How to Add Custom Songs to Spotify: The Complete Guide

Ever wanted to mix rare tracks, mashups, or personal recordings right into your main Spotify playlists alongside your favorite mainstream hits? Spotify’s Local Files feature makes this possible by letting you import audio files stored directly on your devices.

Whether you want to listen on your computer or take your custom tracks on the go, here is everything you need to know to set it up smoothly.

What You Need Before You Start

Before diving into the steps, keep a few technical requirements in mind:

• Supported Formats: Spotify supports standard audio formats like MP3, MP4, and M4A (though M4A files cannot be iTunes Lossless format). Formats like FLAC or WAV may require conversion depending on your system.
• The Desktop App: You must use the Spotify desktop application (Windows or Mac) to initially configure and link your folders. The web player does not support local files.
• Spotify Premium (for Mobile): While free accounts can play local files on desktop, you will need a Spotify Premium subscription to sync and stream those tracks on your phone or tablet.

Step 1: Set Up Local Files on Desktop

The easiest way to introduce custom music to your library is through your computer.

1. Open the Spotify desktop app and click your Profile icon in the top-right corner.
2. Select Settings from the drop-down menu.
3. Scroll down to the Your Library section and toggle Show Local Files to the On position.
4. Once enabled, click the Add a source button.
5. A file manager window will pop up. Navigate to the folder on your computer where your custom music files are stored, select it, and click Open or OK.

Your custom music is now imported! You can find all these tracks by heading to Your Library and clicking on the automatically generated Local Files folder.

Step 2: Add Custom Songs to Playlists

To listen to your custom tracks easily or sync them to other devices, you need to add them to a playlist:

1. Go to your Local Files folder within your library.
2. Find the track you want to add, click the three-dot menu next to it, and select Add to playlist, or simply drag and drop the song into an existing playlist.

Step 3: Sync Your Custom Songs to Mobile (iOS & Android)

If you want to play your custom tracks on your phone, you can sync them over your home network using a playlist:

1. Check Your Network: Make sure your computer and your phone are connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
2. Enable Local Audio on Mobile:
   • On your phone, tap your Profile picture and go to Settings and privacy.
   • Tap Apps and devices, then toggle Local audio files to On.
3. Download the Playlist: Open Spotify on your phone, locate the playlist where you put your local files in Step 2, and tap the Download (arrow) button.

The files will transfer over your local network, making them ready to play offline right alongside your regular music.

Troubleshooting Quick Tips

• Songs are grayed out? This usually means the file path on your computer changed, the file format isn’t supported, or your phone and computer briefly lost connection during the sync. Try re-toggling your local files switch or re-downloading the playlist.
• Files won’t show up? Double-check that your desktop folder source is still actively toggled on in your Spotify settings. Restarting both the desktop and mobile apps can also force a refresh.