Most major music and audio streaming services now let you save songs, albums, playlists, and podcasts for offline listening—but how they do it, and what’s included, varies a lot. In simple terms, nearly every paid subscription supports offline playback, while free tiers are more limited or block it entirely. This guide walks through which streaming services support offline listening, how it works on each, and what restrictions or trade‑offs you should know before choosing a platform.

You’ll learn how offline downloads work on Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Amazon Music, Tidal, Deezer, and more, including limits, device rules, and whether you can keep songs if you cancel. We’ll also cover which services are best if offline listening is your top priority and how to set up downloads on your phone or tablet.

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How Offline Listening Works on Streaming Services

Offline listening means you can play music without an active internet connection—no Wi‑Fi, no cellular data—by downloading content to your device in advance.

What “saving songs for offline listening” really means

When a streaming service lets you “download” or “save” songs:

• You are downloading encrypted audio files that only work inside that app.
• You do not own the music; it’s still a rental tied to your subscription.
• Downloads typically:
  • Only work while you have an active subscription.
  • May expire if you don’t go online periodically.
  • Are limited to a maximum number of devices.

You cannot copy these downloaded files to another app, burn them to a CD, or keep them if you cancel your subscription.

Common limits and rules across services

Most streaming platforms with offline listening:

• Require a paid plan (free tiers usually don’t allow full offline music).
• Let you download to mobile apps (iOS, Android) and sometimes desktop.
• Restrict downloads to a set number of devices per account (often 3–10).
• Require you to go online every 30–90 days to refresh your licenses.
• Allow albums, playlists, and podcasts to be downloaded; some also allow individual songs.

Understanding these basics makes it easier to compare services and choose the best offline listening experience for you.

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Spotify: Offline Listening on Free and Premium

Spotify is one of the most popular services for offline listening, especially on mobile. However, the experience is significantly better on Spotify Premium than on the free tier.

Does Spotify let you save songs for offline listening?

• Spotify Premium (Individual, Duo, Family, Student):
  • Full offline listening for songs, albums, playlists, and podcasts.
• Spotify Free:
  • Offline listening is very limited, generally restricted to downloaded podcasts.
  • Offline music downloads are essentially a Premium feature.

If you want offline music on Spotify (not just podcasts), you need a paid subscription.

How Spotify offline downloads work

• What you can download:

  • Entire playlists
  • Full albums
  • Individual songs (by adding them to a playlist or Your Library)
  • Podcasts

• Where you can download:

  • iOS and Android apps
  • Desktop apps (Windows, macOS) allow offline listening for Premium users

• Device and limit details (subject to change):

  • Up to 10,000 songs per device (for many regions; this has changed over the years).
  • Up to 5 devices with offline content per Premium account (check your account terms, as this can vary).
  • Must go online at least once every 30 days to keep downloads active.

Pros and cons of Spotify offline listening

Pros:

• Very easy to download playlists for travel or commutes.
• Good per-device limits for most users.
• Works seamlessly across phones, tablets, and desktops with one account.

Cons:

• Free tier doesn’t offer real offline music playback.
• You lose all downloads immediately if your Premium subscription expires.
• You must periodically reconnect to the internet to “renew” downloads.

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Apple Music: Strong Offline Support in the Apple Ecosystem

Apple Music offers robust offline listening, especially if you’re invested in Apple devices.

Does Apple Music allow offline listening?

• Apple Music paid subscription:
  • Yes, full offline listening for songs, albums, playlists, and music videos.
• No permanent free tier:
  • Apple Music doesn’t have a standard free tier like Spotify Free.
  • Some users may have time-limited trials, which include offline downloads while active.

How offline downloads work on Apple Music

• What you can download:

  • Individual songs
  • Albums
  • Playlists
  • Music videos
  • Most Apple-curated content

• Where you can download:

  • iPhone, iPad, iPod touch
  • Mac (Music app)
  • Android (Apple Music app)
  • Apple Watch (for phone-free playback with some limits)

• Device and limit details:

  • You can typically use Apple Music on up to 10 devices with one Apple ID, with 5 computers maximum.
  • Offline downloads are subject to an internal limit, but most normal users won’t hit it.
  • You must connect periodically (roughly every 30 days) to verify your subscription.

Pros and cons of Apple Music offline listening

Pros:

• Deep integration with iOS, macOS, and Apple Watch.
• Easy to save your library for offline use, including high-quality and lossless versions (within device constraints).
• Works well for users combining streaming with their iTunes/owned library via iCloud Music Library.

