how to add local files to spotify

Knowing how to upload music to Spotify allows you to add tracks to your music library that aren't available on the streaming service.

Although Spotify has a catalog of more than 70 million tracks, it certainly doesn't offer every song ever recorded, and you're bound to encounter the occasional omission. These include remixes, live performances, old B-sides and even some well-known tunes.

You may already have copies of these missing tracks that you ripped from CDs into MP3 format, but the convenience and cross-platform nature of Spotify make it a better option for playing music than a traditional desktop media player.

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The good news is that there's a workaround that lets you import your own audio files into Spotify to fill the gaps in your music library. You can either play these tracks in Spotify's desktop app or, if you subscribe to Spotify Premium, in its mobile app for Android and iOS devices.

Here we'll explain how to upload music to Spotify, so you can enjoy your favorite songs wherever you go, even when they're not available on the streaming service.

How to upload music to Spotify from your desktop

Uploading your own music to Spotify — or importing it, to be strictly accurate — is actually very straightforward. However, you'll need to be using the Spotify desktop appfor Windows or macOS, rather than the Web Player. Here's how to go about it.

1. Open the Spotify desktop app on your Windows PC or Mac and sign into your account. Click the menu button next to your account name and choose Settings.

how to upload music to Spotify - settings — (Image credit: Tom's Guide)

2. Scroll down the Settings screen to the Local Files section, and switch on the slider next to "Show Local Files."

Select the folders on your computer that you want to import music from. By default, Spotify uses your Downloads and "Music Library" folders. The audio files must be in MP3 format.

how to upload music to Spotify - local files — (Image credit: Tom's Guide)

3. To import audio files into Spotify from another folder, click the "Add a Source" button. Browse to and select the folder you want to add to Spotify, then click OK.

how to upload music to Spotify - add source — (Image credit: Tom's Guide)

4. Click "Your Library" in the left-hand menu and you should see a new Local Files section. Open this to explore and play tracks stored on your computer in the Spotify desktop app.

Any audio files you add to the folders you selected in the previous two steps will automatically appear in Spotify's Local Files folder.

how to upload music to Spotify - your library — (Image credit: Tom's Guide)

How to upload music to Spotify on your mobile device

If you're a Spotify Premium subscriber, you can listen to songs that are locally stored on your computer through the Spotify app on phone or tablet. This works with both Android and iOS devices, though you'll first need to compile the tracks into a playlist. Here's what to do.

1. Click "Create Playlist" in the Spotify desktop app and give the playlist a name.

Open the Local Files folder in Your Library and drag and drop tracks from it into your new playlist.

how to upload music to Spotify - playlist — (Image credit: Tom's Guide)

2. Open the Spotify app on your phone or tablet, and make sure the device is connected to the same Wi-Fi network as your computer.

On an iPhone or iPad (Android users don't need to worry about this step,) tap Home, then press the Settings gear icon and choose Local Files. Switch on the option "Local audio files." Allow Spotify to find devices on your network when prompted.

how to upload music to Spotify - ios local — (Image credit: Tom's Guide)

3. You should see your new playlist in the Playlists section of Your Library.

Open the playlist and you'll see that the songs are all grayed out. To import them from your computer into the Spotify mobile app, tap the Download button below the title of the playlist.