Spotify Won't Sync Local Files Iphone Mac

Posted on by

I have tried the tips on the help/support sections plus everything on 30+ pages of the community discussions. Nothing has enabled me to sync local files from my Mac OSX 6.8 to my iPhone 4 iOS 6. My device won't even show up under Devices. I've checked that the file formats are compatible, etc., etc., etc.

Spotify is great as long as you don’t hit a bump with some sync problem. Oh, there’s the issue of your premium account not getting activated (or recognized in mobile), but that’s often just a server glitch.

If local files from your Mac or PC don’t get synced with Spotify and instead, Spotify shows you ‘similar’ tracks that you can download instead, that’s going to be one big headache. This usually happens when you have music tracks with metadata that’s way too similar to the ones Spotify has on its server.

Why does this happen? The issue crops up mostly when you’ve got fan-versions of a popular song, or remixes and other modifications that leave pretty much of the metadata intact. This makes Spotify think that you’re trying to upload a song that’s already up there and so, it prevents sync and offers to let you grab the cloud versions.

Too bad, eh. But there’s a quick fix.

This is what you should try if Spotify not syncing Local Files to iPhone:

(make sure you use the same account on Spotify for your Mac/PC as well as for your iPhone)

Step 1. First, connect both your PC/Mac and your iPhone to the same Wi-Fi network.

Step 2. Now, open iTunes on your PC/Mac and you should find your iDevice listed under the Devices tab on the sidebar.

Spotify Not Syncing

Step 3. Create a new playlist from your system (on the device) and place one of the local files into this.

Step 4. Open Spotify on your iPhone and then select the newly created playlist.

Spotify Won

Step 5. Enable “Available Offline.”

Step 6. You’ll now see a progress icon right beneath the song you’ve got on the playlist. This will get the song from the cloud to your Spotify app.

Step 7. That’s about it.

When you add more songs to this playlist, they get synced. Make sure you don’t turn off the offline sync feature.

Note that there’s a limit to the number of offline songs you can have on your device (each).

That’s all folks!

Feel free to share your thoughts and feedback with us in the comment section.

The founder of iGeeksBlog, Dhvanesh, is an Apple aficionado, who cannot stand even a slight innuendo about Apple products. He dons the cap of editor-in-chief to make sure that articles match the quality standard before they are published.

Spotify Won't Sync Local Files Iphone Mac Sync

  • https://www.igeeksblog.com/author/dhvanesh/
  • https://www.igeeksblog.com/author/dhvanesh/
  • https://www.igeeksblog.com/author/dhvanesh/
  • https://www.igeeksblog.com/author/dhvanesh/

You can quickly mark a few Spotify playlists and make them available offline directly from your phone — your computer doesn’t need to be on because you download tracks directly from Spotify’s own server.

Connect to a Wi-Fi network to do this procedure when possible, rather than 3G, because Wi-Fi is probably a lot faster and, depending on your data plan, should cost less, too.

There’s an option in your settings that allows you to turn syncing over 2.5G/3G networks on or off to avoid unnecessary data costs. On the iPhone, go to Settings and ensure the Sync over 2G/3G switch is in the Off position (it appears gray, not green, when it’s set to Off). On Android, go to More→Settings and make sure Sync over 3G is unchecked.

iPhone and Android devices are the most popular. For those of you using another device, the information in the following sections should still help you find your way, and you can also check the Spotify Mobile page for help.

Sync offline Spotify playlists by using the iPhone

To copy tracks on to your iPhone and listen to them later without a data connection, follow these steps:

  1. Open Spotify on your mobile device.

  2. Select Playlists at the bottom-left of the window to access a list of your playlists (if they don’t already appear), and then touch Edit at the top-right to enter Edit mode.

    On the right side of each playlist while in Edit mode, you see the Sync symbol, represented by a down arrow. Any green sync symbol means the playlist has already been synced to your phone; if it’s gray, it isn’t available in Offline mode.

  3. Mark any playlists you want to make available offline by tapping their gray symbols.

    Any playlists you tap turn green.

  4. When you finish selecting playlists, touch Done.

    The syncing process begins, as long as you’re online and connected to Wi-Fi (if you’ve turned syncing over 2.5G/3G off in your settings).

You can also sync playlists while you’re actually in one. On the iPhone, swipe your finger across the silver Available Offline switch at the top-right of the screen to turn Offline mode on (or off). When on, the switch is green and says Yes. When off, it’s gray and says No.

See also Share Spotify Tracks on the iPhone.

Won

Sync offline Spotify playlists by using an Android device

To copy tracks onto your Android device and listen to them later without a data connection, follow these steps:

Spotify Won't Download Local Files

  1. Log into the Spotify application to view all your playlists.

  2. Touch the Edit Offline Playlists button to enter Spotify’s Edit mode.

  3. Mark all the playlists you want to make available offline by selecting the check boxes next to their names.

  4. Touch Done.

    A blue progress bar appears next to the playlist name, and a green progress bar appears at the top of the screen, telling you how many songs you have left to sync.

Alternatively, when you’re in a playlist, follow these steps to sync that playlist for Offline mode:

  1. Log into the Spotify application on your Android to view all your playlists.

  2. Press and hold a playlist that you want to make available offline.

    An Options pop-up window appears.

  3. Select Available Offline.

    The playlist starts syncing automatically.

Mac

Spotify Won't Sync Local Files

See also How to Share Spotify Tracks on Android.

Spotify Won't Sync Local Files Iphone Macbook

For both iPhone and Android, songs continue to sync as long as the application is open.