How to Download Spotify Music on Mac: 4 Proven Ways

As one of the leading streaming music services, Spotify boasts a massive music library that attracts millions of Mac users. However, listening to these songs and playlists offline can be a challenge for many. If you are also searching for how to download Spotify music on Mac, congratulations, you have come to the right place!

In this article, we will guide you through 4 effective methods to easily download music from Spotify on your Mac, whether it is a MacBook Air, Pro, or an iMac. Let's scroll down and explore!

Method 1. Download Music from the Spotify App on Mac (Premium Only)

For Spotify Premium subscribers, using the official app is the most straightforward method to download Spotify music on Mac for offline listening. However, this method also comes with frustrating limitations. For example, downloaded songs are DRM-protected, so you can't play them on other devices. More importantly, once your Premium subscription expires, all your downloads become inaccessible immediately.

If you want to bypass these Spotify download limitations, skip ahead to Method 2. Of course, if you simply need offline listening during your subscription, this method is still worth a try. Below is the step-by-step tutorial on how to download music from Spotify on MacBook:

Step 1. Get Spotify on Mac/MacBook/iMac

1. Visit Spotify official website in your browser.

2. Hit "Download" to process downloading the Spotify installation package on Mac.

3. When it completes, access the downloaded Spotify installer and unzip the file.

4. Double-click "Install Spotify" and finish the installation.

Step 2. Download Spotify Music on Mac with Premium

1. Ensure you have an active Spotify Premium subscription.

2. Open Spotify on your Mac and go to the playlist or album you wish to download. If necessary, create a new Spotify playlist and add your chosen tracks first, as Spotify does not support downloading a single track.

3. Click on the download icon at the top of the playlist. When the process finishes, a green downward arrow will appear, indicating the playlist has been successfully downloaded.  

4. To listen offline, click on the three-dot icon in the upper left and then choose "File" > "Offline Mode".

Method 2. Download Spotify Playlists to Mac with a Third-Party Music Downloader (Best Overall)

So, is it possible to download Spotify music on Mac without Premium? The answer is, YES!

TuneFab Spotify Music Converter, which works on macOS X 10.12 or higher, is exactly what you need. It can effectively bypass DRM restrictions and let you download any song, album, playlist, or podcast from Spotify to your Mac. Once downloaded, you can effortlessly keep high-quality Spotify music forever for offline listening anytime, anywhere.

The best part is that this tool imposes no account restrictions. This means that with it, you are able to download Spotify songs on Mac, no matter if you are using a Spotify Free or Premium account! Even better, it comes with a built-in Spotify web player, ensuring a seamless Spotify to Mac conversion.

Here are the steps on how to download Spotify music on Mac without Premium by using TuneFab Spotify Music Converter:

Step 1. Download and Launch TuneFab Spotify Music Converter

Download and launch TuneFab Spotify Music Converter on your MacBook. Then, access its built-in Spotify web player and log in with your Spotify Free or Premium accounts.

Step 2. Add Spotify songs to the conversion in 2 ways

• Hover over a playlist and click on the floating "Add to Convert" button.
• Select the songs you want to download in your library and then drag them to the "+" icon.

When the music has been added successfully, the music will then be in the converter's waiting queue.

Step 3. Choose the Appropriate Output Parameters

Now you can effortlessly customize a proper output format like MP3 and adjust output bitrate and sample rate for best output quality. Then, you can click "Apply to All" to make your action to all songs.

Step 4. Start downloading Spotify music on Mac

Select the music you want to download and then click the "Convert Now" icon on the bottom right corner, and start downloading.

After that, you can go to "Local Library" and hit any folder icon to get your downloaded Spotify songs on your MacBook. If you want to add Spotify songs to perfect your editing vlog, they are ready now!

Method 3. Convert Spotify Music to MP3 on MacBook with an Online Tool (Free, but Limited)

If you want to quickly download Spotify music on Mac for free, a tool like TuneFab Online Spotify to MP3 Converter is a convenient solution. As a web-based tool, it is easy to use and doesn't require no extra downloads. It can directly convert Spotify links to MP3 files and download them to your Mac, all without a Spotify Premium subscription.

However, it is important to note that this tool can only batch download up to 15 songs at a time. If you only need to process a few songs, follow the steps below to download music from Spotify to MP3 on Mac.

Step 1. Go to the Spotify web player or Spotify app and find the song you need. Then, click its three-dot icon and choose "Share" > "Copy link to Song".

Step 2. Open TuneFab Online Spotify to MP3 Converter on any browser on your MacBook.  

Step 3. On the left-hand menu, select "Spotify to MP3" under "Online Music Converter".

