Spotify offers a wealth of streaming music resources that you can easily access on your MacBook or iMac for work or leisure. However, there are times when you may need to download Spotify music on Mac so that you can listen offline or use the music without internet connections, like when you are on a plane or in an area with poor network coverage.
Is it possible? Absolutely! This article will provide you with workable free & paid methods on how to download music from Spotify on Mac, ensuring you can enjoy Spotify music freely anytime, anywhere.
Part 1: How to Download Music on Spotify on Mac (Premium Required)
Though you can listen to Spotify music online, it will be a better choice to install the Spotify app on your Mac for a richer experience, like getting high-quality songs, viewing lyrics, and of course, downloading Spotify music for offline playback.
Install the Spotify App on Mac
You might notice that the Spotify app isn't available in the Mac App Store, likely due to the complexity of the macOS system and Apple's stringent regulations. By releasing the app on their official website, Spotify can update and fix bugs more quickly. Now, follow the steps below to download Spotify Music on your Mac.
Step 1. Visit Spotify official website in your browser, and hit Download to process downloading the Spotify installation package on Mac.
Step 2. When it completes, access the downloaded Spotify installer. Double-click the file and install the app following the on-screen instructions.
Step 3. Once finished, you can find the Spotify app in the Applications folder. Or you can drag the Spotify app from the finder to the Mac dock for convenience.
Download Spotify Music on Mac
After installing the Spotify app on your Mac, you can run it to access a vast library of music with an internet connection. You need to subscribe to Spotify Premium to download Spotify music for offline playback, and only albums or playlists saved to your library can be downloaded.
Here's how to download Spotify music on Mac for offline listening using the official Spotify desktop program.
Step 1. Launch Spotify on your MacBook/iMac, and log in with your Spotify Premium account.
Step 2. To download music, search for the album or playlist you want. For individual songs, create a new playlist in "Your Library" by clicking the "+" icon and adding the songs. Then, click the "Arrow" icon at the top of the playlist. Once the download is complete, the grey arrow will turn green.
Step 3. Go to "Your Library > Downloaded" and click the "Play" icon to play Spotify music downloads. For offline listening, select "Offline Mode" from the Spotify menu, then return to "Your Library" to access your downloads.
Tips: If you want to access downloaded Spotify Music locally on Mac, you can find the files in this directory by default: "/Users/"yourusername"/Library/ApplicationSupport/Spotify/PersistentCache
/Storage".
To change the location of downloaded files, go to Spotify app > Profile > Settings > Storage. When you see the offline storage location, click '"Change location" to modify the location.
Part 2. How to Download Spotify Music to MP3 on Mac (Without Premium)
As a Spotify Premium user, you can download music for offline listening. However, if your subscription ends, you lose access to this feature, and any cached Spotify music files become unplayable due to DRM encryption. These files won't be recognized by Spotify or playable on other devices.
If you still want to keep Spotify Music downloads on Mac after canceling your subscription, the professional tool TuneFab Spotify Music Converter will help. It is embedded with a Spotify web player, allowing you to directly access the whole Spotify library without its app, search for your favorite songs, and convert Spotify Music to MP3 or other DRM-free formats without Premium accounts. Then, you can play these common audio files on any device you want, not just Mac computers.
Key Features of TuneFab Spotify Music Converter
- Convert Spotify Music into DRM-free Formats: Convert Spotify songs to MP3, M4V, WAV, FLAC, AIFF, AAC, and ALAC to bypass DRM restrictions and import your favorites to any device.
- Download Spotify Music with Perfect Quality: Offers up to 320 kbps audio and preserves lossless quality, with customizable preferences.
- Superfast Downloading Speed and Batch Conversion: Supports batch conversion of songs, playlists, and albums at up to 35X speed, saving time and effort.
- Retain ID3 Tags and Meta Information: Identifies and preserves original ID3 tags, such as title, artists, Track ID, and album artwork, for easy music management.
Equipped with an intuitive interface, TuneFab Spotify Music Converter enables you to download music from Spotify within a few clicks. Here are some tips about how to use it to download Spotify music on Mac without premium.
Step 1. Download TuneFab Spotify Music Converter
Install and Launch TuneFab Spotify Music Converter on your Mac computer. Log in to your Spotify Account on the pop-up web player.
Step 2. Add Spotify Music for Conversion
Open the playlist/album that you want to download and then press the green "+" icon, Or, drag and drop your favorite songs to this icon. When the music has been added successfully, the music will then be in the conversion list.
Step 3. Choose the Output Parameters
Click on the "Menu > Preferences" to customize your general or advanced preferences, including output format, bitrate, location, etc.
Step 4. Download Spotify Music on Mac via TuneFab
Select the music you want to download, then click the "Convert All" icon on the bottom right corner, and start downloading.
Once TuneFab Spotify Music Converter finishes converting Spotify songs/playlists/albums, go to "Finished > View Output File" to access your downloaded music!
Spotify Music on Mac Further Usage:
Part 3. FAQs About Downloading Spotify Music on Mac
How to Transfer Spotify Music Downloads from Mac to iOS Device?
Transferring Spotify music downloads from a Mac to an iOS device directly isn't possible due to Spotify's DRM protection. However, you can ensure the same music is available on your iOS device by logging into your Spotify account on the device and downloading the music through the Spotify app.
To achieve this, simply search for the albums or playlists you want, and download them for offline listening on your iOS device.
Why is the Spotify App Not Downloading on Mac?
If Spotify not downloading songs on your Mac, it could be due to several reasons: your macOS might not be compatible with the latest version of Spotify, there could be a network issue, or your security settings might be blocking the download. Ensure your macOS is up to date, check your internet connection, and verify that your security settings allow downloads from the Spotify website.
How to Stop Spotify from Opening on Startup on Mac?
To prevent Spotify from opening on startup on your Mac, go to "System Preferences" from the Apple menu and select "Users & Groups". Choose your user account, click on the "Login Items" tab, find Spotify in the list, and remove it by clicking the minus button. This will stop Spotify from launching automatically when you start your Mac.
Conclusion
Downloading Spotify on Mac will bring you a lot of conveniences when you lose the Internet. Subscription users can directly download Spotify music on Mac for offline listening via the Spotify app. For free users or those who want to keep saving Spotify music after the subscription expires, TuneFab Spotify Music Converter can help you keep Spotify Music in DRM-free formats like MP3 with lossless sound quality. Feel free to give it a try!
TuneFab Spotify Music Converter
Batch convert Spotify to MP3 320kbps at 35X speed
