• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

AppleToolBox

Tools and Fixes for Mac, iPad, iPhone & iWatch

Search posts

  • About
  • Contact

CONNECT WITH US

CATEGORIES

  • iPhone
  • iPad
  • iPod
  • Apple Watch
  • Mac/MacBook
  • AirPods
  • Apple TV
  • News
  • Apple Services
  • HomePod
  • Reviews

SITE

  • Home
  • About Us
  • Contact
  • Advertise

Search posts

You are here: Home / iPhone / How to listen to your own MP3s using Spotify on iOS

How to listen to your own MP3s using Spotify on iOS

By Mike Peterson 3 comments Last updated December 18, 2019

Apple Music makes it pretty easy to play your local media on your iOS devices. But can you play your own MP3s and other local files with Spotify?

While MP3s may feel like a thing of the past, there are still plenty of users out there who want to play their MP3s on their mobile devices. At first glance, it may seem like playing your own local media isn’t possible on Spotify. But there is, in fact, a way to do it. It isn’t the simplest or most elegant solution, but it works.

Here’s how to do it.

Related:

  • Using AirPods for Spotify? Get the best sound using these tips
  • 14 tips and tricks for the Spotify iOS app
  • Siri can’t play from Spotify, Here’s what you can do
  • How To Use Spotify App on Your Apple Watch

Contents

  • How to play local files on Spotify for macOS and PC
  • How to play local files on Spotify for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch
  • Troubleshooting

How to play local files on Spotify for macOS and PC

Before you get to playing local media files on your iOS devices, you’ll actually need to add them to your library on your desktop version of Spotify.

Of course, before proceeding, you may want to place any MP3s into a singular folder for easy organization. You’ll see why later.

Spotify Local Files
Just head to Settings and click on Show Local Files. This will import sources from several sources to your Spotify library.
  • Open Spotify on your Mac or PC.
  • Click the downward arrow icon.
  • Then, click on Settings.
  • Scroll down until you see Local Files. Hit the switch next to Show Local Files.
  • By default, Spotify will select any folders in My Music and Downloads.
  • You can deselect sources you don’t want to upload. You can also click Add a Source to select another folder.

Once you get local files set up, you should now be able to play them directly from Spotify.

There isn’t too much of a benefit to doing this as opposed to using your native media player. But you’ll have all of your music in one place — and you’ll be able to play those files on your iOS devices.

How to play local files on Spotify for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch

Play Spotify Local Files on iPhone and iPad
The trick is getting local files onto your iOS Spotify app is to use the Download option. (Make sure you’re on the same Wi-Fi network!)

Note: Keep in mind that you’ll only be able to play local files on your iOS devices if you have a Spotify Premium or Spotify Family account.

Now that you’ve imported your local media files to your Spotify desktop app, you can carry on with adding those tracks and albums to your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch.

  • Add the songs you’d like to upload to your iOS device by creating a folder on the desktop app. You can do so by clicking New Playlist and giving your playlist a name.
  • Drag and drop any songs that you’d like to upload to your iOS device.
  • Now, you’ll need to make sure that both your desktop computer and your iOS device are logged into the same Wi-Fi network.
  • On your iPhone, select the playlist containing the local files that you just created.
  • Tap the Download icon to download those files to your iOS device’s local storage.

Wait until Spotify downloads all of your files — and you’re done! You can now listen to your local media files on your iOS device.

Better yet, those files are stored locally on your mobile handset, so you can listen to them with or without an internet connection.

Troubleshooting

listen to your own MP3s using Spotify on iOS
Downloading local files is pretty simple, if a bit clunky. But things can go wrong.

The above steps will work for most users, but they may not work for everyone. If you can’t import or play some of your tracks, then keep these tips in mind.

  • Make sure that both your mobile device and your computer are logged into the same Spotify Premium account. Also double-check whether your devices are connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
  • If it’s still not working, make sure that Spotify isn’t inadvertently set to Offline mode on either of your devices.
  • Many types of media won’t work on Spotify. Supported file types include MP3, M4P (but not M4P videos) or MP4 files. iTunes lossless format, M4A, isn’t supported.
  • Spotify says it doesn’t permit playing songs from “illegal sources.” In our testing, MP3s downloaded from YouTube worked fine but your own mileage may vary.
  • Make sure the Spotify app on both your iOS device and your desktop computer is up-to-date.
  • Spotify actually has a limit to the number of tracks you can download to specific devices. There’s a maximum of 10,000 songs per device for 5 separate devices.
  • If you notice that a song isn’t quite the right version, it’s because of a Spotify matching measure. The streaming company says it’ll attempt to match songs from its own catalog if your local tracks are in a restricted format.

Do you still use MP3s for your music experience? We want to hear from you. Please let us know in the comments below.

mike - apple
Mike Peterson

Mike is a freelance journalist from San Diego, California.

While he primarily covers Apple and consumer technology, he has past experience writing about public safety, local government, and education for a variety of publications.

He’s worn quite a few hats in the journalism field, including writer, editor, and news designer.

Related Posts:

  • iOS 13 or iPadOS problems and how to fix them - Troubleshooting Guide
    iOS 13 or iPadOS problems and how to fix them -…
  • AirPods Pro---The Complete Guide
    AirPods Pro---The Complete Guide
  • Taking Photo But iPhone Says Storage is Full?
    Taking Photo But iPhone Says Storage is Full?
  • 14 tips and tricks for the Spotify iOS app
    14 tips and tricks for the Spotify iOS app
  • What to do if a song is “not currently available in your country or region”
    What to do if a song is “not currently available in your…
  • Sidecar not working in iPadOS and macOS? How to fix Sidecar problems
    Sidecar not working in iPadOS and macOS? How to fix Sidecar…
  • 17 Apple Music tips that will rock your listening world
    17 Apple Music tips that will rock your listening world
  • How To Reset the Screen Time Passcode on iOS, iPadOS, or macOS
    How To Reset the Screen Time Passcode on iOS, iPadOS, or…
  • External hard drive not working with iPad or iPhone using iPadOS or iOS 13?
    External hard drive not working with iPad or iPhone using…

Reader Interactions

Write a Comment Cancel reply

Show 3 Comments

  1. Adar says

    May 4, 2022 at 4:10 PM

    Thank you so much for your help!

    Reply
  2. Wonn says

    April 27, 2021 at 8:36 PM

    It is so convenient! as for me ,I use Tunelf Spotibeat Music Converter to download Spotify music to MP3 and then play the local files on other devices.

    Reply
  3. Luca Tatas says

    April 14, 2020 at 8:13 AM

    This is so nice, thank you!

    Reply

Primary Sidebar

Recent Posts

  • Best Music Apps for Mac
  • How to Use Microsoft To Do on Your Mac
  • How to Use Temperature Sensor in HomePod Mini
  • How to Hide Photos on iPhone, iPad, and Mac
  • What Is Apple Business Connect?
  • How to Change Your Mac Sharing Settings

Connect with us

Footer

ABOUT

  • About Us
  • Contact us
  • Advertise
  • Privacy
  • Terms of Use

GUIDES

  • iOS 13 & iPadOS
  • Apple ID
  • iCloud
  • App Store
  • iTunes
  • FaceTime
  • iMessage
  • Siri
  • Books and iBooks
  • Game Center
  • AirPlay

CONNECT

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • FeedBurner
  • YouTube

© Copyright 2010-2023 Guiding Tech Media · All Rights Reserved

This site and its content are in no way affiliated or endorsed by Apple, Inc. · Reproduction without explicit permission is prohibited