"Can I download music from Spotify to my computer?" Yes. If you are a Spotify Premium user, you can download any music content from Spotify to your computer for offline playback. But you can only get the Spotify cache files (OGG Vorbis), not local files, and you don't own the files.
In this article, we will show you how to download music from Spotify to computer in 6 ways, including the official method, professional high-quality downloader in Part 2, free online websites, recording tools and Telegram bots in Part 3.
Part 1. How to Download Spotify Songs to Computer with Premium Officially
If you just want to download Spotify music for offline playback when on a plane or train, you can use the official method. This requires a Spotify Premium subscription ($12.99/month). With Spotify Premium, you can download songs on Spotify to computer directly and officially via the Spotify desktop app. But you can't download a Spotify song individually in the desktop app. You need to create a Spotify playlist and add favorite songs to the playlist first. Let's move on to learning how to do that!
Before downloading, you can adjust the sound quality in Spotify Settings to optimize your computer's storage: Low (24kbps), Normal (96kbps), High (160kbps), Very High (320kbps) or Lossless (up to 24-bit/44.1kHz FLAC).
View also: Spotify Lossless Review
| Audio Quality | Bitrate / Spec | Sound Experience | Best For | File Size (3.5 min song) | Songs per 10GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Low | 24kbps (OGG) | Thin and "tinny"; noticeable loss in cymbals and bass. | data saving | ~0.6MB | ~16,000+ |
| Normal | 96kbps (OGG) | Flat; lacks depth. Fine for background noise. | casual PC speakers | ~2.5MB | ~4000 |
| High | 160kbps (OGG) | Standard "CD-like" clarity. Good for daily listening. | standard headphones | ~4.2MB | ~2380 |
| Very High | 320kbps (OGG) | Rich & Punchy. Excellent stereo imaging and bass. | high-fidelity setups | ~8.4MB | ~1190 |
| Lossless (HiFi) | 1411kbps (FLAC) | Studio-grade. Crystal-clear reverb tails and tonal texture. | audiophiles / studio | ~35.0MB | ~285 |
How to Download Spotify Playlist to PC and Mac
Step 1. Open the Spotify app on your computer. Double-click the shortcut of the Spotify app to launch it from your computer desktop. Please log in to your paid account details, including your email address and password.
Step 2. Select the target Spotify playlist to download. Navigate to the 'PLAYLISTS' option on the left side of the main interface. Find the name of the playlist you'd like to download. Once you open the playlist, you can see there is a 'Download' button, which is near the middle of the window.
Step 3. Download Spotify playlist to computer and listen offline. Switch the 'Download' toggle button to on. Your Spotify playlists will be downloaded automatically.
How to Download Spotify Album to PC and Mac
Step 1. Launch the Spotify app on your computer desktop and log in to your Spotify Premium account.
Step 2. Browse and find the album you want to download, and go to its page.
Step 3. Tap the 'Download' icon on the page to start to download Spotify album to computer.
How to Download Spotify Individual Songs onto Computer
Step 1. Launch the Spotify app from your computer or laptop and find the songs that you'd like to download. And then tap the item, you will go to the Now Playing screen. Click the three-dot icon to choose "Add to playlist" > " New Playlist" to add individual songs to a Spotify playlist.
Step 2. Go to the "Your Library" section from the left bar. Then find and tap the playlist covering your single songs. Now, you can hit the "Download" button to download all songs on PC from the playlist.
The downloaded Spotify music is cached files, which can be used to enjoy offline in the Spotify app only. Now, turn the 'Offline Mode' on, you can listen to Spotify music offline whenever you're not connected to the Internet.
If you don't want to add tracks one by one to a playlist to download, you can try AudFree Spotify Music Converter in Part 2. It allows you to download single Spotify song directly. Also, it can download Spotify music in batches as local audio files.
Part 2. How to Download Music from Spotify to Computer without Premium (Back up & High Quality)
It can't be denied that using the Spotify Premium account is the easiest way to download Spotify music to computer. Yet, Spotify audio are encrypted in Ogg Vorbis format, which can't be played outside the Spotify app. And Spotify downloads will expire or grey out if you don't go online at least once every 30 days. It is not an ideal method for users who want the actual files forever, high-quality files and fast downloading. What's worse, Spotify Free users aren't allowed to download audio from Spotify except for podcasts.