Cons:

• No long-term free tier for offline music.
• Downloads are tied tightly to your Apple ID and ecosystem.
• Lossless offline downloads may use significantly more storage.

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YouTube Music: Offline on Premium, Limited on Free

YouTube Music combines music videos and audio tracks, and its offline listening features are primarily reserved for paying subscribers.

Does YouTube Music let you save songs offline?

• YouTube Music Premium and YouTube Premium:
  • Yes, you can download songs, albums, playlists, and music videos.
  • Includes Smart Downloads, which auto-download content based on your listening habits.
• Free YouTube Music (ad-supported):
  • Offline downloads are generally not available for regular music tracks.
  • Some regions or promotions may offer limited offline features, but typically you need Premium for proper offline listening.

How offline listening works in YouTube Music

• What you can download:

  • Songs and albums
  • Playlists
  • Music videos (often as audio-only or video, depending on settings)
  • “Mixes” and personalized playlists

• Where you can download:

  • iOS and Android YouTube Music apps
  • Downloads are primarily a mobile feature; desktop offline downloads are not a core feature like mobile.

• Limits and behavior:

  • You must go online at least once every 30 days to keep downloads active.
  • Smart Downloads automatically rotates content based on your listening patterns and available space.

Pros and cons of YouTube Music offline listening

Pros:

• Great if you often switch between music videos and audio.
• Smart Downloads can keep your phone stocked with fresh music without manual effort.
• Included with YouTube Premium, which also removes ads across YouTube.

Cons:

• No meaningful offline music on the free tier.
• Offline playback is mostly mobile-focused, not desktop-focused.
• Smart Downloads may use storage for content you didn’t explicitly pick (you can disable this).

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Amazon Music: Offline Listening Depends on Your Plan

Amazon offers different tiers, and offline capabilities depend on which one you have.

Offline listening on Amazon Music Free and Prime

• Amazon Music Free (ad-supported):
  • Very limited features; offline listening is generally not supported.
• Amazon Music Prime (included with Amazon Prime):
  • Historically allowed limited library access with some offline features.
  • As Amazon has changed tiers over time, offline capabilities for Prime can be restricted, such as shuffled playback or limited catalogs.
  • Always check current Amazon Music Prime terms for your region.

Offline listening on Amazon Music Unlimited

• Amazon Music Unlimited (individual, family, student):

  • Yes, supports full offline listening of songs, albums, and playlists.

• What you can download:

  • Individual tracks, albums, and playlists from the Unlimited catalog.
  • Certain podcasts where allowed.

• Where you can download:

  • iOS and Android apps
  • Some Fire devices (e.g., Fire tablets)
  • Desktop offline features may be more limited compared with mobile.

• Limits and rules:

  • Must go online periodically to verify subscription and keep downloads active.
  • Device limits apply per account (number of authorized devices and simultaneous streams).

Pros and cons of Amazon Music offline listening

Pros:

• Amazon Music Unlimited offers solid offline capabilities similar to Spotify and Apple Music.
• Works well with Amazon hardware (e.g., Fire tablets, Echo devices for streaming, though not for stored downloads).

Cons:

• Free tier and some Prime-level access are confusing and often lack robust offline functionality.
• Interface and app experience can be less polished than competitors.

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Tidal: Offline Listening With a Focus on High-Quality Audio

Tidal is known for high-fidelity and lossless audio, and its offline feature is aligned with that focus.

Does Tidal support offline downloads?

• Tidal paid tiers (HiFi, HiFi Plus, or equivalent current plans):
  • Yes, full offline listening is available.
• No full-featured free tier in many regions:
  • Where a free tier exists, it tends to be limited and may not include offline downloads.

How offline listening works on Tidal

• What you can download:

  • Songs, albums, playlists
  • Some videos (region dependent)
  • High-quality audio files (including lossless FLAC) depending on your plan

• Where you can download:

  • iOS, Android, and supported tablets
  • Some desktop offline support via the Tidal app

• Limits and considerations:

  • High-resolution and lossless downloads use significantly more storage and bandwidth.
  • Device limits and online check-ins are required, similar to other services.

Pros and cons of Tidal offline listening

Pros:

• Excellent for users who care about hi-fi or lossless offline audio.
• Good for high-end headphones and audiophile setups where quality matters.

