Spotify lets you download songs to your phone or computer, but only if you have a Premium subscription
Spotify Premium includes offline listening — the ability to download songs and listen to them without an internet connection. Free accounts cannot download anything. If you have Premium, the download button appears next to every song, playlist, and album. Downloaded songs stay on your device until you delete them or your subscription ends.
Downloaded songs take up storage space on your phone or computer. A single song typically uses 3 to 10 megabytes, depending on audio quality. A full album might use 50 to 150 megabytes. You can choose the audio quality before downloading to control how much space they use.
Downloaded songs only play in the Spotify app. You cannot export them to other music players, burn them to a CD, or share the files with someone else. Spotify checks your subscription status every 30 days — if your Premium membership lapses, downloaded songs become unplayable until you renew.
Key Takeaways
- Only Spotify Premium members can download songs; free accounts have no download option.
- Downloaded songs play only in the Spotify app and stop working if your subscription ends.
- You can choose audio quality before downloading to save storage space on your device.
- Downloaded songs take up 3 to 10 megabytes each, so a full album uses roughly 50 to 150 megabytes.
- The download button appears next to every song, playlist, and album in the app.
How to download a single song on your phone
Open the Spotify app and find the song you want to download. Tap the three-dot menu icon next to the song title. A menu appears with several options. Tap "Download" — the icon looks like a downward arrow. The song begins downloading immediately.
A small downward arrow icon appears next to the song title once the download finishes. This arrow indicates the song is saved on your device. You can now play it without an internet connection. If you delete the song later, tap the same menu and select "Remove Download" to free up space.
How to download a playlist or album
Open the playlist or album you want to download. At the top of the page, tap the three-dot menu icon. Select "Download" from the menu. Spotify downloads all songs in that playlist or album to your device in the order they appear.
The download happens in the background — you can close the app or use your phone for other tasks while it finishes. A progress bar shows how many songs have downloaded. Once complete, a downward arrow icon appears next to the playlist or album name. You can now play the entire collection offline.
How to download songs on your computer
Open Spotify on your desktop or laptop. Find the song, playlist, or album you want to download. Hover your mouse over the title and click the three-dot menu icon. Select "Download" from the menu. The download begins immediately.
Downloaded songs appear in your "Local Files" section if you have that setting enabled, though Spotify also tracks them separately. You can see all your downloaded content by going to "Your Library" and filtering by "Downloaded." To remove a download, click the three-dot menu again and select "Remove Download."
Choosing audio quality to save storage space
Before you download many songs, check your audio quality settings. Higher quality uses more storage. On your phone, go to Settings, then "Playback," then "Offline Storage Quality." You can choose Low (24 MB per song), Normal (96 MB per song), High (160 MB per song), or Very High (320 MB per song).
Low quality is barely noticeable on phone speakers and saves the most space. Normal quality is a good balance for most people. High and Very High quality are only worth the storage if you use good headphones or speakers. You can change this setting at any time, but it only affects songs you download after the change — previously downloaded songs keep their original quality.
What happens when your subscription ends
Downloaded songs remain on your device, but they stop playing once your Premium subscription expires. The Spotify app checks your account status every 30 days. If you do not renew, the app locks all downloaded content and displays a message saying your subscription has ended.
If you renew your subscription within a reasonable time, your downloads usually unlock automatically. If you wait too long, Spotify may delete the files from your device to free up space. The safest approach is to renew before your subscription lapses if you want to keep listening to downloaded songs.
Troubleshooting downloads that do not work
If the download button does not appear, you do not have a Premium subscription. Free accounts cannot download anything. If you have Premium but the button is missing, sign out of the app completely and sign back in. Sometimes the app needs to refresh your account status.
If a download starts but never finishes, check your internet connection — downloads need a working connection to begin, even though the songs play offline afterward. Make sure you have enough storage space on your device. If your phone or computer is nearly full, Spotify cannot save new downloads. Delete old files or photos to free up space, then try downloading again.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I download songs on Spotify Free?
No. The download feature is only available to Spotify Premium subscribers. Free accounts can stream songs but cannot save them for offline listening. You must upgrade to Premium to use downloads.
How long do downloaded songs stay on my device?
Downloaded songs stay on your device until you delete them or your subscription ends. If your Premium membership lapses, the songs become unplayable after 30 days, though the files may remain on your device. Renewing your subscription unlocks them again.
Can I move downloaded Spotify songs to another app or device?
No. Downloaded Spotify songs are locked to the Spotify app and cannot be exported, moved, or played anywhere else. They work only in Spotify on the device where you downloaded them.
How much storage do I need to download my entire music library?
It depends on how many songs you have and what quality you choose. At Normal quality, expect roughly 96 megabytes per song. A library of 1,000 songs would use about 96 gigabytes. Most phones have 64 to 256 gigabytes of total storage, so you may not be able to download everything. Download only the playlists and albums you listen to regularly.
What if I run out of storage space while downloading?
Spotify stops downloading when your device is full. Delete songs you no longer listen to, remove photos or videos, or lower the audio quality setting and try again. You can also delete the Spotify app cache by going to Settings, then Apps, then Spotify, then Storage, then Clear Cache.