7 Free Ways to Download Spotify to MP3 in 2020

With more than 40 million songs, Spotify offers a massive music library that you can listen to online without taking your storage space. If you pay the premium subscription fee, you can also listen to music offline.

The only problem is that you can’t transfer them anywhere or play them with other music players other than Spotify because the music files you downloaded with Spotify are DRM(Digital Rights Management) protected. In this article, I will show you 7 ways to download songs from Spotify as MP3 without recording even if you don’t have Spotify Premium. No matter what devices you use, you can find at least 2 methods that work for you.

Disclaimer

All these methods are for personal or educational use only.

The process to download Spotify music to Android or iOS mobile devices is similar to desktop app. Simply follow these steps to see how to download Spotify music and podcasts offline on Android/iOS phone or tablet. Step 1 Navigate to Spotify playlist you want to download. Log in your Spotify account via the music app on your mobile phone or tablet.

You should not use any of these tools to pirate or distribute music.

Some of the methods may be illegal to use this in your country, so be informed.

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Method 1: Download Spotify song or playlist with Siri Shortcuts

If you are using an iOS device, you probably have heard of the automation application Shortcuts, which is the updated version of Workflow. I have three shortcuts to help you download music from Spotify.

If you are not familiar with Shortcuts, you can free download it from AppStore and get a few pre-made shortcuts in the Shortcuts Gallery to see how it work. To get the shortcuts that I am about to show you, you just open the link in Safari to download it.

This Spotify playlist downloader can only download an entire Spotify playlist. You will have an option to select some of the tracks in the playlist to download if you don’t want to download them all.

Note: This only works for playlist. It won’t work if you input a Spotify track link. It is recommended to run it from Spotify share sheet.

You can simply copy the Spotify playlist link from Spotify app and run this shortcut. You can also tap the Share button to run this shortcut from the share sheet. Besides the playlist link, you can also input playlist ID Or playlist URI to download Spotify playlist to MP3.

When downloaded, you can open the Files app, and then select iCloud > Shortcuts > Music to check the downloaded MP3 file. If you are not familiar with iOS Shortcuts, be sure to watch this video below to see how it works.

For advanced users, you can also use Shortcuts to Move Spotify Playlist to Apple Music and vise versa. Though the authentication process is a little complicated when you want to transfer playlists to Spotify by using Spotify API.

Method 2: Download Spotify to MP3 Using Telegram Bot

If you use Telegram, you can simply use a Telegram bot to download free music whether you are on Android or iOS. It does not require any setup or your Spotify account login info. All you need is this @SpotifyMusicDownloaderBot. After you get this bot, type “/start” (without quotes) and then you can paste any Spotify track link to start downloading music for free. If you are using iOS, you may want to tap the Share button and save to Files after the music is downloaded.

If you do like using Telegram bots to download music, you probably also want to check this post to get more Telegram Bots for music.

Method 3: Download Spotify Playlist to FLAC or MP3

There is another open-source software called Deezloader, which is developed to download music from Deezer, can also be used to download a playlist from Spotify. The software actually converts the Spotify playlist to Deezer playlist and then download music from Deezer. You can set it to download Spotify Playlist as MP3 or FLAC. The lastest version Deezloader Remix 4.2.2 also allows you to download any single Spotify track and it much easier to set up.

Step 1. Download and install Deezer Remix. Log in with your Deezer account (free account also works).

Step 2. Go to this link: https://developer.spotify.com/dashboard/applications and log in with your Spotify account (free account works).

Step 3. Click on Create a Client ID and then compile the form as you like.

Step 4. Save the settings and then you will see the Client ID and Client Secret. Copy the Client ID and Client Secret to Deezloader Remix.

If you are using an older version of Deezloader Remix, the setup is a little bit complicated than this. You can refer to this video to see the configure process.

As you know, not all tracks on Spotify are also available on Deezer, so you will see some tracks are failed to download because Deezloader cannot find the matched songs. If you want a tool to download all tracks from Spotify playlist, keep reading to see the next tool.

Update: Since Deezloader is discontinued, you can only use this method to download 128kbps MP3. If you prefer high quality, jump to Method 5.

Method 4: Download Spotify to MP3 with AllToMP3

AllToMP3 is free open source software that allows you to download music from Spotify, YouTube, SoundCloud, and Deezer. It is available in Windows, macOS, and Linux. If you check the source code, it is easy to find out that it actually matches the Spotify music track with YouTube video and convert YouTube video to MP3, so the music quality is not as good the other methods. You can free download from its website or Github.

