7 Ways to Fix Spotify Local Files Not Showing on Windows
The Spotify app on Windows isn’t just for audio streaming; it also allows you to add your own music files and play them on it like a music player. But you may find that sometimes, even though you’ve managed to import your local library, you can’t see it on Spotify.
Here’s how you can get it to show your music in the Spotify app for Windows.
1. Make Sure You’ve Enabled Local Files
There’s a possibility you or someone else fiddling with Spotify’s settings has disabled the option to show local files. You can check and rectify this problem, by following the steps below:
Check if you can see your local file now.
2. Make Sure the Local Files Are in the Right Format
If the local files you’re trying to import into Spotify aren’t in the right format, they will not show since the app can’t play them. On Windows, Spotify will only play MP3 and audio-only MP4 files.
If your local files are not in these two formats, you can use one of thebest free audio conversion apps for Windowsto convert them.
3. Clear Spotify’s Cache
The Spotify app has a cache it uses to store its temporary working data — this helps it load faster and run smoothly. Unfortunately, the files in the cache can become corrupted, causing Spotify to misbehave.
If this is the reason you can’t see your local files, our guide onhow to clear your Spotify cachecan help you fix the issue.
4. Get Rid of Index.dat in Spotify’s Storage Folder
If Spotify’sindex.datfile gets corrupted, it can cause issues with playing music. Spotify creates this file automatically when you install it, and corruption can happen over time if Spotify has issues opening it.
Deleting it doesn’t prevent Spotify from working, and can potentially let you see local files in Spotify again. Here’s how to do that:
Onceindex.datis gone, close Spotify and open the app again to see if the local files are showing.
5. Force-Refresh the Local Files
Sometimes, all it takes for Spotify to recognize your local files is to refresh the list. A quick way to do this is to turn off theLocal Filestoggle in Spotify’s settings, wait a few seconds, and then turn it back on (as discussed in the first fix) to perform a soft reset.
If that doesn’t work, you’ll have to force-refresh the local files. Here’s how to do that.
Now Spotify will refresh the list of local files, which can make them reappear.
6. Allow Spotify Through Windows Defender Firewall
Windows Defender Firewall can sometimes block apps from accessing certain parts of Windows if it deems them to be a threat. In this case, it could be what is preventing Spotify from importing your local files and displaying them for you to enjoy.
To fix this, you’ll need to tell Windows Defender Firewall to allow Spotify to have access to all of Windows by following the below steps:
Now open Spotify and see if the local files are there.
7. Reset Spotify
When an app is misbehaving on Windows, resetting it can fix it. A reset will delete all of the app’s data, including downloads, user accounts, and preferences, returning it to the state it was in when you first installed it.
If you’re on Windows 11, follow the below steps to reset Spotify:
To reset Spotify on Windows 10, follow the steps below:
Once you’ve reset the app, you can enable local files again and show Spotify where to find your music files. If resetting it didn’t work, you can trydownloading the latest version of Spotifyand reinstalling it.
Enjoy Listening to Your Local Files on Spotify
Spotify can function like a regular music player once you import your locally stored audio files. But if you can’t see them after performing the sync, you can try the steps mentioned above to get them to show again.
And if all else fails, it’s possible to consider backing up your Windows computer and resetting it.
Here are several tips and tricks to help manage your Spotify playlists, including how to duplicate Spotify playlists and much more.
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