I'm still getting asked (and see questions on Facebook) about integrating music MP3's from multiple sources (Soundcloud's the most popular) into a Spotify or Deezer playlist.
We'll use Spotify for this tutorial as Deezer is nearly identical and Spotify is more popular right now. I'm using a PC, but the solution is the same on a MAC if you're having this problem that goes something like this:
Hi John,
I downloaded a Free Music Friday track from Soundcloud (or one of Dennis Mellon's fabulous 3 song mixes) and want to include it in a Spotify playlist. I'm pretty sure I downloaded the track and it opened and played in iTunes – but I can't find it anywhere in Spotify.
Can you help me?
Frustrated Instructor 🙁
Hidden settings in iTunes and Spotify and your Internet Browser
We'll actually they're not hidden, just hard to find without knowing where to look. There are two places that will decide what local files (music that you have in iTunes) will be displayed in Spotify's Local File Library.
iTunes settings
When you download a MP3 from any website, it will typically end up in your Download Folder. I say typically because the default location on every browser (Chrome, FireFox, Safari – please don't use IE) is your computer's Download Folder. If your downloaded MP3s don't end up in your Download Folder you can change the location in the browser's settings. Leave a comment below if you need help.
To get your new remix into iTunes you just need to click the file and it should open in iTunes. If it doesn't open iTunes and go to Edit > Preferences > Advanced and tic the box shown below and then close the Edit window. Click another MP3 in your Download Folder and you'll get a message, something like; iTunes is not the default music player… would you like it to be? You do. Select yes and that part's done.
Now just because a MP3 opens and plays in iTunes, doesn't mean it's actually in iTunes.
Go back to the Advanced settings in iTunes. Tic the two boxes shown below so when you open a track iTunes will make a copy and add it to your My iTunes Music Folder. That will solve 99% of the problems I hear 🙂
Spotify settings
The defaults settings in Spotify should be set correctly. So once you've downloaded a track, clicked it and it opened in iTunes, it will show as a local file in Spotify. Here's where you check if it doesn't.
Yes I know Spotify is supposed to also include files from your Download Folder – I'm not sure it works for everyone. So Tic everything you see here.
Did this solve a big problem for you?Here's how you can reciprocate value with me and have access to dozens of similar tricks combined with over 1300 articles and 60+ class profiles.
Happy Christmas! Due to the holiday I'm a bit late with the post this week, but I hope you find something here you can file away and use next Christmas season.
First of all, I couldn't be more excited about the fact the The Beatles are now streaming on nine different services including Spotify and Apple Music! John wrote about it and shared one of his favorites yesterday. This YouTube video may just give you a few more ideas for songs to use in your classes or just for your own personal listening:
With it being Christmas, I'd love to share a few of my favorite “cycle-worthy” songs of the season. This is not a cycling playlist, but rather a collection of songs that I've used in the past. It includes hills, flat roads, warm ups and cool downs.
In addition, this is a great collaborative playlist which includes over 20 hours of Christmas music added by some amazing instructors and created by Evan Reese. Show him some love by clicking on his name on the playlist page and following him there because he has some great music for cycling. And if you have any Christmas tunes to share that aren't already included on the list, be sure to follow and add it to the playlist!
Joey's “121817 Holiday 60” Playlist
1: “Linus and Lucy”, Vince Guaraldi Trio (A Charlie Brown Christmas (Expanded Edition))
2: “Right Now (feat. David Guetta) [Dyro Radio Edit]”, Rihanna (Right Now (Remixes) [feat. David Guetta])
3: “Tortuga (Radio Edit)”, DoubleV & Formal One (Tortuga – Single)
4: “Christmas In Hollis (Bonus Track)”, Run-DMC (Tougher Than Leather)
5: “Treble to the Bass (Lov3) [feat. Shimmr]”, Swanky Tunes (Treble to the Bass (Lov3) [feat. Shimmr] – Single)
6: “S&M (Remix) [feat. Britney Spears]”, Rihanna (S&M (Remix) [feat. Britney Spears] – Single)
7: “A Mad Russian's Christmas (Instrumental)”, Trans-Siberian Orchestra (The Christmas Trilogy)
8: “Pump It”, The Black Eyed Peas (Monkey Business)
9: “Get Up (Rattle) [feat. Far East Movement]”, Bingo Players (Get Up (Rattle) [feat. Far East Movement] – Single)
10: “Runaway Baby”, Bruno Mars (Doo-Wops & Hooligans)
11: “Katchi (Ofenbach vs. Nick Waterhouse)”, Ofenbach & Nick Waterhouse (Katchi (Ofenbach vs. Nick Waterhouse) – Single)
12: “The Time (Dirty Bit)”, The Black Eyed Peas (The Beginning (Deluxe))
13: “You're a Mean One, Mister Grinch”, Famous for a Century (Christmas – Single)
14: “Boom!”, Tujamo (Boom! – Single)
15: “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen”, Trans-Siberian Orchestra (Christmas Eve and Other Stories)
16: “Christmas / Sarajevo 12/24 (Instrumental)”, Trans-Siberian Orchestra (Christmas Eve and Other Stories)
17: “Christmas Wrapping (Single Edit)”, The Waitresses (Deluxe Special)
18: “The Chanukah Song”, Adam Sandler (What the Hell Happened to Me?)
This weeks ride is from Dave Norfleet, the creator of My Fitness DJ! – This is Dave’s first ride with us, but we hope there will be many more on the way. Good luck and have fun. Joey
This weeks ride is from Joey! – “This ride was fun to put together. You will recognize all of the music, and be tempted to sing along with most of it. This is a really hard ride. Normally, we structure endurance rides to begin with a higher cadence so that it first stresses the cardio vascular system and then the muscular system. The theory behind this is that the cardio system recovers fairly quickly where the muscles take more time. In this weeks ride, we begin with the muscles and then work toward the cardio, so you will carry the fatigue with you through the ride. Good luck and have fun.” Joey
This ride is from Gene!! – “PLEASE: Listen to the podcast of Gene delivering this ride at www.indoorcycleinstructor.com (ICI/Pro). This class is a mixed class that was pretty hard. I hope you enjoy this ride as much as I enjoyed riding and recording it.” Joey