So, we will introduce the best method to download Spotify songs to computer for both Spotify free and premium subscribers. It's to draw support from professional third-party Spotify music downloader for PC and Mac. Here we can meet AudFree Spotify Music Converter.
✅ 100% virus-free and safe for account privacy
AudFree is a digitally signed application that is 100% free of malware. It employs direct SSL encryption and "passive interaction" technology to ensure that your login credentials are never stored.
Besides, it simulates normal streaming playback speeds to evade platform detection, thereby providing comprehensive security protection for your Spotify account while you create personal backups.
✅ Download music from Spotify to computer free for offline listening
It works for both Spotify Free and Premium users. With it, all music lovers can download and listen to ad-free Spotify songs, playlists, podcast, albums, etc. offline.
✅ Convert Spotify music, playlists, etc. to 320kbps MP3, WAV, FLAC, Lossless, etc.
AudFree Spotify Music Converter can break the protection and convert Spotify music to MP3 and other popular audio formats with raw original quality kept. Besides, it can output Spotify to Lossless audio files.
✅ Support to edit music quality and parameters
If necessary, you are able to customize the sample rate to 48,000Hz, 192kHz, etc. and bit rate to 320kbps for Spotify music.
✅ Work at 13X faster speed and batch conversion
AudFree Spotify Music Downloader runs at 13X faster speed to download songs from Spotify to computer and supports batch downloading.
✅ Keep and edit ID3 tags
All ID3 tags, like the title, album cover, track number, year, etc., will be retained intact for better music management. Also, you can customize the ID3 tags according to your needs.
✅ Easy to use
With a concise user interface, without any tech skills, you can save music from Spotify to your computer by making a few clicks.
✅ Offline Playback Spotify Music Anywhere
After using this tool, you can keep Spotify music forever and put Spotify songs on MP3 players, mobile phone, USB drive, SD card, smart speakers, etc. for backup and playback.
✅ Compatible with the latest Windows/Mac versions
AudFree program can work well with Windows 8, Windows 10 and Windows 11, and the latest macOS Tahoe.
How to Download Spotify Music to Computer (Windows PC and Mac) Locally via AudFree Spotify Music Converter
With the help of this smart Spotify song downloader for PC and Mac, you can truly possess downloaded Spotify music files locally. In this case, you can use them in your wanted way without limits. Now, let's see how to download music from Spotify on PC and Mac locally with 3 steps only.
- Step 1. Import Spotify music to AudFree Spotify Converter
- First, download and install AudFree Spotify Music Converter for Windows or Mac version on your device. Then log in to your Spotify account to proceed. To start with, you can directly drag and drop Spotify files from the built-in Spotify web player to the '+ ♫' section of AudFree program and tap 'Add to list' to import them. It supports adding an individual song to download. Or, you can tap the Spotify playlist or other audio content and press the '+ ♫' button > 'Add to list' to upload Spotify tracks.
- Step 2. Choose Spotify output format and other settings for download
- On Windows version, tap the menu icon (On Mac, tap AudFree Spotify Music Converter at the top-left corner), then choose the 'Preferences' > 'Conversion' option. In the settings window, you can define the output format of Spotify music like MP3, FLAC, WAV, AIFF, Lossless, M4A, or M4B according to your needs. Besides, you can customize the output quality of Spotify music, including bit rate, sample rate, etc. If you are a free Spotify user, you're suggested to set the bit rate as 320kbps to enhance the output quality.
View also: How to Convert Spotify Music to WAV
- Step 3. Download music from Spotify to computer locally without Premium
- Click the 'Output Directory' section to set the output folder to store and save Spotify music downloads on your computer's folder. Or you can skip this step to keep it by default. Then please touch the 'Convert' button at the bottom-right corner of the Converting interface to save and download music on Spotify without Premium to your computers. After that, you can transfer downloaded Spotify music from your computer to other devices like Android or iOS devices and media players for playing offline.
Video Tutorial: How to Download Spotify Music to Computer
Also, you can check the YouTube video here to learn how to download songs from Spotify to computer via AudFree Spotify Music Converter vividly.
To download music from Spotify to computer, here is another professional tool that we want to introduce to you. It is AudFree Streaming Audio Recorder. This program supports multiple music services, including Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, Amazon Music, YouTube Music, SoundCloud, etc. and helps you download music on computer with ease.