Cons:

• Uses much more storage space for offline bands at high quality.
• Higher cost than some mainstream services for equivalent offline benefits.
• Free/low-cost tiers (where available) typically don’t support full offline music.

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Deezer: Solid Offline Listening With “Deezer Premium”

Deezer is popular in many regions globally and has straightforward offline capabilities on paid plans.

Does Deezer let you save songs offline?

• Deezer Premium, Family, Student, and HiFi (or equivalent tiers):
  • Yes, full offline listening is supported.
• Deezer Free:
  • Offline listening is not generally included for music.

How Deezer offline downloads work

• What you can download:

  • Songs, albums, playlists, and podcasts
  • Flow (personalized mix) can also be made available offline by saving it as a playlist

• Where you can download:

  • iOS and Android apps
  • Some desktop app support for offline listening in certain regions and versions

• Limits:

  • Typical device and download limits apply, and you must go online periodically to keep the license valid.

Pros and cons of Deezer offline listening

Pros:

• Straightforward offline interface and easy playlist downloading.
• HiFi tier offers lossless offline playback comparable to Tidal and Apple Music lossless.

Cons:

• Free tier lacks robust offline options.
• Availability and features can vary by country.

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Other Streaming Services and Their Offline Policies

Beyond the major players, several other services also offer offline listening with their paid tiers.

Pandora

• Pandora Plus:
  • Offline listening for a limited number of stations that you listen to the most.
• Pandora Premium:
  • Full offline downloads of individual songs, albums, playlists, and stations.
• Pandora Free:
  • Generally no offline music, only streaming with ads.

SoundCloud

• SoundCloud Go / Go+:
  • Offline listening for tracks where rights allow it.
  • Not all user-uploaded content is available offline due to licensing.
• SoundCloud Free:
  • Does not provide broad offline download functionality.

Napster (formerly Rhapsody)

• Paid Napster subscriptions typically include:
  • Offline listening for songs, albums, and playlists on mobile devices.
  • Standard rules: subscription required, periodic online check-ins.

Qobuz

• Qobuz (a hi-res audio service) offers:
  • Offline downloads of albums and playlists in high-resolution and CD-quality formats.
  • Only for paid subscriptions; no free offline tier.
  • Like Tidal, high-quality files consume large amounts of storage.

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Key Differences Between Services for Offline Listening

When comparing which streaming services let you save songs for offline listening, focus on how well they do it, not just whether they support it.

1. Free vs. paid plans

• Free tiers with little or no offline music:

  • Spotify Free: generally offline for podcasts only.
  • YouTube Music Free: no full offline music access.
  • Amazon Music Free: no proper offline.
  • Deezer Free, Pandora Free, SoundCloud Free: heavily limited or no offline music.

• Paid tiers with full offline music:

  • Spotify Premium
  • Apple Music
  • YouTube Music Premium / YouTube Premium
  • Amazon Music Unlimited
  • Tidal paid plans
  • Deezer Premium/HiFi
  • Pandora Premium
  • Qobuz, Napster, etc.

If offline listening is important to you, you almost always need a paid subscription.

2. Number of devices and downloads

Each service sets its own limits, such as:

• How many devices you can use for offline content (often 3–10).
• How many tracks you can download per device (e.g., Spotify’s 10,000-track guideline).

For most individuals, these limits are more than enough, but heavy users or families may hit them sooner—Family plans usually help with this by giving each person their own offline quota.

3. Audio quality and storage usage

Offline audio quality affects both how it sounds and how much space it takes.

• Standard quality (e.g., 128–256 kbps):
  • Good enough for casual listening.
  • Uses less storage and data.
• High quality / Very High (320 kbps or equivalent):
  • Better clarity, more detail.
  • Uses more space per song.
• Lossless / Hi-Res Audio (FLAC, ALAC):
  • Best audio quality; near-CD or higher.
  • Heavy storage usage (albums can be hundreds of MB to several GB).
  • Offered by Apple Music (lossless), Tidal, Deezer HiFi, Qobuz.

If you have limited storage (e.g., a 64 GB phone), you might prefer standard or high quality instead of lossless for offline listening.

4. Ecosystem and device compatibility

Offline listening is more convenient if your streaming service fits your device ecosystem:

• Heavy Apple user:
  • Apple Music is usually the smoothest offline experience.
• Multi-platform or Android-heavy:
  • Spotify, YouTube Music, and Amazon Music are strong, flexible options.
• Audiophile setups:
  • Tidal, Qobuz, or Deezer HiFi provide high-quality offline files.