After installation, you can paste the Spotify song link or playlist link and press Enter to start downloading. The music, by default, will be saved in the Music folder. The downloaded music files include all the tags and cover art, but the quality is nowhere close to the next free tool.

Method 5: Download Spotify Music Using Allavsoft

Allavsoft is your ultimate media downloader software for Windows and Mac. It allows you to directly download Spotify playlist, album music to MP3, FLAC, WAV, M4A, WMA, etc with ID3 tags.

The latest version allows you to download Spotify music as FLAC (1441 kbps). Unlike Deezloader, you download all the songs that Deezloader cannot download, literally, unmatched songs with Allavsoft. For me, Allavsoft is the best Spotify Music Downloader.

Once you get it installed, you can copy the Spotify music link whether it is a song, album, or playlist and then launch Allavsoft. The program will automatically paste the URL and you just need to click Download to start downloading.

By default, it saves Spotify music to MP3 as 320 kbps with artwork and other metadata, so you don’t need to check the option “Automatically Convert to”. If you choose the Best Available quality, you may find some songs are downloaded as FLAC 1411 kbps, which is really cool. If you want to convert Spotify Music to FLAC, WAV, AIFF, AAC, WMA, DTS, etc, you can click the “Automatically Convert to” button to select the specific format from the drop-down menu.

Besides Spotify, Allavsoft allows you to download music from Deezer, SoundCloud, MixCloud, and download videos from Udemy, Lyda, YouTube, Facebook, etc. That is to say, Allavsoft is the only downloader software that you ever need.

Method 6: Convert Spotify music to MP3 with TuneMobie

There are many programs that claim to be able to convert Spotify, but deep down they are recording the audio, TuneMobie is one of them. I tried both free and paid versions. Let me tell you how it really works.

When you open this program TuneMobie, it asks you to launch the Spotify app or download it if you haven’t. Then you can see in the preference where you can select to save as mp3, m4a, WAV, and FLAC. These are all the supported audio formats and other settings that you customize.

When you try to convert a song, the Spotify app actually plays the song, but you hear no sound. Compared to other audio-recording kinds of competitors, Tunemobie Spotify Converter is 5 times faster. Usually, it takes less than 1 minute to convert a song.

You can also copy a playlist link to download Spotify playlist as MP3 or other formats. The trial version allows you to download (record) unlimited tracks for the first 3 munites in 30 days, which is much better than its competitors.

Method 7: Download Spotify with a Chrome extension

If you use Chrome web browser, you can install this free extension and then you can see a download button appears when you go to Spotify web player. You now can click on the download button to download almost all the songs from Spotify web player.
Why do I say almost? Because this extension certainly is not downloading music from Spotify directly. You just download music from its own server, so you will see some Spotify tracks are not available in their server for downloading. Some tracks downloaded using this extension may not be the same version as the Spotify version.

Bonus: Chimera — Multiple Source Music Downloader for Advanced Users Only

Chimera is a command-line based multiple source music downloader that allows you to download music from Spotify, Deezer, Tidal, Soundcloud, Napster, Qobuz, Google Play Music, etc.

It is open-source and completely free to use for educational and private use only. It is very powerful, but the setup process is more complicated than the other methods. You can choose Spotify source from Deezer, Tidal, or Qobuz.

As you know, Tidal and Qobuz provide Hi-res quality music. If you have paid subscription, you can use this tool to download Spotify music in very high quality in FLAC format.

You will need to grant your Spotify account through Spotify client ID and client secret. Based on your choice, you need to also set up Deezer, Tidal, or Qobuz account. For detailed steps, check this guide to see how to set it up.

Conclusion

That’s all the seven different methods for downloading Spotify music to MP3. If you care about music quality, then Allavsoft is the best choice. Personally, I like the Allavsoft method the most because it is convenient, high quality, and with cover art. More importantly, you don’t need any other video/music downloader software anymore once you have Allavsoft installed since it supports more than 1000 websites.

If you really love the iOS environment, then Shortcuts is a great way to download music on iPhone. Now, it is your turn. Which method are you going to try first? If you have other better method to download music from Spotify, please share it in the comments.

Young M.A on stage at the RapCaviar Live concert in Brooklyn last month (via Getty Images)

With 10.5 million followers, Spotify’s RapCaviar playlist has quickly become one of the most influential players in hip-hop. The weekly hits catalog is a gatekeeper—granting exposure and increased play counts for the 50 songs that make the cut. RapCaviar plays the same role that Hot 97 did in the 90s. “When Hot 97 played ‘Protect Ya Neck’ by the Wu-Tang Clan, that was it,” said Interscope executive Joie Manda in an interview with Vulture last year. “It went all over the country. RapCaviar has that influence right now. A song goes in RapCaviar and everyone pays attention.”

