You cannot download a single song directly on Spotify for iPhone or iPad. Spotify's official support page states, "You can't download individual songs, but you can put them in a playlist and download the playlist," making the playlist method the only supported way to save a specific track for offline listening.
Can you download a single song on Spotify?
No, Spotify does not support downloading individual songs on iPhone, iPad, or any device. Its official documentation confirms that direct single-track downloads are not available, and the app offers no menu option for this action.
The official workaround: download a single song using a playlist
The only Spotify-supported method to get a single song offline is to add it to a playlist and download that playlist. This workaround works on both iPhone and iPad and gives you the same offline access as a direct download would, while working within the app's actual capabilities.
Step 1: Create a new playlist for your song
- Open the Spotify app on your iPhone or iPad.
- Tap on "Your Library" at the bottom of the screen.
- Tap the "+" icon or "Create Playlist" button.
- Give your playlist a name, such as the song title, and tap "Create."
Step 2: Add the song to your playlist
- Tap the search icon at the bottom of the screen.
- Type the song name, artist name, or album name into the search bar and tap search.
- Find the song you want in the results and tap it to open its song page.
- Tap the three dots icon (ellipsis) next to the song title.
- Select "Add to Playlist" from the menu.
- Choose the playlist you just created. The song is now added.
Step 3: Download the playlist for offline listening
- Go to "Your Library" at the bottom of the screen.
- Tap the "Playlists" section and find the playlist you created.
- Tap the playlist to open it.
- Toggle the download switch (a downward arrow icon) at the top of the playlist screen. The playlist will begin downloading to your device.
How to find and play your downloaded song offline
Once the download completes, you can access your song by tapping "Your Library" and then selecting the "Downloads" section. All downloaded playlists appear here. To ensure you only see offline content, enable offline mode in the Spotify settings or toggle the "Offline" switch at the top of the Downloads screen. The song will play without an internet connection.
Managing your downloads and storage
To remove a downloaded song, open the playlist containing it, tap the green download arrow icon, and select "Remove Download." This deletes the song from your device and frees up storage. Downloaded songs will only be available for offline listening within the Spotify app and won't be accessible through other music players on your device. To check how much space your downloads use, go to Spotify's settings on iPhone or iPad and look for the storage or downloads section. You can also adjust audio quality settings in the same menu to control file size for future downloads, which is useful when managing storage alongside other Spotify mobile features.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need a Premium subscription to download songs on Spotify?
Yes, downloading songs for offline listening is a Spotify Premium feature. Free accounts can only stream music online and cannot download any content.
Can I download a single song on Android using the same method?
Yes, the playlist workaround works identically on Android. Spotify's support page for offline listening gives the same rule for Android: individual songs cannot be downloaded directly, only playlists can be downloaded.
Why doesn't Spotify allow downloading single songs directly?
Spotify's design requires downloads to happen at the playlist level.
Will my downloaded song stay on my device forever?
After that period, Spotify may remove the download to refresh licensing.
Can I transfer a downloaded Spotify song to another app or device?
No, downloaded songs in Spotify are encrypted and can only be played within the Spotify app. They cannot be moved to other music players, shared, or saved as separate audio files.
How much storage space do downloaded songs take on my iPhone or iPad?
Storage space varies based on your chosen audio quality settings. You can check the exact space used by going to Spotify's settings and looking for the storage or downloads section.
For the wider topic, see Spotify mobile features.