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How to Use Offline Listening Effectively

Beyond knowing which services support offline listening, it helps to use the feature strategically.

Step-by-step: Saving songs for offline listening (general pattern)

The specifics vary by app, but most follow this pattern:

1. Find the content you want
   • Open the app and search for a song, album, or playlist.
2. Tap the download icon
   • Look for a downward arrow or “Download” button.
3. Wait for downloads to complete
   • Make sure you stay connected to Wi‑Fi if you want to avoid mobile data usage.
4. Enable offline mode (optional but helpful)
   • Many apps let you switch to “Offline Mode” so you only see downloaded content.
5. Periodically connect to the internet
   • Open the app while online every few weeks so it can renew your licenses.

Best practices for offline listening

• Use Wi‑Fi for large downloads:
  • Prevents burning through your mobile data.
• Manage storage:
  • Delete old playlists or albums you no longer need offline.
  • Choose a suitable download quality in settings.
• Download before trips:
  • For flights or long drives, create a specific “Offline Travel” playlist.
• Check expiration rules:
  • If you travel for extended periods without internet, verify how long your service allows offline content to remain playable.

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Which Streaming Service Is Best for Offline Listening?

If your main question is “Which streaming services let you save songs for offline listening?” the short answer is: nearly all major paid services do. The better question is: Which one fits your needs best?

Choose Spotify if…

• You want a familiar, cross-platform app with strong discovery.
• You’re okay paying for Premium to get full offline downloads.
• You want offline playlists and podcasts in one place on multiple devices.

Choose Apple Music if…

• You’re heavily invested in the Apple ecosystem (iPhone, Mac, Apple Watch).
• You care about lossless offline audio but want a mainstream catalog.
• You don’t mind the lack of a permanent free tier.

Choose YouTube Music if…

• You like music videos and audio in one app.
• You already pay for YouTube Premium or are considering it.
• You want features like Smart Downloads to automate offline playlists.

Choose Amazon Music Unlimited if…

• You use Amazon Prime, Echo speakers, or Fire devices and want tighter integration.
• You want a large catalog with standard offline features.

Choose Tidal, Deezer HiFi, or Qobuz if…

• You prioritize sound quality and hi-res or lossless offline listening.
• You’re okay with higher storage use and subscription costs.

Ultimately, the “best” service for offline playback depends on your devices, budget, and audio quality preferences—not just whether offline is available.

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FAQ: Offline Listening on Streaming Services

Can I keep downloaded songs if I cancel my subscription?

No. On all major streaming services, downloaded songs for offline listening are only accessible while your subscription is active. Once it ends (or your trial expires), those offline files stop working.

Which streaming service is best for offline listening on flights?

Spotify Premium, Apple Music, YouTube Music Premium, Amazon Music Unlimited, and Tidal all work well if you download playlists and albums in advance. If you use an iPhone or iPad, Apple Music is particularly seamless; on mixed devices, Spotify or YouTube Music are strong options.

Do free music streaming services allow offline listening?

Most free tiers do not allow full offline music downloads. Some (like Spotify Free and YouTube Music Free) may allow limited offline podcast or special content, but offline music is generally a paid feature.

How much space do offline downloads use?

It depends on audio quality and how much you download:

• Standard quality: roughly 1–2 MB per minute of music.
• High quality: 2–4 MB per minute.
• Lossless/Hi-Res: can be 5–10+ MB per minute.

If storage is limited, adjust your download quality in the app’s settings and periodically delete old downloads.

Can I transfer offline songs from one streaming app to another?

No. Offline songs are encrypted and locked to the app and account that downloaded them. You cannot move them to another streaming service or media player. You can, however, use playlist transfer tools (not the actual files) to recreate playlists on another platform if you switch services.

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In summary, almost every major music streaming platform—Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Amazon Music Unlimited, Tidal, Deezer, and more—lets you save songs for offline listening, provided you’re on a paid plan. The key differences lie in how many devices you can use, what audio quality is available, how much storage downloads consume, and how well the service fits your devices and budget. If offline listening is a priority, choose a subscription that matches your ecosystem, set sensible download quality, and regularly refresh your downloads. From there, you’ll be able to enjoy your favorite music anytime, even completely offline.