Spotify has made it easy to enjoy music even when you’re not connected to the internet. With over 70 million songs available, many users want to know how to download their favorite tunes for offline listening. To download songs on Spotify, you need a Premium subscription, then simply locate the album or playlist you want, and tap the download arrow icon to save it to your device.
This feature is especially helpful for travelers, commuters, or anyone who wants to save data while enjoying music. The downloaded content plays automatically when you lose internet connection, but you can also enable Offline Mode to ensure only your downloaded music plays. This helps conserve battery life and prevents streaming when you’re trying to listen to your saved content.
Downloading music on Spotify works across multiple devices including smartphones, tablets, and computers. The process is straightforward and keeps your music library organized in one place without taking up excessive storage space on your device.
How to Download Music from Spotify
Spotify allows you to download music for offline listening, but this feature is available only to Spotify Premium subscribers. If you have a Premium account, you can download playlists, albums, and podcasts on your device to enjoy without an internet connection. Here’s how to do it on various devices.
Requirements
- A Spotify Premium subscription.
- The Spotify app installed on your device (available for Windows, macOS, iOS, Android).
- Sufficient storage space on your device.
How to Download Music on Spotify
On Mobile Devices (iPhone, iPad, Android)
- Open the Spotify app and log into your Premium account.
- Navigate to the playlist, album, or podcast you want to download.
- Toggle the Download switch (usually a downward arrow icon or toggle button) to start downloading.
- Once downloaded, the content will be available offline. You’ll see a green arrow next to the playlist or album.
Notes:
- You can download up to 10,000 songs on each of up to 5 different devices.
- You need to go online at least once every 30 days to keep your downloads active.
On Desktop (Windows or Mac)
- Open the Spotify desktop app and log in to your Premium account.
- Go to any playlist you want to download (albums and podcasts are not downloadable on desktop).
- Click the Download toggle at the top right of the playlist.
- The songs will download and be available for offline listening.
How to Listen Offline
- After downloading, switch your Spotify app to Offline Mode to ensure it plays only downloaded content.
- On mobile, go to Settings > Playback > Offline Mode.
- On desktop, go to Spotify > File > Offline Mode.
Tips and Important Info
- Free users cannot download music, but they can download podcasts for offline listening.
- Downloads are encrypted and can only be played within the Spotify app.
- If you cancel Premium, downloaded songs will no longer be accessible offline.
- Make sure your device has enough storage for the downloaded content.
Summary
| Step | Mobile (iOS/Android) | Desktop (Windows/Mac) |
|---|---|---|
| Find music | Search for playlist/album/podcast | Search for playlist |
| Download | Toggle Download switch | Click Download toggle |
| Listen offline | Enable Offline Mode in settings | Enable Offline Mode in menu |
For more detailed help, you can visit Spotify’s official support page: Listen Offline – Spotify.
Key Takeaways
- Spotify Premium subscribers can download music for offline listening by tapping the download arrow on playlists, albums, or podcasts.
- Downloaded content plays automatically when internet connection is lost, or users can enable Offline Mode for data-saving benefits.
- Spotify’s download feature works across multiple devices and keeps your music library accessible without requiring constant internet connection.
Understanding Spotify’s Music Download Capabilities
Spotify offers various ways to enjoy music offline, but the download capabilities differ significantly based on your subscription type. These features allow users to listen to their favorite songs without an internet connection, though certain limitations and legal considerations apply.
Spotify Free vs Spotify Premium
Spotify Free users cannot download music for offline listening. This limitation is one of the key differences between the free and paid tiers of the service. Free users must maintain an internet connection to stream music.
Spotify Premium subscribers, however, can download songs, albums, and playlists for offline enjoyment. This feature is exclusive to paying members and works on mobile devices as well as computers with the Spotify desktop app. Premium costs about $10.99 per month for individuals.
The download feature is particularly useful for Premium users who want to:
- Listen to music while traveling
- Reduce mobile data usage
- Access music in areas with poor connectivity
- Enjoy uninterrupted listening experience
Offline Mode and Download Limits
Offline Mode ensures that only downloaded music plays when you’re not connected to the internet. According to search results, users can activate this feature to prevent streaming when connectivity is lost.
Spotify allows Premium subscribers to download up to 10,000 songs on each of up to 5 different devices. Downloads are stored within the Spotify app itself, not as separate files in your device’s music folder.
To download music:
- Find the album or playlist you want
- Tap the downward arrow icon at the top
- Wait for the download to complete
- A green arrow will appear next to downloaded content
Downloads remain available offline for 30 days, after which you must reconnect to the internet to verify your subscription.
Legal Considerations for Downloading Music
Spotify’s download feature is designed for offline listening within the app only. Premium subscribers cannot extract or export these files to other devices or applications. This limitation exists to protect artists’ copyright and ensure proper compensation.
If your subscription ends, you lose access to all downloaded content. The music isn’t truly “owned” but rather licensed for use while your subscription remains active.
