Spotify offers two main tiers: Free (ad-supported) and Premium (subscription). While both provide access to millions of tracks, the ability to download songs for offline listening is exclusive to Premium users. This article breaks down the exact download limits, offline features, and practical differences between the two plans. We also discuss legal alternatives for saving audio, such as purchasing music or using services like YouTube Premium. For a comprehensive overview, see our complete guide to saving audio legally.
Spotify Free: What You Can and Cannot Do Offline
Spotify Free users cannot download any songs, albums, or playlists for offline listening. The only way to listen without an internet connection is to use Spotify’s “Offline” mode, but that requires having previously downloaded content—which is a Premium feature. Free users can listen to music on shuffle (for mobile) with limited skips (6 per hour) and are served audio and video ads. The maximum audio quality is 160 kbps (AAC).
Limitations at a Glance
- Downloads: None. Offline playback is not possible.
- Audio quality: 160 kbps (AAC) on mobile; 128 kbps (AAC) on desktop.
- Skips: 6 per hour on mobile; unlimited on desktop.
- Advertisements: Audio and video ads interrupt playback.
- Device restrictions: No offline storage; streaming only.
For users who want to save music for offline use without a subscription, it’s important to note that any method bypassing Spotify’s DRM violates its terms of service. Legal alternatives include purchasing songs from stores like iTunes (US$0.99–$1.29 per track) or Amazon Music (US$0.69–$1.29). You can also use services like YouTube Premium, which allows offline downloads of music videos and audio.
Spotify Premium: Download Limits and Offline Features
Spotify Premium subscribers can download up to 10,000 songs across up to 5 devices. Each device can store a maximum of 10,000 tracks, but the total across all devices cannot exceed 10,000 unique songs. Downloads are encrypted with DRM and expire every 30 days if the device does not go online at least once. Once reconnected, the downloads are refreshed automatically.
How Downloads Work
- Number of downloads: 10,000 songs per account (not per device).
- Devices: Up to 5 devices can have offline content.
- Expiration: Downloads expire after 30 days without internet connection.
- Audio quality: Up to 320 kbps (AAC) for Premium; “Very High” setting is 320 kbps.
- Offline mode: Toggle in settings to listen only to downloaded content.
Premium also offers gapless playback, crossfade, and the ability to play any track on demand (not just shuffle). The offline mode is particularly useful for commuters, travelers, and those with limited data plans. For a detailed comparison of download capabilities across platforms, read our article on YouTube Premium vs Free downloads.
Comparing Audio Quality: Free vs Premium
Audio quality is a key differentiator. Spotify Free streams at up to 160 kbps (AAC) on mobile and 128 kbps on desktop. Premium offers three quality settings: Low (24 kbps), Normal (96 kbps), High (160 kbps), and Very High (320 kbps). The “Very High” setting is only available to Premium users. For offline downloads, Premium users can choose between Normal, High, and Very High. The difference is noticeable on high-end headphones or speakers; 320 kbps preserves more detail than 160 kbps.
If you want to save music in lossless formats like FLAC or WAV, you need to purchase CDs or buy from stores like Bandcamp or Qobuz. Spotify does not offer lossless audio. For a guide on legal saving methods, see the complete guide to saving audio legally.
Device and Storage Considerations
Downloaded songs take up storage space on your device. At 320 kbps, a 3-minute song is roughly 7.2 MB. A playlist of 100 songs would be about 720 MB. Spotify allows you to choose download quality to save space: Normal (96 kbps) uses ~2.2 MB per minute, High (160 kbps) ~3.6 MB, and Very High (320 kbps) ~7.2 MB. You can manage storage by removing downloads from specific playlists or clearing the cache.
Premium users can also download podcasts and audiobooks (15 hours of audiobook listening per month included). The download limit of 10,000 songs applies to music only; podcasts and audiobooks do not count toward that limit.
How to Use Spotify's Offline Mode
To use offline mode on Premium:
- Open the Spotify app and go to Settings (gear icon).
- Toggle “Offline” to green. This prevents streaming and only plays downloaded content.
- Ensure you have downloaded your desired playlists or albums before going offline.
- Reconnect to the internet at least once every 30 days to refresh your downloads.
If you try to play a non-downloaded track while offline, Spotify will show an error. Offline mode is available on mobile (iOS/Android) and desktop (Windows/Mac), but not on the web player.
Alternatives to Spotify for Offline Listening
Several services offer offline downloads with different limits:
- Apple Music: Unlimited downloads (subject to storage) on up to 10 devices. No limit on number of songs.
- Amazon Music Unlimited: Unlimited downloads on up to 10 devices.
- YouTube Music Premium: Unlimited downloads for offline listening; includes background play. See YouTube Premium offline mode.
- Tidal: Up to 5,000 songs offline on up to 3 devices (HiFi plan).
- Deezer: Up to 10,000 tracks offline on up to 3 devices.
Each service has its own DRM and expiration policies. For example, YouTube Music downloads expire every 30 days without internet, similar to Spotify. Amazon Music downloads do not expire as long as you maintain an active subscription.
Legal Ways to Save Music Permanently
If you want to own music files permanently (not tied to a subscription), you can purchase digital copies from:
- iTunes Store: US$0.99–$1.29 per song; DRM-free since 2009.
- Amazon Music Store: US$0.69–$1.29 per song; MP3 downloads.
- Bandcamp: Variable pricing; often supports lossless formats (FLAC, WAV).
- Qobuz: High-resolution audio up to 24-bit/192kHz; per-track pricing.
- 7digital: MP3 and FLAC downloads; pricing varies by region.
Ripping CDs you own is also legal in most jurisdictions. For a detailed walkthrough, refer to our complete guide to saving audio legally.
Remember that using third-party tools to download from Spotify violates its terms of service and may lead to account termination. Stick to legal methods to support artists and the platform.