Spotify Local Files Not Showing/Syncing/Playing? Solved!

Spotify allows users to upload their local music to its app. Once the files are added and synced, you can listen to them on all the devices you use Spotify on. However, as many users have reported, there have been some issues with this feature. Local files don't sync, local files don't show up, local files don't download, Spotify can't play local files, and more.

If you are also experiencing Spotify local files not showing/syncing/downloading/playing issues, don't worry. This article will introduce you to different ways to solve this problem. If some of the previous common methods didn't work for you, you can check the last part for the final solution. You will be able to listen to Spotify music and your local music without any problem.

• Part 1. Spotify Local Files: Requirements
• Part 2. How to Fix Spotify Local Files Not Showing
• Turn on Show Local Files
• Allow Spotify through Firewall
• Clear Spotify Cache
• Move Local Files
• Add Local Files again
• Reinstall Spotify
• Part 3. How to Fix Spotify Local Files Not Syncing
• Check Your File Format
• Check Your Spotify Account and Network Connection
• Delete Local-files.bnk
• Part 4. How to Fix Spotify Local Files Not Playing

Part 1. Spotify Local Files: Requirements

Spotify allows you to import local files to it and it will provide better sound quality without having to change the settings. But before adding your local files, you need to meet the following requirements:

• You must be a Spotify Premium subscriber. Currently, Spotify does not allow free users to add local files to Spotify.
• You can only add local files to Spotify from your computer. That means you need to install the Spotify app on your computer.
• Spotify only supports MP3, M4P, MP4, and M4A file formats. To use MP4, you need to have QuickTime installed on your computer.
• To access local files on your iPhone or Android device, both your computer and your mobile device should be on the same Wi-Fi network.

Part 2. How to Fix Spotify Local Files Not Showing

Why are my local files not showing up on Spotify? Before checking the solution, you need to first check if you meet the local file requirements in Part 1. Then check the solutions below to fix the problem of 'Spotify can't play this right now local file'.

1. Turn on Show Local Files

Sometimes Spotify does not update some setting preferences. In this case, if the 'Show Local Files' feature is turned off, you won't see your local files. So, you can turn on 'Show local files' to solve the problem of local files Spotify not showing.

For Computers

Step 1. Click the 'drop-down arrow' next to your profile and choose 'Settings'.

Step 2. Scroll down to find 'Local Files'. Make sure it is turned on.

Step 3. You should also turn on 'Downloads' and 'Music Library' in 'Show songs from'.

For Phones

Step 1. Tap on 'Home' and then tap the 'Settings' icon.

Step 2. Scroll down to find 'Local Files'. Make sure 'Local Audio Files' is turned on.

Step 3. Scroll down and find 'Spotify'. Then check the boxes under 'Private' and 'Public'.

Step 5. Click 'OK' to confirm the changes and then go to Spotify to see if it works.

2. Allow Spotify through Firewall

If you have used some firewalls or antivirus software, then they may affect the syncing of Spotify. Therefore, you can disable antivirus software and allow Spotify through your firewall. Then see if the problem of Spotify local files not showing on phone/computer has been resolved. Below is how to allow Spotify through the firewall on Windows.

Step 1. Click 'Start' and open 'Control Panel'.

Step 2. Choose 'System and Security' > ’Allow an app or feature through Windows Firewall'.

Step 3. Scroll down and find 'Spotify'. Then check the boxes under 'Private' and 'Public'.

Step 5. Click 'OK' to confirm the changes and then go to Spotify to see if it works.

3. Clear Spotify Cache

If Spotify's temporary cache files are corrupted, then it will cause problems with the Spotify app. These cache files are temporary, so you can delete them to fix the problem of Spotify local files not working.
For Phones

Step 1. Open the Spotify app and tap 'Settings'.

Step 2. Scroll down and choose the 'Storage' option.

Step 3. Tap on 'Delete cache'. Then reopen Spotify to see if it works.

For Computers

Step 1. Open Spotify and click the 'drop-down arrow' at the top right.

Step 2. Select the 'Settings' option and then click on 'Show Advanced Settings'.

Step 3. Scroll down and find 'Offline storage location'. You will see where your cache files are stored.

Step 4. Open your file explorer and find your Spotify cache files. Then delete them.

4. Move Local Files

You can move your local files to another location and then put them back. This will make Spotify refresh its local file list, hopefully resolving the problem of Spotify local files not showing on PC/phones.

Step 1. Copy all your local files and move them to another location.

