Q: Can I transfer Spotify songs to USB stick for offline playing? I would like to play Spotify music through USB in cars while driving long distances. But to my disappointment, I can't play the downloaded Spotify music from my USB drive. Why and what can I do? Thanks for any solution.
Putting Spotify music on a USB is a great choice to get Spotify music playback on more USB-enabled devices offline. Besides, with the small size of the USB flash drive, it's a good method for data backup and storage. Sometimes, it could be a bridge to sync Spotify music files between different devices via USB. However, due to DRM protection in Spotify music, you can't directly put and play Spotify songs from the USB drive on your device. So, how to break it?
Without further ado, today, we will introduce the best workaround to download Spotify to USB free with ease. Let's dive right into it.
Part 1. Can You Download Music from Spotify to USB Stick Directly?
"Can I download music from Spotify to a USB drive?" Yes. If you are a Spotify Premium user, you can download any Spotify music to the USB drive. While for Spotify Free users, you are allowed to listen to Spotify songs, playlists, or albums with a network connection and can only download Spotify podcasts to USB flash drive for free for listening. By the way, Spotify provides music listeners with a channel to locate Spotify music downloads and change Spotify storage location. Please follow the steps below to make it.
Tips: How to Change Spotify Storage Location to USB Drive
You can tap on the Profile in the top-right corner of the Spotify app. From the pull-down menu, choose 'Settings'. Then scroll to 'Offline storage location' under the 'Storage' section to find where are Spotify downloads stored. Later, you can hit the 'Change location' button to change the target folder as your USB stick. Then you can find and download songs from Spotify to USB flash drive.
Note: Although you can save Spotify downloads on your USB flash drive, you cannot play them on other platforms via the USB stick. That's because those Spotify downloads are cache files only and are encoded in a special OGG Vorbis format due to Spotify's DRM copyright protection. Even if you have downloaded Spotify music to USB drive, you will find that they are scattered with unknown data files. They can be played with its app or web player only.
View also: How to Bypass Spotify Download Limit
If you'd like to play Spotify music from USB drive without limits, the best way is to download Spotify songs as USB-compatible audio files locally. You can do that with the help of a third-party Spotify to USB converter free, like AudFree Spotify Music Converter. After that, you can play Spotify songs on portable devices or other media players from the USB drive. Also, you can keep Spotify music forever and save storage space on your device. You can learn more about it in the next part.
Part 2. Best Free Spotify to USB Converter - AudFree Spotify Music Converter
From the above, we know that Spotify songs are in a special OGG Vorbis format. So, they can't be recognized by many popular devices, like MP3 players, etc., and USB flash sticks are no exception. Besides, the compatible audio formats via USB connection are MP3, WMA, AAC, M4A, and M4B.
So, to download Spotify playlist to USB drive free, here, we can meet AudFree Spotify Music Converter, one of the most professional Spotify to USB converters. It specializes in unlocking the limitations of Spotify songs and playlists for both Spotify free and premium members. It helps free users to unlock the download function. As the name suggests, it can convert Spotify to MP3, M4A, and other USB-compatible audio formats with lossless ID3 tags retained for free.
It is worth mentioning that this multifaceted software can download music from Spotify to USB free at 13X faster speed without any problem. After that, you're able to play Spotify in the car or on other devices that support the USB port without any limitation, such as a DVD player, smart TV, and more. It allows you to access offline Spotify music permanently even though you cancel Spotify Premium subscription.
AudFree Spotify Music Converter

- Download Spotify songs/playlists/albums and more to USB stick for free
- Convert Spotify to USB drive-supported formats, like MP3, FLAC, etc.
- Save Spotify playlist to SD card, USB stick, iTunes library, etc.
- Work at 13X faster speed while downloading songs from Spotify to USB drive
Part 3. How to Download Music from Spotify to USB Drive Free
AudFree Spotify Music Converter offers the opportunity to download Spotify songs for free with a few clicks. After using it, you can quickly get local Spotify music and put Spotify songs on a USB flash stick. Let's take a look at how to download Spotify songs to USB drive via the step-by-step tutorial below.
- Step 1Import Spotify Songs to AudFree SpoDable
- Please install and launch AudFree SpoDable from your computer desktop (This tool can work with the latest Windows or Mac operating systems). Then you will see the Spotify web player on its main screen. Now, you can find your favorite Spotify playlist or other audio content. To import them to AudFree Spotify Music Converter, you can drag and drop them to the '+ ♫' section on the AudFree home page. Or try another way: Click the Spotify track and then click on the '+ ♫' icon. Later, you need to tap the 'Add to list' option to import Spotify music for converting.
- Step 2Personalize Spotify Output Format for USB Drive
- You can open the settings window by clicking the Menu icon and selecting the 'Preferences' > 'Conversion' options. You have the freedom to set the target Spotify output format that can be compatible with USB flash sticks, like MP3, FLAC, M4A, etc. In general, MP3 format is set as the output format of this Spotify to USB converter by default. In this new window, you can also change other audio settings such as sample rate, bit rate, channels, etc. for playing Spotify through USB stick better.
- Note: You can insert the USB stick into your computer in advance. Then set the output destination folder as USB music folder in AudFree Spotify Music Converter. By doing this, you can export Spotify playlist to USB drive directly.
