Does Spotify Use Data if Songs Are Downloaded? [Explained]

Being a data-curious person, data usage is a major concern while using Spotify. If you’re one of them, you must have wondered whether Spotify uses data while listening to downloaded songs. If so, don’t worry. Let me give you a quick answer.

Quick Answer:
When songs are downloaded for offline listening on Spotify, the app does not use mobile data for playing those tracks. However, it’s worth noting that some data may still be consumed for notifications and background tasks unless you enable ‘Offline Mode’ in Spotify.

Got the answer? Keep reading to learn everything about Spotify’s data consumption and downloaded songs. So let’s get started.

Does Spotify use data after downloading songs?

Spotify does not use internet after songs are downloaded. Downloaded songs are stored on your device and do not require an internet connection to play.

But remember, some data may still be used for notifications and background tasks unless you choose the Offline Mode in the Spotify settings.

The Spotify Offline Mode will restrict the app from using data for background tasks and notifications. In this mode, Spotify completely runs offline, thus no data consumption.

How do I make Spotify not use data for downloaded songs?

Spotify does not consume data for downloaded songs, but for maximum data savings, it’s advisable to activate Offline Mode. Offline is the data saver for Spotify.

Here’s how to enable Offline Mode to save data for downloaded songs:

1. Open the Spotify app and go to Settings by tapping on the Gear icon.

2. Go to the Playback section.

3. Enable the Offline option.

4. That’s it.

After enabling the Offline mode, Spotify will restrict the data consumption used in background tasks and notifications.

How Do You Listen to Downloaded Music on Spotify Without Using Data?

To listen to downloaded music on Spotify without using data, follow these simple steps:

1. Open the Spotify app and log in to your premium account. (The download feature is only for Spotify premium users.)
2. Make sure you’ve downloaded the music you want to listen to.
3. Most importantly, ensure you’ve turned on the Offline Mode. If not, go to Settings > Playback > Enable the Offline Mode.
4. Now go to your library and play the songs you’ve downloaded.

Note: You must have Spotify Premium to download the music.

Is Turning off Data or WiFi Required for Offline Mode?

No, Spotify Offline Mode allows you to play downloaded songs pr podcasts without using mobile data or wifi, even if your internet connection is active.

So, turning off your mobile data or wifi is unnecessary when listening to downloaded songs in Offline Mode.

It’s because when Offline Mode is enabled on your device, Spotify will only access the downloaded songs, ensuring you don’t use internet for streaming or notifications.

You can still keep your internet connections active for other purposes while enjoying your downloaded songs.

How Free Spotify Users Can Download Songs To Save Data?

Spotify’s free version doesn’t allow users to download the songs and enable Offline Mode. But there’s an alternative of Spotify to MP3 converters.

In this method, you need to copy the link of the Spotify song you want to download and paste it into any Spotify converter. The converter will download those songs on your device.

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to download songs using a Spotify converter:

1. Open Spotify and copy the link of the song you want to download.
2. Paste it in the converter.
3. Congrats! The song is downloaded on your device in mp3.

If you’re facing the stuck downloading issue on Spotify, read this guide to resolve the issue.

How Much Space Does Music Downloaded from Spotify Take Up?

The amount of space that music downloaded from Spotify takes up depends on several factors, including the audio quality and number of songs or albums.

In my testing, a typical 3-minute song downloaded at Normal Quality (96kbps) may take around 3-4 MB of space.

While the high-quality downloaded songs (160 kbps) take up to 5-7 MB space.

And most importantly, the very High quality downloaded song from Spotify (320 kbps) occupies 10-15 MB per song.

So, the space of downloaded songs from Spotify may depend on the preferred audio quality you’ve.

Is It Better to Download or Stream Spotify Music?

Whether it’s better to download or stream Spotify music depends on your needs and preferences. The downloaded music is for areas where the internet connection is unavailable.

Below are the pros and cons of both downloading and streaming Spotify music. After that, you can decide which one is better. But for me, streaming Spotify music is better.

Streaming Music:

Pros

• No storage limitations
• Real-time access
• Stream millions of songs of your choice.
• Get recommendations

Cons

• Data usage
• Connectivity-dependent

Download Music:

Pros

• No need for an internet connection
• Lower data usage
• Consistent playback

Cons

• Takes up storage space
• Required internet connection for periodic updates (After one month)

Does Spotify Use A Lot Of Mobile Data? My Personal Experience

The data consumption while using Spotify depends on the streaming quality. 

Below are the results of my testing that I found out in an hour:

• Normal— 43.2 MB/hour
• High—- 72MB/hour
• Very High—- 144MB/hour

The above data consumption estimates are my results that will vary based on various factors, including the complexity and quality of the music being streamed.

Why Does My Spotify Use So Much Data?

You might be streaming in very high audio quality, so your Spotify uses much data. 

Always check your streaming quality if you’re curious about your data consumption. Here’s how to check your Spotify streaming quality:

1. Open Spotify and go to Settings.
2. Tap Audio Quality.

3. Now check what’s your streaming quality on both wifi and Mobile Data.

4. Set it to normal if you want less data consumed while streaming.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Final Words

Hopefully, now you should know that Spotify doesn’t use internet if songs are downloaded unless you’ve enabled the Offline Mode.

All the above answers are brought to you after testing by myself. I’m sure that you’ll benefit greatly from them.