Attempting to use third-party tools to permanently download Spotify tracks violates:
- Spotify’s Terms of Service
- Copyright laws
- Artists’ rights to compensation
Spotify provides a “Download your data” tool that gives users access to their account information in JSON format, but this doesn’t include actual music files.
How to Download and Convert Spotify Music
Spotify offers ways to enjoy music offline through its app, but some users want more flexibility. There are both official and third-party methods to download Spotify music for offline listening, each with different features and limitations.
Using Official Spotify Application for Offline Listening
Spotify Premium subscribers can download music directly within the app for offline listening. This feature is simple to use and completely legal. To download an album or playlist, find it in the app and tap the downward-facing arrow icon at the top. This will save all songs for offline listening.
Individual songs can also be downloaded by tapping the downward arrow that appears next to each track. Downloaded content remains available only within the Spotify app and requires a Premium subscription.
The app allows downloading at various quality levels, with the highest being 320kbps. Users can manage download quality in Settings to balance sound quality against storage space.
Third-Party Spotify Music Downloaders and Converters
Several third-party tools can download and convert Spotify songs to standard audio formats. Popular options include Sidify Music Converter, TuneCable Spotify Downloader, SpotDL, and SpotiFLyer.
These tools work by recording the audio stream or using API connections to extract music files. They typically convert Spotify’s protected format to MP3, AAC, WAV, FLAC, or other standard formats that can be played anywhere.
Most converters preserve metadata like artist information, album details, and even album artwork. This helps maintain an organized music library after conversion.
Be aware that using third-party tools may violate Spotify’s terms of service. Most premium converters require a one-time payment or subscription fee.
Conversion Formats and Audio Quality
When converting Spotify music, several format options are available with different quality levels. MP3 is the most compatible format, playable on virtually all devices, typically at 320kbps for good quality.
For better audio quality, lossless formats like FLAC, ALAC, or WAV preserve all original audio data. These formats create larger files but maintain the highest possible quality from the Spotify stream.
AAC and M4A formats offer good quality with smaller file sizes, making them ideal for mobile devices. Most converters let users choose bitrates from 128kbps (smaller files) to 320kbps (better quality).
The best converters retain important audio properties and ensure consistent volume levels across all converted tracks. Some even offer high-resolution audio conversion for premium subscribers.
Step-By-Step Process for Downloading Spotify Music
For official downloads:
- Subscribe to Spotify Premium
- Open the app and find your desired content
- Tap the download arrow icon
- Adjust download quality in Settings
For third-party conversion:
- Install a reliable converter like Sidify or TuneCable
- Log into your Spotify account within the converter
- Drag and drop or copy Spotify links into the converter
- Select output format (MP3, FLAC, etc.)
- Choose audio quality settings
- Start the conversion process
Most converters offer batch processing to convert entire playlists or albums at once. After conversion, files can be transferred to any device or added to music players like iTunes.
The best converters maintain folder organization that matches Spotify’s structure, making it easy to find music after downloading. This creates a permanent offline music library that doesn’t require ongoing subscription payments.
Frequently Asked Questions
Spotify users often have questions about downloading music for offline listening. Below are answers to some common questions about the download features and limitations of the Spotify platform.
What are the steps to download Spotify songs for offline listening without Premium?
Unfortunately, downloading songs for offline listening is a feature exclusively available to Spotify Premium subscribers. Free users cannot download music for offline playback. This restriction exists because Spotify needs to compensate artists for their work, which is partly achieved through Premium subscriptions.
Is it possible to transfer downloaded Spotify tracks to an MP3 format?
No, Spotify does not provide an official way to convert downloaded tracks to MP3 format. Songs downloaded through Spotify remain in a protected format that can only be played within the Spotify app. This protection ensures that artists receive proper compensation for their work.
The downloaded files are encrypted and cannot be directly accessed or converted to standard audio formats like MP3.
How can users download music from Spotify directly to their phone?
Premium subscribers can download music to their phones by following these steps:
- Create or navigate to a playlist
- Toggle the “Download” switch at the top of the playlist
- Wait for the download to complete
The Spotify app must remain open during the download process. Downloads typically stop after 5-10 minutes if the app is closed or running in the background.
What methods are available to save Spotify music to a computer?
Premium subscribers can download music to their computers using the desktop application. The process is similar to mobile:
- Open the Spotify desktop app
- Find the playlist or album to download
- Click the download switch or button
Downloads must be initiated while online. The computer needs to connect to the internet at least once every 30 days to maintain offline access to the content.
Why might a user be unable to find a download option on Spotify?
Several reasons might explain a missing download option:
- The user has a free account, not Premium
- The app might need updating to the latest version
- There might be a temporary glitch in the app
Sometimes logging out and back into the account can resolve these issues. If problems persist, users should contact Spotify support.
Do users need a Spotify Premium subscription to download and listen to music offline?
Yes, downloading music for offline listening requires a Spotify Premium subscription. This is one of the key benefits of the paid service. Free users can only stream music while connected to the internet.
Premium subscribers must go online at least once every 30 days to verify their subscription and keep their downloads active. This requirement helps Spotify collect play data for proper artist compensation.
