How do I download music to my Samsung tablet?
Downloading music to your Samsung tablet allows you to take your music collection with you wherever you go. There are a few main options for acquiring music files to download onto your tablet:
- Purchasing songs, albums, or music subscriptions from services like Apple Music, Amazon Music, or Google Play Music.
- Ripping songs from physical CDs you own.
- Transferring existing music files from a computer.
This guide will walk through the various methods for getting music onto your Samsung tablet, covering topics like using streaming apps, downloading from YouTube, transferring from iTunes or Windows Media Player libraries, and more.
Legality
There are ethical and legal considerations when downloading copyrighted music content. Legally, downloading copyrighted content without permission from the copyright holder is considered copyright infringement and illegal in most countries, including the United States (Online piracy and the distribution of copyrighted music files). However, the ethics are more nuanced. Some believe that sharing music freely enables more people to enjoy it. Others argue it harms artists who rely on royalties and sales (Is it ethical to download music for free?). Ultimately, it comes down to balancing creative rights and access. While downloading may provide more access, it infringes on artists’ copyrights. The safest and most ethical option is to use legal services that compensate artists for their work.
Purchasing Music
The most common legal way to obtain digital music downloads is by purchasing them from digital music stores like iTunes, Amazon Music, Google Play Music or 7digital. These stores allow you to browse entire genres and purchase entire albums or individual tracks to download to your device.
For example, you can visit the Amazon Music store (https://www.amazon.com/music/unlimited) and browse their catalog of over 75 million songs. Once you find an album or song you want, you can purchase and download it to your tablet. Pricing is usually $0.99 per song or $9.99 for an entire album.
Other popular stores like iTunes (https://www.apple.com/itunes/) and Google Play Music (https://play.google.com/music) offer similar options for legally purchasing and downloading music. The advantage of using these official stores is that the downloads are high-quality and compensate artists appropriately.
You’ll want to make sure any store you use offers files in a format compatible with your Samsung tablet, like MP3. Downloaded songs can then be transferred to your tablet via USB or using cloud storage services.
Streaming Services
Streaming services like Spotify, Pandora, Apple Music, and Amazon Music have become incredibly popular ways to listen to music without having to purchase and download individual songs or albums. According to one report, there were over 616 million music streaming subscribers globally in 2024, up from 341 million in 2021 (source). The convenience and extensive libraries that streaming services offer make them an attractive option for many music listeners.
Spotify remains the most widely used streaming service worldwide, with over 422 million monthly active users as of 2024 (source). However, competitors like Apple Music (around 90 million subscribers) and Amazon Music (about 75 million subscribers) also have strong followings. Most services offer both free ad-supported and paid premium subscription options, with premium subscriptions granting features like high quality audio, offline listening, and no ads.
When using streaming services on a Samsung tablet, it’s simply a matter of downloading the app from the Google Play store and signing in or creating an account. The tablet should be connected to wifi or mobile data to stream music. With a premium subscription, songs can also be downloaded for offline listening when an internet connection is unavailable.
Downloading from CDs
One way to get music onto your Samsung tablet is by ripping songs from your CD collection. To do this, you’ll need a computer with a CD drive and software capable of ripping CDs into MP3 files. Some options for ripping software include:
CDBurnerXP (free)
Audials Tunebite (paid)
NCH Switch (paid)
Once you have ripping software installed, insert the CD you want to rip and configure the settings to save the songs as MP3 files at the desired bitrate. Then simply choose the tracks you want and click the “Rip CD” button. The tracks will be ripped and saved as individual MP3 files on your computer.
After ripping the CDs, you can connect your tablet to the computer via a USB cable and transfer the MP3 files over. Most file manager apps on Android tablets will allow you to easily copy files from the computer to the tablet’s storage. You can also use cloud storage services like Google Drive or Dropbox to upload the MP3 files from your computer and then access them on your tablet.
Ripping CDs is a convenient way to get your music collection onto your Samsung tablet. Just be sure to only rip CDs you own to avoid copyright infringement.