Part 3. How to Download Music from Spotify to Computer Free (Online & Desktop Tools)
The above third-party AudFree Spotify Music Downloader for PC and Mac has a file length limitation if you use its free trial version. To break this, you need to pay for it. Besides, if you don't want to subscribe to Spotify Premium, pay for any tool or just want to download a few songs, here, we will introduce 4 easy-to-use tools to you to download music from Spotify online and for free to computer.
These tools are often unstable and the audio quality is lossy.
How to Download Spotify Songs to Computer Free Online via SpotMate (Online Website)
SpotMate Spotify Downloader supports downloading songs, playlists, albums and tracks from Spotify to computer and save them in MP3 audio format. It is easy to use.
Step 1. Copy the link to the Spotify audio content that you want to download on your computer.
Step 2. Visit SpotMate online website via the web browser.
Step 3. Insert the copied URL address into the text box on the screen. Then hit the Start button.
Step 4. Later, tap Convert > Download to download music from Spotify to computer.
How to Download Song from Spotify to Computer Free Online via SpotifyMate (Online Website)
SpotifyMate is also a professional and free open-source Spotify playlist downloader online. Without any restriction, it works well to download songs from Spotify for free on PC and Mac from any web browsers.
However, a few points need to be explained in advance. As freeware, it features some disadvantages. For example, it sometimes crashes unexpectedly and the output quality of Spotify tracks could be lossy, only at up to 120kbps. That's to say, the listening experience could be bad. Besides, it requires to click the 'Download' button one by one to download a single Spotify song in a playlist to computer. If you don't mind, you can check the user tutorial below:
Step 1. Navigate to SpotifyMate Spotify Downloader website and there is a file add box in the middle of the top of the site.
Step 2. Open the Spotify Web Player on your browser also and find favorite Spotify tunes that you'd like to download. Tap the item and click the 'three-dots' icon to choose 'Share' > 'Copy Track URL' button to copy the Spotify link.
Step 3. Go back to SpotifyMate Spotify Downloader, and then paste it into the address text bar. Then, please hit on the green 'Download' button, SpotifyMate will automatically load Spotify songs in the playlist.
Step 4. Scroll down to find target Spotify songs, and click the green 'Download' > 'Download MP3' button to download Spotify songs to desktop for free. To download another music, please tap the 'Download Another Song' button.
Besides SpotMate and SpotifyMate, you can also use other online tools to download music from Spotify to computer, such as Spotisaver, SpotDown, Spotdownloader, Spotidownloader, spotDL, SpotiDown, Spowlo, Soundloaders Spotify Downloader, etc.
How to Download Music from Spotify to Computer Free via Audacity (Free Desktop App)
Here, we will turn to the traditional music downloading way, which is using audio recording technology. One of the recommended audio recorders could be Audacity. It can not only record music from streaming music services, such as Spotify, Tidal, etc. via computer sound card but also record sound from a microphone. It can output files in MP3, AAC, WAV, WMA, FLAC and other formats. Now, let's start to download Spotify songs to laptop.
Step 1. Download and install Audacity on your computer.
Step 2. Open Audacity, click Edit > Preferences at the top menu bar.
Step 3. Now, choose Audio Settings, then tap Windows WASAPI under the Host section. If you are using a Mac version, choose Core Audio.
Step 4. Next, choose Recording at the left panel, then turn off Software Playthrough of input.
Step 5. After that, tap the red Record button in Audacity and play Spotify music. Then the recording process will start.
Step 6. Once recorded, tap File > Export > Export as MP3, Export as WAV, etc. Then tap Save to download Spotify music from Spotify to PC for free.
How to Download Spotify Music to Computer via Telegram Bot (Chat App)
For Telegram users, you can find a Spotify Telegram Bot to download music from Spotify to computer. There are many bots for you to choose from.
Step 1. Download and install the Telegram app on your computer.
Step 2. Search for a bot like 'Music Downloader', 'Music Hunters', etc. and start the one you like.
Step 3. Now, start a chat with the bot, copy the Spotify song's link, paste it into the text box and send it to the bot.
Step 4. Once got the result, click the 'three dots' icon and choose 'Save to Files' to download Spotify songs to computer.
Neither tool supports to batch downloading. It wastes time. So, if you want to save time, then you can give AudFree Spotify Music Downloader a try. It supports to download Spotify music to computer in batches at once.