Step 2. Delete your original music files from the original location.

Step 3. Copy and paste the files to the original location.

Step 4. Spotify will refresh local files and should show all your local files.

5. Add Local Files again

Below is how you can add local songs to Spotify correctly. (You can only do this on computers.)

For Mac

Step 1. Open the Spotify app and tap 'Settings'.

Step 2. Select the 'Edit' option and then click on 'Preferences'.

Step 3. Find 'Local Files'. Toggle the 'Show local files' switch.

Step 4. Click 'Add source' and then add your local music files.

Step 5. All your added files will show in the 'Local Files' folder in 'Your Library'.

For Windows

Step 1. Open Spotify and click your profile at the top right.

Step 2. Choose 'Settings' and then toggle 'Show local files' in 'Local Files'.

Step 3. Click 'Add a source' in the 'Music Library' section.

Step 4. Choose your music files and click 'OK' to add them.

Step 5. You can toggle which folder in 'Show songs from' to show your files.

6. Reinstall Spotify

As a last resort, you can reinstall the Spotify application. Uninstalling will completely remove the application and its contents. Sometimes it will resolve the problem of Spotify local files not showing on iPhone/Android/PC/Mac. Remember that you need to install the latest version of Spotify.

Part 3. How to Fix Spotify Local Files Not Syncing

If your local files not syncing to iPhone Spotify, you can first try the solutions above. If they don't work, then follow the steps below to check.

1. Check Your File Format

As we have mentioned above, Spotify only supports MP3, M4P (without video), M4A, and MP4 audio file formats. So, you need to make sure your local music files are in these formats. Or, Spotify cannot play local files on your phone or PC.

If you have incompatible file formats, you can use DRmare Audio Converter to get these compatible formats.

2. Check Your Spotify Account and Network Connection

You need to make sure that both your devices are connected to the same WiFi network and Spotify account.

Check that you are logged into the same Spotify account on both your computer and your phone. This is because your local files are only synced to the account you used when you added them. Also, you need to make sure that both devices are on the same network. Otherwise, Spotify will not sync successfully.

3. Delete Local-files.bnk

If above solutions still cannot solve your problem with Spotify local files not syncing, you can try deleting local-files.bnk. This is a file that stores your local files. Once you delete it, Spotify will go through your folders again to find your local music files.

Step 1. Open the desktop Spotify and click your 'profile' at the top right.

Step 2. Scroll down and turn off the 'Show Local Files' option.

Step 3. Exist Spotify and find the folder 'C:\Users\*USERNAME*\AppData\Roaming\Spotify\Users\####-user\'. Then delete 'local-files.bnk'.

Step 4. Open Spotify and then turn on the 'Show Local Files' option.

Part 4. How to Fix Spotify Local Files Not Playing

If you still have problems with Spotify local files not downloading or playing, check the tutorial in this section. To put it briefly, you can upload your local files along with Spotify songs to your phone and then play them with any media player on your phone.

To do this, you will need DRmare Spotify Music Converter to download Spotify songs to MP3. The process is simple and doesn't require a Spotify Premium account. And it will retain the original music quality and all the ID3 tags and metadata. The download speed is up to 5X so you can get your Spotify songs as local files quickly.

DRmare Music Converter for Spotify

• Play Spotify music without the local file Spotify not showing issue
• Download Spotify music to MP3 for playing locally
• Download and convert Spotify songs 5 times faster
• Keep lossless music quality and all the metadata

Download Download

How to Fix Spotify Local Files Not Playing

Now, we will show you how to use DRmare Music Converter to download Spotify music to MP3. After that, you can listen to your local files and Spotify music with your local music player. Before that, you can download this DRmare software by clicking the 'Download' button above.

Step 1 Add Spotify songs to DRmare

Open DRmare Spotify Music Converter and you will see Spotify is also launched. Drag and drop the songs from Spotify to this software. Or you can copy and paste the link of the song and click on '+'.

Step 2Set the Spotify output format to MP3

Click 'Preferences' under 'Menu' in this software. Then choose the 'Convert' tab to customize the output settings. The default output format is MP3 and it's compatible with your local music player. You can also customize other output parameters including the channel, etc.

Step 3Download Spotify songs to MP3

Click on the 'Convert' button to start downloading Spotify songs to MP3. When it's done, you can follow the red tip to find your downloaded songs. They will also be stored in your local folder so you can play them with your local media player. You can listen to Spotify music without the Spotify local files not showing issue.