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How to download songs from Spotify and listen to them offline

With Spotify’s new 10,000 song limit, you’ll always have something to listen to.

spotify skip ads download songs from spotify for offline
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Quick Answer: To download songs from Spotify, you need a Spotify Premium subscription. Search for the song in the app and tap the “Download” button next to the title. To listen offline, go to the “Your Library” tab and select “Downloaded.

Spotify is a great app, but it requires some extra steps for offline listening. Fortunately, it’s not too difficult to download albums or playlists on Spotify, and we’ll show you how.

Thankfully, the music streaming app allows for a seamless Spotify offline download experience, making it easy for users to enjoy their favorite music without an internet connection.

For those with a Spotify Premium account, you can download any album or playlist onto your device for offline use. This can be super useful for saving data when you don’t have Wi-Fi.

And if you’re going somewhere without an internet connection, this can be a lifesaver. Here’s what you need to know.

Short on time? Jump ahead

How to download songs on Spotify mobile

spotify logo on blurred background
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With your Spotify Premium account, you can download up to 10,000 individual songs on each of five different devices.

The platform does require you to go online once every 30 days, so keep that in mind.

Since most people will use Spotify on their mobile devices, we’ll start there.

Start by opening the Spotify app on your Android or iOS device and making sure you’re logged into your account.

  1. Go to your Library

    Tap on Library at the bottom right (you can also navigate to any playlist or album any other way)

    spotify mobile library tab

  2. Access your Playlists

    Navigate to the playlist or album you wish to download and select it

    spotify mobile select album

  3. Start your download

    Tap the gray down arrow at the top left of the list of songs to begin your download

    spotify mobile download album

That’s all there is to it. Once you download an album or playlist, it will be marked with a green down arrow to signal that it can be played offline.

And downloaded music automatically plays from your device instead of streaming. So, listening to downloaded songs won’t use any data even if you are online.

After downloading, you can navigate to your library to find the album or playlist with the green down arrow to play music offline.

spotify mobile downloaded music
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You’ll also notice a new Downloaded tab at the top of the library window. This option will bring up a full list of Spotify songs you’ve downloaded on that particular device.

How to download Spotify songs on your computer

Downloading isn’t limited to just the Spotify mobile app. You can also download songs for offline play on your computer or any desktop.

However, this does require you to download the Spotify app for desktop. Once you’ve done that, start by logging into your Spotify Premium account again.

  1. From the desktop app, select Your Library (you can also navigate to any album or playlist any other way)
spotify desktop my library
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  1. Navigate to the playlist or album you wish to download and select it
spotify desktop select album
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  1. Click the gray down arrow at the top of the list of songs to begin your download
spotify desktop download album
Image: KnowTechie

And that’s how you download songs onto your computer from your Spotify Premium account.

Can you listen to Spotify offline after downloading?

Once you’ve completed the download process, you might wonder, can you listen to Spotify offline? The answer is yes; you can easily access your downloaded songs anytime without using your data

You can navigate back to the album when you’re offline, and you can still play those songs.

Unlike the mobile app, there’s no actual tab that shows you where your downloaded music is on the desktop app unless you’re offline already.

If you want to see your downloaded songs, you can click the three-dot menu in the top left of the app. Then, select File and Offline Mode.

spotify desktop downloads in offline mode
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With Offline Mode enabled, your downloaded songs will be front and center on the home screen. To go back online, just repeat the process and uncheck the Offline Mode option.

Spotify downloads let you listen to music without an internet connection

spotify-logo-on-purple-backdrop
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One of Spotify Premium’s coolest features is the ability to download songs, so you can still listen to music without an internet connection.

You can download the playlists you want to listen to at home on WiFi, so you don’t have to use up any data. It’s a super useful feature that all Premium subscribers can use.

Does Spotify download songs in the background while you use the app?

A common question among users is, does Spotify download songs in the background?

Well, the good news is that, yes, it does, but only while you’re using the app; Spotify manages downloads efficiently so you can enjoy uninterrupted music.

To explain further, due to iOS restrictions and Spotify’s current app behavior, downloading songs in the background on iOS devices requires keeping the Spotify app open and the screen unlocked.

Using the workaround of playing music in the background can help, but it is not a seamless solution like what is available on Android devices.

Hopefully, this article tells you everything you need to know about downloading music for offline listening on the Spotify app.

What do you think about Spotify’s offline listening feature? Have you found it helpful for your music needs, or do you think there are improvements that could be made? We’d love to hear your thoughts! Share your experiences in the comments below.

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Staff writer at KnowTechie. Alex has two years of experience covering all things technology, from video games to electric cars. He's a gamer at heart, with a passion for first-person shooters and expansive RPGs. Shoot him an email at alex@knowtechie.com

3 Comments

3 Comments

  1. Ryan

    April 19, 2023 at 7:57 am

    I savor, lead to I found just what I used to be taking a look for. You have ended my 4 day lengthy hunt! God Bless you man. Have a great day. Bye|

  2. Leticia

    June 1, 2024 at 8:55 am

    via Spotify Premium, you can download Spotify songs in encrypted format, but this has many limitations, so the best solution is to try Tunelf Spotibeat Music Converter to download Spotify music without premium.

  3. Homer Hodges

    November 15, 2024 at 1:54 am

    Great guide for Spotify users! Clear steps make offline listening super easy to set up. Thanks for covering both Free and Premium options snow rider !

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