Step 4. Paste the copied Spotify link to the input bar and click "Search".

Step 5. Simply click on the "Download All" button to start downloading Spotify songs to your MacBook for free.

Method 4. Rip Music from Spotify on Mac with Screen Recorder (Working but Time-Consuming)

Besides the above methods, a popular option is to use the open-source, free audio recorder, Audacity. While it is not a dedicated music downloader, it can rip audio playing on your desktop, helping you easily download Spotify music to your Mac as MP3, WAV, FLAC, and other formats, without DRM protection.

Unfortunately, this tool can not work as a Spotify playlist downloader, so you will need to record each track one by one, which can be time-consuming. Also, background noise may affect output quality, resulting in lower quality. If you don’t mind these these hassle and only have a few songs to save, Audacity is still a viable option. Here are the steps to download music from Spotify on Mac using Audacity:

Step 1. Set up the loopback device.

1. Download and install Soundflower from GitHub first because macOS does not have built-in desktop audio recording capabilities. Note. If you need to record Spotify music on Mac M1/M2, install BlackHole instead.  

2. Go to the Audio MIDI Setup app on your Mac.

3. Click on the "+" icon at the lower left corner and select "Create Multi-Output Device".

4. Enable the options of "Built-in Output" and then "Soundflower" or "BlackHole".  

6.Click the gear icon in the lower left corner and choose "use this device for sound output".

Step 2. Prepare the song you want to download from Spotify to MacBook.

Step 3. Launch Audacity on your computer. Then, go to "Audio Setup" > "Recording Device" and then, set  "Soundflower" or "BlackHole" as the recording source.

Step 4. Click on the record button and play Spotify song immediately.

Step 5. When the song ends, hit the stop button. You can then edit the recording audio based on your needs.

FAQs About Spotify Music Downloads on Mac

Q1. Can I download a single song on Spotify?

A: No. Spotify doesn't offer a feature to download individual songs. If you only want one or two tracks, you can add them to a new playlist first, and then download the entire playlist.

For a hassle-free way to download Spotify music on Mac, consider other ways we have mentioned previously, like TuneFab Spotify Music Converter. They can help you easily get one Spotify download at a time.  

Q2. Where does downloaded Spotify music go on a Mac?

A: The location of your Spotify downloads on Mac depends on the method you use:

• Use the Spotify app with Premium: They are saved in an encrypted format in a hidden system folder at ~/Library/Application Support/Spotify/PersistentCache/Storage. These files can only be played within the Spotify app.
• Use third-party tools like TuneFab Spotify Music Converter: Downloaded Spotify songs are typically saved in the "Downloads" folder on your Mac by default, or the custom folder you choose.

Q3. Why can't I download Spotify on my Mac?

A: If you are having trouble downloading Spotify music on your Mac, it is usually due to an unstable network connection, insufficient storage space, or a temporary app issue.

In this case, check this detailed troubleshooting guide to learn more: How to fix Spotify not downloading songs.

Q4. How to upload local music to Spotify for offline listening？

A: Even after you download Spotify music on Mac, you may also want to upload your local songs back into the Spotify app for easy management. Here is how.

Step 1. Click on "Spotify" in the upper left corner of the home page and select "Preference" or click the user name icon on the home page of Spotify and select "Setting".

Step 2. You can scroll the page down to find "Local Files". Then, switch it to GREEN to turn on "Show Local Files".

Step 3. Click the "Add a source" button, and select the right folder with the music you want.

Step 4. Once you have set the right source for your local music, click on "Your Library" and you will see "Local Files". The songs in "Local Files" are the same as other songs on Spotify and you can freely add them to your favorite playlist.

Q5. How to make Spotify the default music player on Mac？

A: After uploading local music, you can also set Spotify as the default player on your Mac so that audio files automatically open with it. Here is how:

Step 1. Find any local music file in the Finder.

Step 2. Right-click it and select "Get Info".

Step 3. In the "Open with" drop-down menu, select "Spotify".

Step 4. Click "Change All" to confirm your action.

Conclusion

Downloading Spotify music on Mac will bring us a lot of convenience. Subscription users can directly download Spotify Music on Mac for Offline Listening, while free users can also finish music downloading through the powerful third-party tools.

Among them, TuneFab Spotify Music Converter stands out as the best choice. It can not only download songs, playlists, albums, and podcasts from Spotify to MP3 on your Mac, but also support many advanced features that other options lack, including batch conversion, lossless audio quality, a built-in Spotify web player, and more! Don't hesitate to download TuneFab now and enjoy your music journey on Mac!