Can Amazon Music Unlimited be downloaded?

Amazon Music Unlimited is a premium streaming music service that offers access to over 90 million songs. The service allows users to stream music online through the Amazon Music app available on various devices. However, many users wonder if Amazon Music Unlimited also allows downloading songs for offline listening when an internet connection is not available.

In this article, we will provide a comprehensive overview answering the question – can you download songs from Amazon Music Unlimited for offline listening? We will examine the offline capabilities of Amazon Music Unlimited, outline the limitations, and provide steps on how to download music for offline access across devices.

Downloading vs Streaming

Downloading and streaming music are two different methods of accessing songs and audio content. When you download a song or album, you are making a permanent copy that is saved on your device’s storage. This allows you to listen offline and have continuous access, even without an internet connection (Source: https://blocsonic.com/resources/whats-difference-between-streaming-music-downloading-music). Streaming on the other hand works by allowing temporary access to audio content through the internet. Songs are not stored locally, and require a constant internet connection to keep playing.

There are pros and cons to both downloading and streaming. Downloading gives you ownership of the music and the ability to listen offline. However, it takes up storage space on your device. Streaming provides access to a huge library of songs without using up storage, but requires a consistent internet connection. Downloaded songs may have higher audio quality, while streamed songs are often compressed. Overall, downloading works well if you want to curate and own a specific music library. Streaming is more flexible and allows access to vast catalogs of music on-demand. The choice depends largely on listening habits and connectivity constraints (Source: https://www.lifewire.com/difference-between-streaming-and-downloading-media-1847372).

Amazon Music Unlimited Streaming

Amazon Music Unlimited (AMU) is a music streaming subscription service that allows users to stream songs over an internet or data connection. With streaming, users have on-demand access to AMU’s full catalog of over 100 million songs without needing to download them onto a device (Amazon Music Unlimited).

The key benefit of streaming is the ability to instantly listen to any song in AMU’s library. Users don’t need to wait to download songs or worry about storage space on their device. As long as they have an internet connection, the entire AMU catalog is available on-demand. Streaming provides a seamless, unlimited music listening experience.

Download Limitations

Amazon Music Unlimited does have some limitations when it comes to downloading songs for offline listening. AMU allows users to download up to 500 songs across 5 different devices [1]. Any downloads will expire 30 days after being downloaded and must be renewed to continue listening offline [2]. This is an important limitation to be aware of, as downloaded songs will stop being playable after 30 days unless they are renewed.

Steps to Download

Amazon Music Unlimited allows subscribers to download songs, albums, and playlists to their device for offline listening. Here are the steps to download content on the Amazon Music app:

On an Android device¹:

Open the Amazon Music app
Find the song, album, or playlist you want to download
Tap the More Options menu (three vertical dots)

Select “Download”

On an iOS device²:

Open the Amazon Music app

Find the song, album or playlist you want to download
Tap the More Options menu (three horizontal dots)
Select “Download”

Downloading is supported on iOS and Android smartphones and tablets. The Amazon Music app can be downloaded for free from the App Store or Google Play.

Downloading with Prime Music

When comparing downloading capabilities between Amazon Music Unlimited and Amazon Prime Music, the main difference is in library size. Amazon Prime Music has a library of about 2 million songs available for download, while Amazon Music Unlimited offers around 100 million songs available for offline listening (Source: https://www.sidify.com/topic/amazon-music-unlimited-vs-prime-music.html).

So with Amazon Prime Music, you only have access to download a small portion of songs from Amazon’s full catalog. The library is limited to select albums and playlists. Downloading on Amazon Music Unlimited gives you far more selection across a huge library of content. However, you do need a paid Unlimited subscription to download songs, while downloads on Prime Music are included for free with an Amazon Prime membership (Source: https://www.tuneboto.com/amazon-music/prime-music-vs-amazon-music-unlimited.html).

In summary, the main limitation of downloading with Prime Music is the significantly smaller song selection compared to Amazon Music Unlimited. But Prime Music downloads are free for Prime members, while Unlimited downloads require a paid subscription.

Downloading Playlists

One of the key benefits of Amazon Music Unlimited is the ability to download curated and personal playlists for offline listening when you don’t have an internet connection. According to Amazon’s help documentation, Amazon Music Unlimited members can download up to 500 songs across playlists and albums to their mobile device [1].

To download a playlist for offline listening on the iOS or Android app, simply select the playlist you want to download, tap the “More Options” menu, and choose “Download” [2]. The playlist will then be accessible without an internet connection through the Offline Music section of the app. This provides a seamless listening experience while traveling or in areas with poor connectivity.

With the ability to save up to 500 songs for offline use, Amazon Music Unlimited offers robust support for downloading curated and personal playlists to your mobile device. This allows subscribers to enjoy their favorite playlists anytime, anywhere without using mobile data or requiring an internet connection.

Downloading Podcasts

Compared to downloading music, downloading podcasts from Amazon Music Unlimited has slightly different availability and limits.

According to noteburner.com, all Amazon Music subscribers, including those with just a Prime membership, can download podcasts for offline listening. This differs from music downloads, which require an Unlimited subscription.

There also don’t appear to be set limits on how many podcast episodes you can download, unlike the offline song download limits with Amazon Music Unlimited subscriptions. As macsome.com mentions, “you can download as many podcast episodes as you want” for offline playback. This provides more flexibility for podcast listening compared to music.

So in summary, podcast downloading has wider availability across Amazon Music plans compared to music downloading, and does not have set download limits per subscription.

Troubleshooting Tips

If you experience issues downloading music or playlists from Amazon Music Unlimited, there are some troubleshooting steps you can try:

– Make sure you have an active Amazon Music Unlimited subscription that includes download access. Downloads are only available for premium Unlimited accounts, not free or Prime memberships (Amazon Customer Service).

– Check that you have enough storage space on your device for the downloads. You may need to delete some files to free up room for new music (ViWizard).

– Update the Amazon Music app and your device software to the latest versions. Older versions can sometimes cause download issues.

– Try downloading over a WiFi connection instead of mobile data, which can be slower.

– Log out and back into the Amazon Music app and re-initiate the downloads. This can reset any errors.

– As a last resort, uninstall and reinstall the Amazon Music app to do a clean refresh.

If you still can’t resolve the download problems, you can contact Amazon Music customer support for troubleshooting help. There are options to call, email, or chat online with a support representative who can investigate further (Amazon Music Help).

Summary

In summary, Amazon Music Unlimited is a streaming music service that does not allow full track downloading for offline listening. While users can download playlists and playlists for offline listening in the mobile app, there are no options to download individual tracks or full albums.

The advantage of a true downloading capability would be to allow Amazon Music Unlimited subscribers to listen offline wherever they go, even without an internet connection. Downloaded music could be saved indefinitely and provide portable access to your favorite albums or songs no matter where you are. However, Amazon has opted not to include this full download functionality, likely due to music licensing restrictions. For Amazon Music customers seeking true offline listening and downloads, Amazon Prime Music provides an alternative option to download a limited selection of songs at no additional cost.