If you’re using Spotify to listen to music and the app on your phone or computer isn’t downloading songs for offline listening, we’re here to help you out with several methods that can fix the issue.
1. Update Your Spotify App
Sometimes, all you need to do is to update your app to fix the problem. Updating can help because it delivers bug fixes and new features to the Spotify app. Here’s how to update the Spotify app on your device:
Android:
- Launch the Google Play Store.
- Tap on your Google Play Store display photo at the top right of the Google Play Store screen and select “Manage apps and device.”
- Tap “Updates available”.
- Check if the Spotify app is on the list of apps that need to be updated. If Spotify is not on the list, that means your app is up to date. Otherwise, update your Spotify app.
iOS and iPadOS:
- Launch the App Store.
- Tap on your App Store display photo at the top right of the App Store screen to view your account.
- Under “Available Updates,” check to see if Spotify needs to be updated. If it isn’t there, it’s still up to date. If an update is available, tap “Update.”
Windows:
- Launch the Spotify app.
- Click on your Spotify display photo at the top right of the Spotify window.
- From the menu, you’ll see a button that says “Update Spotify Now” with a blue badge if the app needs to be updated. Otherwise, your Spotify app is up-to-date.
macOS:
- Launch the Spotify app.
- Click on your Spotify display photo, then select “Account.”
- If you see “Update available. Restart now” from the menu, click on it. Otherwise, your Spotify app is up-to-date.
Good to know: Thinking of making the switch to Apple Music? Learn how to transfer your Spotify playlists to Apple Music. If you want to try out YouTube Music, you can also transfer your Spotify playlist to YouTube Music.
2. Relaunch Your Spotify App and Restart Your Device
Restarting your Spotify app and device may fix Spotify being unable to download songs. If relaunching Spotify doesn’t fix the issue, restart your device.
3. Check Your Device’s Storage
Make sure that your device has enough storage space for songs that you want to download offline. Lack of storage space for storing offline songs might prevent Spotify from downloading songs.
4. Check Your Internet Connection
Check if you’re connected to a stable network. Spotify might have difficulties downloading songs because of a slow connection, especially if you set the app to download them at the highest quality possible.
5. Perform a Clean Reinstallation of the Spotify App
A clean reinstallation of the Spotify app can help in solving unplayable downloaded songs. This includes cleaning the app’s installation and other app data stored in your device:
Android:
- Launch Settings.
- Go to “Apps.”
- Tap “Manage apps.”
- Look for “Spotify,” then tap.
- Tap “Clear data” to remove all Spotify data in your device, then tap “Uninstall” to uninstall the Spotify app.
- After uninstalling your Spotify app, check and remove Spotify’s remaining data. Check it by going to File Manager.
- Inside File Manager, look for a folder named “Android.” This folder contains all app data.
- Inside the Android folder, open the “data” folder.
- If you encounter a prompt about Android restrictions, tap “View in Files.”
- Inside the “data” folder, look for a folder named “com.spotify.music,” then delete it.
- Restart your Android device.
- Reinstall the app from the Google Play Store.
- Sign in to your Spotify account, try to download songs, and check if they play offline.
iOS and iPadOS:
- Launch the Spotify app.
- Tap the gear icon to open Spotify’s settings.
- Go to “Storage.”
- Tap “Clear cache,” then tap “Remove all downloads.”
- Open your iPhone or iPad’s settings.
- Tap “General.”
- Tap “iPhone Storage” or “iPad Storage.”
- From the list of apps, tap “Spotify.”
- Tap “Offload App,” then tap “Delete App” to remove Spotify’s app data and to uninstall it.
- Restart your iPhone or iPad.
- Reinstall the Spotify app from the App Store.
- Sign in, re-download your songs, and try to play them offline.
Windows:
- Go to Settings.
- From the left-hand menu of settings, click “Apps.”
- In the apps screen, click “Installed apps.”
- Find Spotify, click on the three horizontal dots to its right, then click “Uninstall.”
- After uninstalling Spotify, look for the “%AppData%” folder from the start menu search bar, then click “Open.”
- Inside the %AppData% folder, check if there’s still a Spotify folder present. If yes, delete it. Otherwise, close the folder.
- Restart your computer.
- Reinstall Spotify from the official Spotify website or Microsoft Store.
- Sign in to your Spotify account, re-download your songs, and check if they play offline.
macOS:
- Launch the Spotify app.
- Click on your Spotify display photo at the top right of the app window, then select “Settings.”
- Scroll down and look for the Storage category, then click on “Remove all downloads” and “Clear cache.”
- Open your Mac’s “System Settings.”
- Go to “General.”
- Under the “General,” click “Storage.”
- In the Storage screen, click on the information button next to “Applications.”
- Find and click on “Spotify.” Click on “Delete…” under the app list.
- On the pop-up confirmation window, click “Delete” again.
- Restart your Mac.
- Reinstall Spotify from the official website or Mac App Store.
- Sign in to your Spotify account, re-download your songs, and check if they play offline.
6. Re-Download Your Spotify Songs
You can re-download your Spotify songs to ensure they’re downloaded correctly. Before you proceed, make sure your internet connection is stable. Here are the steps:
- Launch the Spotify app.
- Find the downloaded playlist or album.
- Tap on the download button under the playlist or album image to delete the downloaded content.
- After the download button turns gray, tap on it again to re-download the playlist or album.
- Wait for the downloads to finish, then restart your Spotify app.
- Use Spotify in offline mode, then try playing the re-downloaded songs.
Tip: Looking for a fun way to track your Spotify listening history? Here are ways to generate a Spotify receipt.
7. Check Your Subscription
Downloading and listening to songs offline is a Spotify Premium feature. If you have it, make sure your payments are up-to-date and your subscription is active to use its features.
Here’s how to check your Spotify subscription:
- Launch the Spotify app.
- Tap on the gear icon to open Spotify’s settings.
- Go to the “Premium plan” tab to check and view your subscription details.
Good to know: if you have enough of Spotify, you can delete it, and switch to one of its alternatives.
Frequently Asked Questions
What if none of the fixes above work?
If you’ve tried all methods in this guide and none of them worked, we highly recommend you reach out to Spotify Support. You can also explore some Spotify alternatives.
How many devices can I use for downloads and offline listening under one subscription?
Spotify Premium lets you enjoy its features on up to five devices. You can download up to 10,000 songs on each device to play offline.
Can I play songs on two devices simultaneously using one Spotify account?
No. You can’t play songs on two devices simultaneously, unless one of your two devices is on Offline mode. Although you can use up to five devices per account, Spotify limits you to play online only on one device.
Image credit: Pixabay All screenshots by Natalie dela Vega.
Our latest tutorials delivered straight to your inbox
