions. On both your desktop and mobile device, make sure Spotify is allowed through any firewall or security software. If you’re using a VPN, try disabling it, as it can also block local file syncing.

• For Windows:
  1. Open the Control Panel (press Windows key + R, type control, and press Enter).
  2. Click Windows Defender Firewall.
  3. On the left panel, click Allow an app or feature through Windows Defender Firewall.

  

  4. Click Change settings, then scroll through the list to find Spotify.
  5. Ensure that both Private and Public boxes are checked for Spotify.

  

• For Mac:

  Firewall settings can be adjusted through System Preferences > Security & Privacy > Firewall. Make sure Spotify is allowed to communicate through the firewall.

7. Check iCloud Music Library (iOS)

If you’re using an iPhone or iPad, conflicts with iCloud Music Library can prevent local files from syncing to your device’s storage. Make sure your local files don’t overlap with songs already stored in iCloud. If needed, temporarily disable iCloud Music Library for the files you want to sync, then try again and move the files directly to the On My iPhone folder in Spotify.

• For iOS:
  1. Open the Settings app.
  2. Tap Music.
  3. Toggle off Sync Library.
• For Windows (iTunes):
  1. Open iTunes.
  2. Go to Edit > Preferences.
  3. Under the General tab, uncheck iCloud Music Library.
  4. Click OK to save changes.
• For Mac (Music app):
  1. Open the Music app.
  2. Go to Music > Preferences.
  3. Under the General tab, uncheck Sync Library.
  4. Click OK to apply changes.

Part 3. How to Fix Spotify Local Files Not Showing Up

1. Verify account and sign-in status

While rare, it’s always worth checking that you’re signed into the correct account on your devices. Local files won’t appear if there’s an account mismatch. Take a moment to confirm your login and make sure both devices are using the same account. This simple step often solves the problem without any other adjustments.

2. Check file format and location

Next, make sure your files are in a supported format and stored in a supported folder. We already covered this in Part 1 as part of the basic setup. Even if the folder is holding the files, they won’t upload to the desktop app or show up in the Local Files section. If the format isn’t the problem, try adding the correct location to ensure the app can find your files. If your files still don’t show, note that the folder may also disappear from On My iPhone if the Help file within it is deleted.

3. Enable local files and re-add

If your account and file locations are correct but the files still don’t show up in your library, go back to the Local Files setting and make sure the location is toggled on for authorized access.

• For Desktop (Windows/Mac):

  

  1. Go to Settings > Your Library > Show songs from, and find the listed offline storage location.
  2. Confirm the location and change or re-add it if necessary.
  3. Once changed, click the Restart app button that appears.
  4. After the app restarts, go to Your Library and check the Local Files section.

4. Check show settings

There are related display settings that control whether local files appear alongside your streaming music. Make sure you have the option for Local audio files turned on. Adjusting this setting ensures your files actually show up where you expect them to.

• For Mobile (iOS/Android):

  

  1. Go to Settings & Privacy > Apps and devices.
  2. Switch Local audio files on to enable your stored music.
  3. Go to Your Library and check if your files appear.

Part 4. How to Fix Spotify Local Files Not Downloading

1. Check Wi-Fi connection

If you’re having download issues, always start by checking your internet connection. Since both syncing and downloading require Wi-Fi, make sure your desktop and mobile device are connected to the same stable network. Even a brief disconnection or weak signal can prevent files from transferring. Switching to a stronger network often resolves the issue.

2. Check firewall settings

Sometimes network restrictions or security software can block Spotify from downloading files. Make sure your firewall or antivirus isn’t preventing the app from accessing the internet. If you’re using a VPN, try turning it off to see if the downloads start working.

3. Refresh downloads

On both desktop and mobile, confirm that the download option is enabled with an active Premium subscription. Try downloading the files again. If they still won’t download, remove the existing downloads first and then retry.

• For Desktop (Windows/Mac):
  1. Confirm your computer and mobile device are connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
  2. Go to Your Library > Playlists and find the playlist containing your local files.
  3. Open the playlist.
  4. If it’s already downloaded, click the Downloaded button at the top to remove the downloads.
  5. Recreate the playlist if necessary, then click the Download button to sync it to your mobile device.

4. Remove and re-add files to the playlist

If a playlist still isn’t downloading, try removing the local files from the playlist and then adding them back. This refreshes the link to the files and often fixes stubborn download issues.

5. Clear cache

Cached data can sometimes interfere with downloads. On both desktop and mobile, clear Spotify’s cache to force a refresh of your library.