Transferring Existing Files
One of the easiest ways to get music onto your Samsung tablet is by transferring files you already have on your computer. There are a few different methods to transfer existing music files:
USB Cable Transfer
Using a USB cable is one of the quickest ways to transfer music files from your computer to your Android device. First, connect your tablet to your computer using a USB cable. Your computer should automatically detect the device. On your computer, locate the music files you want to transfer and drag and drop them into your tablet’s Music folder. The files will begin transferring over. See this guide for step-by-step instructions.
Cloud Storage
You can also transfer music files using cloud storage services like Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive. First, upload the files from your computer to cloud storage. Then, on your Android device, download the cloud storage app, log in, and download the music files to your tablet. This allows you to access your music from anywhere.
Bluetooth
If your computer has Bluetooth, you can transfer music files wirelessly via Bluetooth. On your tablet, turn on Bluetooth and set it to be discoverable. On your computer, also turn on Bluetooth and select your tablet when it appears as an available device. Then select the music files you want to send to pair and begin transferring the files.
Bluetooth Transfer
One way to transfer music files to your Samsung tablet is via Bluetooth. Bluetooth allows you to wirelessly send files and media between devices such as your computer, phone, tablet, and more. To transfer music files using Bluetooth, first ensure Bluetooth is enabled on both your source device and Samsung tablet.
If transferring from a Windows computer, you can right-click on the music files you want to send and select “Send to” then select your tablet’s name to pair the devices. On Android phones, open the file manager app, select the music files, tap the Share button and select Bluetooth. Then choose your Samsung tablet from the list of available devices to pair with it.
Once paired, you’ll be able to browse the files on your device from the other device. Select the music files you want to transfer over and hit Send. The transfer speed can vary depending on your Bluetooth version but is usually pretty quick for sending media files.
For step-by-step instructions, refer to the Bluetooth file transfer guides from LifeWire or Microsoft.
YouTube Downloading
Downloading videos from YouTube directly to your device raises some legality concerns. According to Google, it is generally illegal to download videos from YouTube or other platforms without permission from the copyright holder. YouTube’s terms of service explicitly forbid downloading videos without permission. There are some exceptions, like downloading for educational use, but in general it is illegal according to MakeUseOf.
That said, here are some methods people use to download YouTube videos to their devices:
- Use a third party app or website to download the video file
- Use a YouTube to MP3 converter to download just the audio
- Use desktop software like 4K Video Downloader to save the video
- Use online video downloaders and converters
While convenient, it’s important to keep the legality issues in mind. The safest approach is to avoid downloading videos directly and instead use the YouTube app or a streaming subscription service.
Apps and Software
There are many great apps and software options to help you organize, download, and play music on your Samsung tablet. Here are some of the top recommendations:
For downloading music directly to your device, check out apps like Spotify, YouTube Music, SoundCloud, and Deezer. These let you stream and/or save music libraries, playlists, albums, and more.
To play and organize music, Musicolet, Omnia Music Player, and MediaMonkey are great choices with playlists, equalizers, and library management. For transferring music between devices, apps like PlayerPro make it easy via WiFi or Bluetooth.
You can also use audio converter software on your computer to convert CDs or other file formats before transferring them to your tablet. Options like Freemake Audio Converter, Switch Audio Converter, or Audacity can convert files to tablet-friendly MP3 or AAC formats.
Conclusion
In conclusion, there are many different ways to download music to a Samsung tablet. The easiest options are streaming services, like Spotify or Pandora, which allow you to save music for offline listening. You can also purchase songs or albums from digital stores like iTunes or the Google Play store and download them directly.
If you want to transfer existing music files, you can connect a tablet to a computer via USB and drag and drop songs over. Bluetooth can also be used to send files from a smartphone or computer. Additionally, apps like YouTube Downloader make it easy to save audio from streaming sites.
Whichever method you choose, be aware of copyright laws. It’s generally illegal to download copyrighted content without paying for it. When in doubt, use legitimate digital stores or streaming services to avoid any ethical or legal issues.
With the proper apps and tools, getting music onto a Samsung tablet is a straightforward process. Just be sure to use legal methods and sources for the music you want to download.