Downloading music for offline listening is one of Spotify Premium's most valuable features. Whether you're preparing for a long flight, heading to a gym with poor reception, or just want to save mobile data, having your favorite songs available without an internet connection is incredibly convenient.
This comprehensive guide covers everything you need to know about Spotify's offline download feature – from the basic steps to advanced tips for managing storage and optimizing quality.
What You Need for Offline Downloads
Before we dive in, here are the requirements:
- Spotify Premium subscription (this feature is not available on the free tier)
- Active internet connection (for the initial download)
- Sufficient storage space on your device
- Spotify mobile app (version 8.0 or later recommended)
⚠️ Important Note
You must connect to the internet at least once every 30 days to maintain your offline downloads. This is Spotify's way of verifying your subscription is still active. If you go offline longer, your downloads will temporarily become unavailable.
How to Download Music on Spotify: Step-by-Step
Open the Content You Want to Download
Navigate to any playlist, album, or podcast in the Spotify app. You can download entire collections, but not individual songs (more on workarounds later).
Find the Download Toggle
At the top of the playlist or album page, you'll see a download icon (arrow pointing down) or a toggle switch. On newer versions, it's a toggle that turns green when enabled.
Enable Downloads
Tap the toggle to start downloading. A green arrow will appear next to each track as it downloads. The entire process happens in the background – you can continue using the app.
Wait for Completion
Download time depends on your connection speed and the size of the playlist. You'll see progress indicators showing how many tracks have been downloaded.
Enjoy Offline
Once downloaded, the music is available without internet. Put your phone in airplane mode, go underground, or travel internationally – your music plays flawlessly.
Download Quality Settings
Spotify offers different quality levels for downloads. Higher quality means better sound but larger file sizes:
- Low (24 kbps): ~0.5 MB per 4-minute song – Very low quality, barely usable
- Normal (96 kbps): ~2 MB per song – Acceptable for casual listening
- High (160 kbps): ~4 MB per song – Good quality, balanced
- Very High (320 kbps): ~8 MB per song – Near-CD quality
- HiFi (Lossless): ~40 MB per song – Audiophile quality (Premium HiFi required)
How to Change Download Quality
- Open Spotify Settings (gear icon in top right)
- Scroll to "Audio Quality"
- Under "Download," select your preferred quality
- New downloads will use this quality; existing downloads won't change
💡 Pro Tip: Storage Calculator
At Very High quality (320 kbps), 1,000 songs use approximately 8 GB of storage. Plan accordingly – a 64GB phone with 30GB free can hold about 3,750 songs at maximum quality.
Download Limits
Spotify imposes some limitations on offline downloads:
- Maximum 10,000 songs across all your devices combined
- Maximum 5 devices can have offline downloads simultaneously
- 30-day refresh requirement – connect to internet monthly to keep access
- Storage dependent – your device needs sufficient free space
Downloading Individual Songs
Spotify doesn't allow downloading individual songs directly – you must download entire playlists or albums. However, there's an easy workaround:
- Create a new playlist (name it something like "Offline Favorites")
- Add individual songs you want to download
- Enable downloads for this playlist
- All songs in the playlist will download
This way, you have complete control over exactly which songs are available offline.
Managing Storage Space
Check How Much Space Spotify Uses
Go to Settings → Storage to see:
- Total cached data
- Offline downloads size
- Option to clear cache
Free Up Space
- Remove downloads you no longer need (toggle off download on playlists)
- Clear the cache (Settings → Storage → Delete cache)
- Lower your download quality setting
- Move Spotify data to SD card (Android only)
Downloading Podcasts
Podcasts work similarly to music. To download podcast episodes:
- Navigate to the podcast page
- Find the episode you want
- Tap the download arrow next to the episode
- Or toggle "Download new episodes" for automatic downloads
Podcast downloads don't count toward your 10,000 song limit.
Troubleshooting Download Issues
Downloads Stuck or Not Starting
- Check your internet connection
- Ensure "Download using cellular" is enabled if not on WiFi
- Restart the Spotify app
- Check available storage space
Downloads Disappeared
- Verify you've connected to internet within the last 30 days
- Check that your Premium subscription is active
- Ensure the app wasn't uninstalled/reinstalled
Quality Sounds Lower Than Expected
- Check your download quality in Settings
- Re-download after changing quality settings
- Note that previously downloaded tracks don't update automatically
Alternative: Spotify Without Offline (Mod APK)
If you don't have a Premium subscription, the Spotify Mod APK provides many Premium features for free, including ad-free listening, unlimited skips, and on-demand playback.
However, offline downloads are NOT available with the Mod APK. This feature requires server-side authentication that cannot be bypassed. If offline listening is essential, you'll need an official Premium subscription.
Get Other Premium Features Free
While offline downloads require a subscription, you can still enjoy ad-free streaming, unlimited skips, and more.
⬇️ Download Spotify Mod APK