The basic way to download music on most phones
Most music streaming services let you save songs directly to your phone so you can listen without an internet connection. The exact steps depend on which app you use — Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, and Amazon Music all work slightly differently — but the core idea is the same: find a song, tap a download button, and wait for it to finish.
Your phone needs enough storage space for the songs you want to keep. A single song typically takes up 5 to 10 megabytes, so 100 songs might use 500 megabytes to 1 gigabyte of your phone's storage. Check how much free space you have before you start downloading a large library.
Downloaded music stays on your phone even if your subscription ends, but you won't be able to play it once your account expires. The files are protected by the streaming service, so you can't copy them to another device or share them.
Key Takeaways
- Every major streaming service has a download feature, but you need an active subscription to use it — the button location and name varies by app.
- Downloaded songs take up phone storage space, typically 5 to 10 megabytes each, so check your available storage before downloading large playlists.
- Downloaded music plays offline, but stops working if your subscription ends or if you uninstall the app.
- Most services let you choose the audio quality when you download, and lower quality saves storage space but sounds worse.
How to download on Spotify
Open Spotify and find the song, album, or playlist you want to download. Tap the three dots next to the title, then tap "Download." On some phones, you might see a download icon that looks like an arrow pointing down instead of a menu. The song will show a checkmark or a filled-in download icon once it finishes.
Spotify stores downloaded music in a folder on your phone that only the Spotify app can read. You can see all your downloaded content by going to "Your Library," tapping "Downloads," and scrolling through what you've saved. If you need storage space, you can delete individual songs or entire playlists from this screen by swiping left and tapping "Remove Download."
Spotify's free tier does not include downloads — you need a paid subscription. Downloaded songs only play through the Spotify app, and they refresh automatically when you connect to the internet, so the app stays in sync across your devices.
How to download on Apple Music
In the Apple Music app, find the song or album you want. Tap the three dots, then tap "Add to Library" first — you must add a song to your library before you can download it. Once it's in your library, tap the three dots again and select "Download." A cloud icon with a down arrow means the song is ready to download; a filled cloud means it's already on your phone.
Downloaded Apple Music songs live in your library and play through the Apple Music app. You can see everything you've downloaded by opening the app, going to "Listen Now," and tapping "Downloaded." To free up space, find the song, tap the three dots, and choose "Remove Download" — this keeps the song in your library but removes the file from your phone.
Apple Music requires a paid subscription. Downloaded songs work on any Apple device signed into your account, but they stop playing 30 days after your subscription ends, even if the files are still on your phone.
How to download on YouTube Music
Open YouTube Music and search for the song you want. Tap the three dots next to the title, then tap "Download." The download icon will fill in once the song is saved to your phone. You can download individual songs, entire albums, or playlists the same way.
YouTube Music stores downloads in the app's offline library. To see everything you've downloaded, tap "Library," then tap "Downloads." Deleting a download is straightforward: find the song, tap the three dots, and tap "Remove Download."
YouTube Music Premium is required to download music. The free version does not support offline listening. Downloaded songs only play in the YouTube Music app and stop working when your subscription ends.
How to download on Amazon Music
In the Amazon Music app, find a song or album and tap the three dots next to it. Select "Download" from the menu. A down arrow icon means the song is queued to download; a checkmark means it's finished. You can download songs one at a time or tap "Download All" on an album or playlist to save everything at once.
Amazon Music stores downloads within the app. To view your downloaded content, tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines), select "Downloads," and you'll see everything saved to your phone. To remove a download and free up space, swipe left on the song and tap "Remove Download."
Amazon Music Unlimited is required for downloads. Amazon Music Free does not include this feature. Downloaded songs play only in the Amazon Music app and become unplayable when your subscription ends.
Choosing download quality to save storage space
Most streaming services let you pick the audio quality when you download, which directly affects how much storage space each song uses. Higher quality sounds better but takes up more room; lower quality saves space but sounds noticeably worse on good headphones.
Spotify offers three download quality options in Settings: Low (24 kbps), Normal (96 kbps), and High (320 kbps). Low quality uses about 1 to 2 megabytes per song, while High uses 8 to 10 megabytes. Apple Music and YouTube Music use similar tiering. Amazon Music's highest tier is called "HD" and uses the most storage.
If your phone is running low on storage, switch to Low or Normal quality before downloading large playlists. You can change the setting anytime, and re-downloading at a new quality will replace the old file. For casual listening on phone speakers, Normal quality is usually fine; for headphones or car audio, High quality is worth the extra space.
What to do if downloads aren't working
If a song won't download, first check that you have an active internet connection and enough free storage space on your phone. Most services need at least 100 megabytes free to start downloading. Go into your phone's Settings, find Storage or About Phone, and see how much space is available.
If you have space and internet but downloads still fail, try closing the streaming app completely and opening it again. On Android, go to Settings, tap Apps, find the music app, and tap "Force Stop," then reopen it. On iPhone, swipe up from the bottom of the screen to close the app, then tap it again to restart.
If a specific song won't download after restarting, the song might not be available in your region or on your subscription tier. Try downloading a different song to confirm the feature is working. If nothing downloads, uninstall and reinstall the app — this fixes most download problems without losing your account or playlists.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I download music from a free streaming account?
No. Spotify Free, YouTube Music Free, and Amazon Music Free do not include downloads. You need a paid subscription to any of these services to save music offline. Apple Music requires a subscription as well.
What happens to my downloaded music if I cancel my subscription?
The files stay on your phone, but you won't be able to play them. The streaming service's protection system locks the files when your subscription ends. If you resubscribe later, they unlock and play again.
Can I transfer downloaded music to another phone?
No. Downloaded music from streaming services is tied to the app and your account. You can't copy the files to a computer, send them to another phone, or play them outside the streaming app. You would need to download them again on the new phone using the same subscription.
How much storage do 100 songs take up?
At Normal quality, roughly 500 megabytes to 1 gigabyte. At Low quality, around 100 to 200 megabytes. At High quality, 800 megabytes to 1.5 gigabytes. The exact amount varies by song length and the streaming service you use.
Do downloaded songs use data when I play them?
No. Downloaded songs play entirely from your phone's storage, so they don't use any mobile data. This is the main reason to download — you can listen without an internet connection or without burning through your data plan.