Part 4. Compare Methods to Download Spotify Music to Computer
Which is the best way to download songs from Spotify to computer? In this post, there are six ways to help you. But which one is better? No worries. You can check the comparison table below.
| Features | Via AudFree Spotify Music Converter | Via Official Way | Via Online Websites | Via Audacity | Via Telegram Bot |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Compatible OS | Mac/Windows | Mac/Windows/Linux | Online | Windows/Mac/Linux | Windows/Mac/Android/iOS |
| Supported Input Content |
All Spotify audio content | Spotify playlist and album | Spotify song and playlist | Any audio | Spotify track |
| Supported Output Format |
MP3, AIFF, Lossless, WAV, FLAC, M4A, M4B |
DRM-ed OGG Vorbis | MP3 | MP3, FLAC, etc. | MP3 |
| Audio Quality | Lossless | High | Low | Low | Low |
| Spotify App Required | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
| Spotify Premium Required | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Remove Ads | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Conversion Speed | 13X | 1X | 1X | 1X | 1X |
| Customize Output Quality | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ✅ | ❌ |
| Batch Conversion | ✅ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ | ❌ |
| Keep ID3 Tags | ✅ | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ |
| Success Rate | 100% | High | Medium | Medium | Medium |
| Ease of Use | Easy | Easy | Easy | Medium | Easy |
| Ad-Free Interface | ✅ | ✅ | ❌ | ✅ | ✅ |
| Safety | High (Virus Free) | High | Low | High | Medium |
| Price | $14.95/month | Start from $12.99/month | Free | Free | Free |
| Ratings | ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️ | ⭐️⭐️⭐️ |
Part 5. FAQs about Downloading Spotify Music to Computer
What Can I Do with My Local Spotify Files on Computer?
Once you downloaded Spotify music with AudFree Spotify Converter or other tools, you can transfer Spotify to a USB drive for your car or other devices from your computer. Also, you can add local files to Spotify for playback. Besides, you can upload local Spotify files to Google Drive, Dropbox, etc. for backup.
Why Can't I Download Spotify Songs on Computer?
First, to download audio from Spotify, you need to have a valid Spotify Premium account. Otherwise, you need to upgrade to Spotify Premium or renew your subscription if it expires. Second, there is a download limit on Spotify for devices. If you reach the max device download limit, you need to remove it first. Besides, you need to have enough storage space to download and store Spotify music files to your device. At last, try to clear Spotify cache as there is cached data that causes the issue.
Can I Download Spotify Music to Computer via Spotify Web Player?
No. There is no Download option in the Spotify web player. You can only download music via the Spotify desktop or mobile app.
Where Can I Find the Downloaded Spotify Music on the Computer Storage?
If you use the official Spotify for Windows and Mac app to download music, you can locate the downloaded files by the following path.
For Windows, check C:\Users\AppData\Local\Spotify\Storage.
For Mac, check /Users/yourusername/Library/Caches/com.Spotify.Client/storage.
If you use AudFree Spotify Music Converter to download songs, you can open the program and check the Converted section. Then you can locate all the local Spotify music files on your computer.
View also: Where Does Spotify Download Music To on All Devices
Is It Legal to Download Music from Spotify to Computer?
In general, it is not legal to download Spotify music to computer. But if you use the music files for personal use, it is ok usually.
Can I Download Spotify Video Podcasts to My Computer?
No, you can't do that in the Spotify app. You can only download the audio from a podcast on Spotify desktop app. If you want to download the video podcast, you need to use a dedicated video downloader to download it as an MP4 file.
Is There Any Chrome Extension to Download Songs from Spotify to Computer?
Yes, there are extensions like Chrome Audio Capture, etc., that can help download Spotify songs to computer.
Part 6. Conclusion and Suggestion
With a Spotify Premium subscription, using the official Spotify app to download Spotify songs to computer is a great and easy way. But you can enjoy Spotify music offline on compatible devices and you need to pay for months and months. When you cancel it, the Spotify files will disappear from your Spotify app automatically.
For a free Spotify user, you can use the free or online ways to download music from Spotify to computer. But there are limited functions for them, such as low output quality, not safe, not stable, fewer output settings and so on.
So, for users who want to truly own the music files and get high-fidelity quality, the best way could be using the AudFree Spotify Music Converter. It can save Spotify songs to computer's local folder with best quality preserved. And it allows you to transfer and play converted Spotify files to all devices without a problem. You only need to pay once to get the full version of this Spotify downloader and get Spotify Premium for free forever.
Charles Davis
Chief Editor
