compress MP3 files for iCloud??

I've been moving MP3 & MP4 music files from an external hard drive to iCloud because I can't figure out a way to move songs to my iPhone 11 with the new MUSIC app. I can't even get the phone recognized by the MacBook Air running Catalina!

So I go along and add music files to iCloud for a couple hours, no problem. Then iCloud won't take the files as a group saying they each need to be compressed. I COMPRESS a file by CONTROL/CLICK and dropdown menu but when I try to move the .zip file to iCloud it won't take because it says iCloud doesn't tale FOLDERS.

What's the fix?

Also, iCloud takes FOREVER to finish, if it ever does. Two days ago I ended up ignoring the warning after 5 hours and signed out. Yesterday I let the computer run for 10 hours, then I could undock the external HD with the music files on it but iCloud said it was still working. So 9 hours later, 19 hours in TOTAL, I force signed out of iCloud.

IF I get music files into iCloud can I then download and store the files to my iPhone and play them without needing an internet connection once they're downloaded?

How do I get iCloud to accept MP3 files?

Thank you