- Step 3Download Spotify to USB Drive Free
- When all settings are ready, you can start to set up the converting process by touching the 'Convert' button in the Converting window. It will download Spotify songs without Premium to unprotected audio files that can be recognized by USB sticks. In general, it works at 13X faster speed while doing the conversion. By touching the top 'Converted' icon with a red spot with the number of tracks, you can find the Spotify downloads on your computer.
- After that, you can move Spotify to USB flash drive for playing offline. Or, you can find the downloads in the USB drive's music folder if you have inserted and saved them to the USB stick.
Part 4. How to Transfer Music from Spotify to USB Stick for Free to Play in Car or Other Devices
From the above, you can insert the USB drive into your computer and save Spotify music downloads to it directly via the AudFree Spotify Music Converter. If you don't do this before, it's also easy to transfer Spotify playlist to USB stick without hassle. After that, you can play Spotify music in your car stereo or other devices that have a USB port via USB flash drive. Let's get started.
How to Put Music on a USB from Spotify on Windows or Mac Computer
Step 1. Insert the USB drive into your Windows or Mac computer's USB port.
Step 2. Open File Explorer on Windows computer or Finder on Mac computer. Then find and open the USB drive you insert.
Step 3. Navigate to the local Spotify music storage location on your computer. Then locate and copy Spotify playlist to the inserted USB stick folder by copying and pasting.
Step 4. Wait for the end of the transfer process. It depends on how many Spotify files you'd like to sync.
Step 5. Once done, right-click your USB pendrive in the File Explorer or Finder. Then click Eject to remove your USB drive from your computer safely.
How to Play Spotify through USB in Car
Now, you've transferred Spotify music to USB free, it's time play music from Spotify via USB drive. Here we will take the car as an example to show you how to play Spotify in the car stereo via USB flash drive. Please follow the complete tutorial below.
Step 1. Insert your USB drive with Spotify music downloads into the car's USB port.
Step 2. Select the USB folder on the car's main interface, browse, and find your favorite Spotify songs you want to play in the car.
Step 3. Click it, then the built-in media player will be launched to play Spotify music in car one after another.
View also:
Part 5. FAQs about Spotify to USB Drive
Q1: Why Won't Spotify Play through My Car USB?
A: Sometimes you may encounter the problem that Spotify isn't playing through your car USB. Here are some common reasons and potential solutions:
👉1. Content Issue: Check that your USB drive contains the downloaded Spotify songs and make sure the Spotify music is intact.
👉2. USB Connection Issue: Make sure your USB is functioning properly. You can try to plug the USB pendrive into another USB port. Or, you can unplug and insert again.
👉3. USB Drive Issue: You can get a new USB drive to save Spotify music if the current one is damaged which causes Spotify music not playing.
👉4. Car Audio Source Issue: Ensure that your car's audio system is set to the correct audio source, which should be the USB input. This may vary depending on your car's make and model.
👉5. USB Drive Format: Make sure your USB stick is formatted correctly (FAT32 or exFAT are usually safe choices). Also, ensure that the Spotify music files are in a format compatible with your car's audio system (e.g., MP3, AAC).
👉6. Software Compatibility: Outdated software can sometimes cause compatibility issues. So, check for software updates for your car's audio system to fix the issue.
👉7. Volume and Mute Issue: Check that the volume on your car stereo isn't muted or set too low. Sometimes, the sound may be playing, but it's not audible due to volume settings.
View also: How to Make Spotify Louder
👉8. Consult the Car Manual: If you've tried all of the above and are still experiencing issues, consult your car's user manual or contact the car manufacturer's customer support for specific troubleshooting steps.
If none of these solutions work, it's possible that your car's audio system or USB port may have a hardware issue. In this case, you may need to visit a professional mechanic or car audio specialist for further assistance.
Q2: What File Format Should I Convert My Spotify Songs to for a USB Drive?
A: To convert Spotify music for USB drive, the most universally compatible format is MP3. It is supported by virtually all car stereos, home speakers, and MP3 players. If you care about audio quality, you might consider WAV or FLAC. But you should confirm that your playback device supports these formats in advance.
View also:
How to Convert Spotify to FLAC
Q3: Do I Need a Spotify Premium Account to Download Spotify Songs to USB Drive?
A: No. With third-party Spotify music converters like AudFree or online Spotify downloaders, you can download music from Spotify to USB stick without premium accounts.
Q4: Why Can't I Copy and Paste My Spotify Downloads to a USB Flash Drive?
A: It is noted that Spotify downloads are encrypted with DRM protection. They are special audio files and can only be played within the official Spotify app. So, you can't directly copy music from Spotify to USB drive. But you can use AudFree Spotify Music Converter to help you.
Part 6. Sum Up
From above, you can get a powerful Spotify to USB converter, namely AudFree Spotify Music Converter to download Spotify music to USB free without effort. In turn, it allows you to play Spotify through USB in the car or any other preferred USB-supported device you like. There are also some FAQs about how to fix Spotify won't play through car USB issue, etc. Just take action to start a free journey with Spotify music from a USB flash drive.

Charles Davis
Chief Editor