Spotify's offline download feature lets you save songs, albums, and playlists to your phone or tablet so you can listen without an internet connection
Spotify calls this feature "offline mode," and it works on the mobile app and desktop app, but not on the web player. When you download a song, Spotify stores an encrypted copy on your device. You need an active Spotify Premium subscription to use this feature — the free tier does not include downloads. The downloaded files take up storage space on your device, so you cannot download your entire music library if you have limited space.
Downloaded music stays on your device until you delete it or uninstall the Spotify app. Spotify checks your subscription status every 30 days, so if your Premium subscription lapses, your downloaded songs will stop playing even though they are still taking up space on your phone.
Key Takeaways
- You must have a Spotify Premium subscription to download music; the free tier does not support offline listening.
- Downloads work on the Spotify mobile app and desktop app, but not through a web browser.
- Each downloaded song takes up storage space on your device, so check how much free space you have before downloading large playlists.
- Spotify verifies your Premium status every 30 days, and downloaded songs stop playing if your subscription expires.
- You can download individual songs, entire albums, or whole playlists with a single action.
How to download songs on iPhone or Android
Open the Spotify app and find the song, album, or playlist you want to download. Tap the three dots (menu icon) next to the title. A menu will appear with several options. Look for the option that says "Download" or shows a downward arrow icon. Tap it. The app will show a checkmark or filled-in arrow once the download starts.
The download happens in the background while you use the app normally. You can check the progress by opening the song or playlist again — Spotify shows a small arrow icon next to items that are downloading or already downloaded. On iPhone, downloaded content appears in the "Your Library" section under a "Downloaded" tab. On Android, go to "Your Library," tap the filter icon at the top, and select "Downloaded" to see only your offline music.
If you want to download an entire playlist, open the playlist, tap the three dots at the top, and select "Download." Spotify will download every song in that playlist. This can take several minutes for large playlists, depending on your internet speed and how many songs are in it.
How to download music on desktop
Open Spotify on your computer (Windows or Mac). Find the song, album, or playlist you want to download. Right-click on it. A context menu will appear. Look for "Download" or an option with a downward arrow. Click it. The download will begin immediately.
You can also click the three dots next to a song title and select "Download" from the dropdown menu. Downloaded content on desktop appears in your "Liked Songs" or in the playlist itself — look for a small downward arrow icon next to songs you have downloaded. To see all your downloaded music in one place, go to "Settings" (the gear icon in the top right), scroll down to "Offline," and you will see how much storage space your downloads are using.
Checking how much storage space your downloads use
On iPhone, go to the Spotify app, tap "Your Library," select "Downloaded," and scroll to the bottom. Spotify shows the total size of all your downloaded music. On Android, open Spotify, go to "Your Library," tap the filter icon, select "Downloaded," and scroll down to see the storage total.
On desktop, open Spotify and click the gear icon in the top right corner to open Settings. Scroll down to the "Offline" section. You will see how much storage space your downloads are currently using and the maximum amount Spotify allows you to download on that device. If you are running low on space, delete playlists or albums you no longer listen to by tapping the three dots next to them and selecting "Remove Download."
What to do if downloads are not working
First, check that you have a Spotify Premium subscription. Open the Spotify app, go to your account settings, and look for your subscription status. If you see "Free" instead of "Premium," downloads will not work. You need to upgrade to Premium through the Spotify app or website.
Next, make sure you have enough free storage space on your device. On iPhone, go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage to see how much space is available. On Android, open Settings > Storage to check. If you have less than 500 MB free, delete some apps or files to make room. On desktop, check your hard drive space in your system settings.
If you have Premium and enough storage but downloads still are not working, try restarting the Spotify app. Close it completely and open it again. If that does not work, sign out of Spotify (go to Settings > Log Out), then sign back in. On desktop, you can also try uninstalling and reinstalling the Spotify app, which often fixes download problems.
How to listen to downloaded music offline
Once you have downloaded songs, you do not need to do anything special to listen to them offline. Simply open Spotify, find your downloaded music in "Your Library" or in the playlist where you saved it, and tap play. The app will play the downloaded version without using your internet connection.
If you are in an area with no cell service or Wi-Fi, Spotify will automatically play your downloaded music. You can also manually turn on offline mode to save your phone's battery. On iPhone and Android, go to Settings > Offline Mode and toggle it on. On desktop, click the gear icon, scroll to "Offline," and check the box next to "Offline Mode." When offline mode is on, Spotify will only play music you have downloaded.
Deleting downloads to free up space
To remove a single song or album from your device, open it in Spotify, tap the three dots, and select "Remove Download." The song will be deleted from your phone or computer, but it will stay in your library — you can download it again later if you have an internet connection.
To delete an entire playlist's downloads at once, open the playlist, tap the three dots at the top, and select "Remove Download." This removes all songs in that playlist from your device storage. If you want to delete all your downloads at once, go to Settings > Offline and look for an option to clear all offline content. On desktop, this option is in Settings > Offline > Delete Offline Files.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I download music from Spotify on my computer and listen to it on my phone?
No. Downloads are tied to the specific device and Spotify account where you downloaded them. If you download a song on your laptop, it will not appear on your phone. You need to download the song separately on each device where you want to listen offline.
What happens to my downloads if I cancel my Spotify Premium subscription?
Your downloaded songs will stop playing within 30 days of your subscription ending. The files will still take up storage space on your device until you delete them manually. If you reactivate Premium later, your downloads will work again.
Can I download music from Spotify on the web player?
No. The Spotify web player does not support downloads. You must use the mobile app (iPhone or Android) or the desktop app (Windows or Mac) to download music for offline listening.
How many songs can I download on one device?
Spotify does not set a limit on the number of songs, but you are limited by your device's storage space. Most phones and computers have between 64 GB and 512 GB of total storage. A typical song takes up 3 to 10 MB, so you could download thousands of songs depending on your device's capacity.
Do downloaded songs use data when I play them offline?
No. Once a song is downloaded, playing it uses zero data. This is useful if you have a limited data plan or are traveling without Wi-Fi. Make sure offline mode is on or that you are in an area without internet so Spotify does not try to stream instead of playing the downloaded version.