How to Add Custom Songs to Spotify Easily

Have you ever wanted to listen to a rare remix, an unreleased track, a video game soundtrack, or a personal voice memo right alongside your favorite mainstream hits on Spotify? While Spotify’s library is massive, it doesn’t have everything.

Fortunately, Spotify has a built-in feature called Local Files that lets you bridge the gap. By importing your own audio files from a computer, you can stream your custom tracks, add them to playlists, and even sync them to your phone.

What You Need Before You Start

• A Computer (Windows or Mac): The initial import must be done via the Spotify desktop app.
• Audio Files: Supported formats include MP3, M4A, and FLAC. (Note: Apple Music files protected by DRM or M4P files purchased from the iTunes Store before 2009 generally will not work).
• Spotify Premium: Required if you want to download and listen to your local files on your mobile device.

Step-by-Step Guide: How to Add Custom Songs

Step 1: Gather Your Audio Files

Create a dedicated folder on your computer (for example, named “Spotify Custom Songs”) and place all the audio files you want to import into it. This keeps your files organized and prevents them from accidentally getting deleted or moved later.

Step 2: Enable Local Files in the Spotify Desktop App

1. Open the Spotify app on your computer and click on your Profile picture in the top-right corner.
2. Select Settings.
3. Scroll down until you find the Local Files section.
4. Toggle the switch for Show audio files from this device to On.
5. Click the Add a source button that appears right below it, and select the folder where you stored your custom audio files in Step 1.

Step 3: Create a Playlist and Add Your Tracks

1. In your Spotify left-hand sidebar, look for a new folder or category in your library called Local Files.
2. Click on Local Files to see all the songs you just imported.
3. Create a new playlist (or open an existing one) and drag your custom tracks from the Local Files view directly into your playlist.

Step 4: Sync Your Custom Songs to Your Phone

If you only want to listen on your computer, you are all set! If you want to listen on your phone or tablet, follow these quick syncing steps:

1. Make sure your computer and your mobile device are connected to the exact same Wi-Fi network.
2. Log into the same Spotify account on both devices.
3. Open Spotify on your mobile device and navigate to the playlist containing your custom songs.
4. Tap the Download button (the down-arrow icon). Spotify will pull the files directly from your computer over your local Wi-Fi network.

Quick Troubleshooting Tips

• Tracks are greyed out on mobile? This almost always means your phone and computer are on different Wi-Fi networks (or your phone is using cellular data), or your computer has gone to sleep. Ensure your computer is awake and both devices share the same network.
• Song won’t play? Double-check the audio format. If it is an unsupported format, you can use a free audio converter to turn it into a standard MP3 file before adding it back to your source folder.