Learn to download music on your phone so you can listen offline. This guide teaches you how to download songs on your Android device. Google’s official music app is YouTube Music, although Spotify, Amazon Music, Apple Music, and Tidal users can all also download music for offline listening. None of these apps allow you to download songs for personal ownership, but you can still download music so that you may access it within the app, even when you do not have an internet connection. Whether you are traveling or simply do not want to rely on an unstable network, this guide has every Android owner and music lover covered!
How to download music on your Android phone for offline listening
Follow the steps below based on the streaming service you use to save your favorite tracks to your device.
Method 1: Using YouTube Music
- Open the YouTube Music app. YouTube Music comes pre-installed on all Android phones. Its logo is a white “play” icon inside a red circle.
- Tap the Menu icon next to any song, album, video, podcast, or playlist. It’s the icon with three dots (⋮) in the upper-right corner.
- Tap the Download button. It is next to an icon that resembles a downward-facing arrow over a line.
- Access your downloads. To access your downloads, tap your profile icon in the upper-right corner of the screen, and then tap Downloads.
- Enable smart downloads. Users may also enable smart downloads, permitting YouTube Music to download music for you based on your listening habits.
Method 2: Using Spotify
- Open the Spotify app. It is represented by Spotify’s official logo, a green circle with three black curved lines.
- Find an album, playlist, or podcast you want to download. Spotify does not allow you to download individual songs, but you can add individual songs to a playlist and download them all.
- Tap the download icon on the album, podcast, or playlist page. It is located atop the page, next to the thumbnail of the cover. It is represented by an encircled downward-facing arrow.
Method 3: Using Apple Music
- Open the Apple Music app. Android owners can still take advantage of Apple Music and its robust library. The app is represented by a white musical note against a red background.
- Add music to your library. Choose a song or album to add to your library. You can only download an album that has been added to your library or a song that is part of a playlist.
- Tap the download button atop your screen. On the page for an album or playlist, you will see a download icon atop the screen. It is an encircled downward-facing arrow. Tap on it to download the album or playlist for offline listening.
Method 4: Using Amazon Music
- Open the Amazon Music app. If you have an Amazon Music Unlimited or Amazon Music Standard subscription, you can download songs, albums, or playlists to listen to offline. If you have an Amazon Music Prime account, you can only download all-access playlists to listen to offline.
- Find the album, song, or playlist you want to download. If you have added it to your library, you can tap Library at the bottom of the screen to view your entire library.
- Tap the icon with three dots (⋯). It’ll be next to a song title or below an album or playlist title.
- Tap Download. It’s near the top of the menu that appears when you tap the icon with three dots.
Method 5: Using Tidal
- Open the Tidal app. It is represented by a series of white diamonds against a black background.
- Find an album or playlist you wish to download. Tidal users cannot download individual songs, but they can download any album or any of their personal playlists.
- Tap Download. It’s the icon that has an arrow pointing down inside of a circle. It’s at the top below the album or playlist title.
Method 6: Google Play Music (historical)
- Open Google Play. It’s an orange triangle-shaped app with a white music note in the center. Note: Google Play Music is no longer available as of December 2020.
- Tap ☰. It’s in the top-left corner of the screen.
- Tap Music Library. This takes you to the main page of your Music Library.
- Go to the album or song you want to download. Tap Artists, Albums, or Songs to browse for the song or album you want to download.
- Tap the download icon. Tap the “download” icon that resembles a downward arrow. If you don’t see the download icon, you can also tap ⋮ next to the song or album and then tap Download from the drop-down list.
Downloading music for offline listening significantly enhances your mobile experience by ensuring you always have access to your audio content regardless of network coverage. This is particularly vital when traveling through areas with poor connectivity or when flying, where internet access is unavailable. It also allows you to curate a personal collection of favorites that load instantly without buffering delays.
Furthermore, managing offline downloads helps optimize your device’s performance and data usage. By storing music locally, you reduce the need for constant streaming, which can drain your battery faster and consume expensive data plans. This approach gives you full control over your listening experience, making it seamless and reliable for daily commutes, workouts, or relaxing at home.
