How to Play Your Own Music on Spotify: A Step-by-Step Guide

We’ve all been there: you have a rare remix, an unreleased demo, or a local audio file that isn’t on streaming platforms, but you want it right in your main Spotify playlist next to your favorite mainstream tracks.

The good news is that Spotify makes it surprisingly easy to play your local music files alongside the rest of your library. While you can’t officially “upload” audio files to Spotify’s public catalog without a distributor, you can sync your personal files from your computer to your phone and other devices seamlessly.

Here is everything you need to know to bridge the gap between your local hard drive and your Spotify app.

What You’ll Need Before You Start

Before diving in, make sure you have the following ready:

• A Spotify Premium account (Local Files syncing requires a paid subscription).
• Both your computer (PC or Mac) and your phone/tablet connected to the same Wi-Fi network.
• Your audio files downloaded onto your computer (preferably in MP3, M4A, or FLAC format).

Step 1: Set Up “Local Files” on Your Computer

First, you need to tell Spotify where to look for your music files on your desktop.

1. Open the Spotify desktop app on your PC or Mac.
2. Click on your Profile Picture in the top-right corner and select Settings.
3. Scroll down until you see the Local Files section.
4. Toggle the switch to Show audio files from your local files.
5. Click Add a source. A file explorer window will pop up.
6. Navigate to the folder on your computer where your music is stored (