Can I download Spotify music to my Android?
Spotify is one of the most popular music streaming services, with over 430 million active monthly users as of 2022 (Source). The platform allows users to stream over 82 million songs and 4 million podcasts on demand. Spotify offers both free ad-supported and premium paid subscription plans, with premium providing ad-free listening, offline downloads, and higher audio quality.
One of the key features of Spotify Premium is the ability to download songs, albums, and podcasts for offline listening. Downloading content allows you to listen without an internet connection, which is ideal when traveling or commuting. This guide will provide an overview of how to download Spotify content on Android devices, covering requirements, steps for downloading playlists, albums, and podcasts, and how to manage downloads.
Why Download Spotify Music?
Downloading Spotify music can provide several benefits to users. Some of the major reasons to download Spotify songs include:
Listen offline – By downloading songs or playlists in Spotify, you can listen to the music even without an internet connection. This makes it easy to enjoy Spotify on the go, like during a flight or commute. Having offline access can save mobile data as well.
Save mobile data – Streaming music uses a lot of data. According to research, listening to Spotify for an hour consumes around 60MB. Downloading your Spotify playlists allows you to listen without using any mobile data, saving potentially gigabytes per month.
Higher quality audio – Spotify Premium users can download songs at a higher 320kbps bitrate, compared to streaming which is capped at 160kbps. With downloads, listeners can enjoy improved audio quality and fuller sound especially for tracks where this matters most.
Requirements for Downloading
Before downloading music on Spotify for Android, there are a couple requirements that need to be met:
First, you’ll need the Spotify app installed on your Android device. The app is available for free in the Google Play Store. Once installed, you can sign in with an existing Spotify account or create a new one.
Secondly, you’ll need an active Spotify Premium subscription. The ability to download music for offline listening is one of the key features of Premium. There are a few pricing options to choose from, including Individual, Family, Student, and Duo plans. Premium plans start at $9.99/month.
How to Download on Android
Downloading music on Android is easy with the Spotify app. Simply open the Spotify app and find the song, album, or playlist you want to download. Tap the download icon (downward arrow) next to the song or album name to begin downloading.
The Spotify app allows you to select the download quality. Tap the three dots next to the download icon to choose a quality setting. Options include Normal (96 kbps), High (160 kbps), or Very High (320 kbps). Higher quality uses more storage space but sounds better.
Downloaded content appears in Your Library under the Downloads tab. You can play tracks and playlists offline as long as you have an internet connection at least once every 30 days. Downloads also work with Spotify Connect to stream to speakers and other devices.
According to this source, downloading Spotify music on Android is a convenient way to listen offline and save mobile data when on the go.
Downloading Playlists
To download a Spotify playlist on Android, first tap on the download icon next to the playlist name or artwork. This will open up options for download quality – choose between Normal (96 kbps), High (160 kbps), or Very High (320 kbps). The higher quality options will result in larger file sizes for the downloads. After selecting the desired quality, the tracks from the playlist will begin downloading automatically in the background even if you switch to another app. Downloaded playlists can be accessed in the Your Library section of the Spotify app.
According to a Reddit user, “Spotify Mod is a great app for downloading playlists on Android.” They mention being able to “download playlists at 320kbps” which delivers excellent audio quality (Source: https://www.reddit.com/r/fossdroid/comments/159h8kx/a_good_android_app_that_downloads_spotify/).
Downloading Albums
To download an entire album on Spotify for Android, first open the Spotify app and go to the album page. At the top right of the screen, tap the downward arrow Download icon next to the album title and artist name. This will open a menu where you can select the download quality – either Normal, High, or Very High.
Once you select the desired download quality, the tracks from the album will automatically begin downloading to your device. The download progress for each track will display on the album page. After downloading, you can listen to the full album offline without an internet connection.1
Downloading Podcasts
One great feature of Spotify is the ability to download podcast episodes for offline listening. This allows you to listen to your favorite podcasts without an internet connection, such as when you’re on a plane or commuting.
Downloading podcasts on your Android device is easy. Simply open the podcast episode you want to download and tap the download icon next to the episode title. The episode will then download to your device and be accessible in your Library under Downloads.
Spotify will automatically download new episodes of podcasts you are subscribed to when connected to WiFi. This means your podcast playlist will stay up to date with the latest releases without you having to manually download each episode.
Downloaded podcasts are available for offline listening for 30 days. If you want to listen to an episode again after 30 days, you’ll need to re-download it to your device.
So if you love listening to podcasts, downloading them to your Android device is a great way to enjoy your favorite shows on the go without needing an internet connection. Spotify makes it simple to manage and listen to podcasts offline.
Managing Downloads
Viewing and deleting your Spotify downloads can help save storage space on your Android device. To view your downloaded Spotify content, open the Spotify app and tap on ‘Your Library’. This will show you all of your downloaded playlists, albums, songs and podcast episodes.
To delete downloads you no longer want, tap on a playlist, album or podcast and then tap on the download icon next to any item to remove the download. You can also tap the ‘Edit’ button in the top right and select downloads to remove. Tap ‘Remove from Device’ to confirm deleting those downloads and free up space.
If you are having trouble managing downloads, check that you have the latest version of the Spotify app. There are also options in Spotify’s settings to automatically delete played episodes or to manually clear all downloads from your device storage. Refer to Spotify’s help articles for more troubleshooting tips.
Listening Offline
Spotify allows premium users to listen to downloaded music, playlists, albums and podcasts without an internet connection. This is great for when you are traveling or don’t have a stable network connection.
To enable offline listening:
- Open the Spotify app and go to Settings.
- Toggle “Offline Mode” to the on position.
With offline mode enabled, any content you have previously downloaded will now be available for playback without an internet connection. Spotify will automatically switch to offline mode when network connectivity is lost.
No WiFi or data plan needed! Just access your downloaded Spotify content seamlessly even on planes, subways or in remote areas with no cell reception. Listening offline is a premium feature that lets you enjoy your favorite music, podcasts and more wherever you are.
Conclusion
To recap, downloading Spotify music on your Android device involves a few key steps. First, you’ll need a Spotify Premium account. Next, open the Spotify app, find the content you want to download, like a playlist, album or podcast episode, and tap the download icon. Downloaded content will have a green arrow next to it. Use the “Downloads” section in the Spotify app to manage your downloads.
The main benefits of downloading Spotify content to your Android device include being able to listen offline when you don’t have an internet connection. This is great for plane rides, road trips, and any other time you’ll be away from WiFi. Downloading also allows you to save mobile data since you won’t need to stream the content over your cellular network. Finally, downloads offer a seamless listening experience without any buffering or interuptions.