• For Desktop (Windows/Mac):

  

  1. Open the Spotify app.
  2. Click the gear icon.
  3. Scroll to Storage > Cache.
  4. Click Clear cache.
• For Mobile (iOS/Android):

  

  1. Go to Settings & Privacy > Data-saving and offline > Storage > Clear cache.
  2. Tap Clear.

6. Try standard local file transfers

If none of the above works, manually move your music files into a folder that Spotify recognizes, then re-add that folder as a source under Local Files in settings. This direct transfer often bypasses hidden issues that block automatic downloads.

Part 5. How to Fix Spotify Local Files Not Playing (or Greyed-Out)

1. Check metadata

If your local files appear in Spotify but won’t play or are greyed out, the first thing to check is the song’s metadata. Incomplete or incorrect information - like missing title, artist, or album data - can result in greyed-out or unplayable songs, even if the files were successfully imported.

To avoid this, ensure that the ID3 tags of your local files are accurate and match the information of the corresponding songs on Spotify. This includes details like song title, artist name, album name, and track number. Personally, when I organize my library, I pull the metadata directly from Spotify to edit my ID3 tags - it works every time.

2. Convert DRM-protected songs

Some music files, such as those purchased from other platforms, may be protected by DRM (Digital Rights Management). DRM-protected songs won’t work. If your files are greyed out for this reason, you’ll need to convert them to a standard format using a DRM removal tool or audio converter. Once converted, the files should play normally in Spotify.

Bonus Tip: Combine Spotify Music with Your Local Library

If all the methods above can't fix the Local Files issue as expected, there's one more method that lets you combine the exclusives to Spotify (Spotify Music catalog) with your own files, that is, to make Spotify streaming files into the same formats - such as MP3.

While Spotify streaming files are all encoded into DRM and limited to Spotify's platform, a music converter can make them yours. Added with the DRM-removal function, ViWizard Spotify Music Converter is the best 3rd-party tool that can convert Spotify contents into 6 formats - MP3, M4A, M4B, WAV, AIFF and FLAC.

The best part of it is that the whole process requires only a Spotify free account. Once you make Spotify offline in MP3s, it's simple to transfer them to the mobile device or combine and manage them in a safer place - like iTunes.

• Compatible Audio Formats with iTunes: MP3, AIFF, Apple Lossless, WAV and AAC.
• ViWizard Spotify Music Converter Supported Formats: MP3, M4A, M4B, WAV, AAC and FLAC.

Key Features of ViWizard Spotify Music Converter

Free Trial Free Trial

* Security verified. 5, 481,347 people have downloaded it.

• Download Spotify songs, playlists, podcasts, and audiobooks extremely fast at up to 15x speed
• Convert Spotify into MP3, FLAC, WAV, AIFF, M4A, and M4B losslessly
• Lets you play Spotify tracks offline on any device without restrictions
• Works seamlessly on Windows and macOS, supporting the built-in Spotify Web Player

Step 1Install ViWizard on Your Computer

Download and install ViWizard Spotify Music Converter on Windows or Mac. Once installed, launch the program and sign in with your Spotify account. It works with both Free and Premium, and includes a built-in browser so you can search for music without leaving the app.

Step 2Add Your Spotify Music

Look up the songs, albums, or playlists you want to keep, or copy and paste a Spotify link into ViWizard. Click the + button to load them into the conversion list. You can add just a few tracks or entire playlists at once.

Step 3Choose MP3 as the Output Format

Open the Preferences or Settings panel and set MP3 as your output format. MP3 is widely supported across devices, from phones and tablets to car stereos and Bluetooth speakers. You can also tweak the quality settings and choose how to organize your files by artist or album.

Step 4Convert and Save Your Files

Click Convert to begin. ViWizard will unlock the songs and save them as standard audio files on your computer. When the process finishes, open the output folder to find your tracks. You can then move them anywhere you like and listen without relying on the Spotify app.

Step 5Combine with Your Own Files

Once the Spotify streaming files are converted into MP3, you can transfer them to your mobile device with a USB table or combine them with your own files in iTunes, where MP3s are compatible.

1. On desktop, open iTunes or Music app.
2. From here to upload the converted Spotify music files to iTunes or Music app:
   • For Windows: Use File > Add File to Library or Add Folder to Library. In the Windows Explorer pop-up, naviagate to the folder where all the converetd music files are stored with ViWizard > Open.
   • For Mac: Use File > Import. In the Finder pop-up, locate the music files or folder that you want to add to your Apple Music collection > Open.