RapCaviar has leveraged its brand to launch multi-city concert tours with Gucci Mane, Chance The Rapper, and others. It also creates exclusive video content for the playlist. These extensions are sound, but very safe bets. RapCaviar has plenty of room to grow. Several independently-run music playlists, with fewer followers than RapCaviar, have generated millions in annual revenue via advertising, record labels, and other channels.

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But it’s highly unlikely that Spotify would pursue these options itself. Each of the company’s 4,500 in-house playlists is exclusive to the streaming service. Spotify has also denied claims that it will compete with its distributors and become a record label (even though some of its recent moves make the labels nervous). The now publicly-traded company is primarily focused on its two targets: a 30% increase in revenue and 36% increase in paid subscribers this year.

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Even though RapCaviar and Spotify are dependent on each other, their priorities differ. The hip-hop playlist’s core competency is human capital. Carl Chery, head of urban music at Spotify, and his team get final say to which songs make the cut. The playlist performs better the more plays it gets—regardless of whether those listeners are free or paid customers. On the other hand, Spotify is primarily a subscription-based company that relies heavily on data science to engage listeners. The company is most interested in converting free listeners into paid subscribers.

Both Spotify and RapCaviar would thrive with increased flexibility as standalone entities that partner with each other to achieve their distinct goals.

Once a playlist like RapCaviar can generate meaningful revenue on its own, Spotify should be honest about whether it’s holding itself and the playlist back.

Independent playlists earn money through several channels

One of Spotify’s top 25 most followed playlists is independently run by a company called The Nations. Trap Nation is its flagship playlist, with nearly two million followers on Spotify (FYI: the “trap” in Trap Nation refers to EDM-trap music, not TRAP trap). The company also has several sub-branded playlists in different genres, like Chill Nation, Rap Nation, and Indie Nation. Each playlist is curated and updated regularly with the latest songs. And like RapCaviar, Trap Nation has hosted a series of live concerts.

The Nations does not generate money directly from Spotify, but the additional exposure drives traffic to The Nations’ massive YouTube channel. This year, The Nations should earn an estimated $5 million from YouTube ad revenue. Its collection of YouTube channels has over 37 million subscribers.

The company’s founder and CEO Andre Benz has leveraged the platform he’s built to create a record label, Lowly Palace. He guarantees his stable of artists a spot on his playlists—an advantage that the major labels can only ensure for its biggest artists. Benz spoke about this in July at the Midem B2B music conference:

People that own platforms and create records labels are extremely valuable… Artists want to see guarantees… With us, we’re not about signing Taylor Swift, it’s about the underground artist. When we sign you, it’s a guarantee we get you on our playlist. It’s something that has value in today’s world.

The label has already been recognized by Billboard for its impact on indie dance music, signing over 200 songs to date.

Another growing, but widely debated trend with independent playlists is “playlist pitching.” Artists can pay for better placement on independent playlists with large followings. Companies like Playlist Push are middlemen between artists and independent playlists. The company charges artists $150 and up for its pitching campaigns, and pays playlists up to $12 for each song they review.

Playlist Push has resurfaced an ongoing discussion with Spotify and the blurry lines between marketing and payola: the illegal practice of paying for play on the radio. But it is difficult to prove and define in today’s streaming era.

RapCaviar can cash in on its strong following

Trap Nation’s YouTube channel gets more engagement than RapCaviar does. YouTube comments are a community for fans to build connections. Even though RapCaviar has high-quality video content, Spotify playlists offer minimal opportunities for followers to communicate with one another. A recent study this summer highlighted that Spotify playlists have low engagement despite having millions of followers. YouTube is a great way to fix that problem with a new audience.

If The Nations can attain success by focusing on EDM, then there’s plenty of opportunity for hip-hop—the most listened to genre of music in the world—to match or exceed that. According to sources from Billboard, “a typical music-curation [YouTube] channel with 10 million subscribers can generate about $125,000 a month, or $1.5 million a year, in ad revenue.”

The Nations has 2.8 million followers combined on its Spotify playlists and over 37 million on its YouTube channels. With 10.5 million followers on Spotify, it’s unlikely that RapCaviar would also get 13 times as many YouTube subscribers. But if RapCaviar could amass 40 million YouTube subscribers, that would yield $6 million annually from ad revenue alone.

Once “RapCaviar LLC” builds its YouTube following, it can follow The Nations path and a become a record label for up-and-coming rappers. RapCaviar can offer playlist placement as an incentive to joining their team over other labels. According to the same Billboard source, “Some top curators are now earning 30 percent of their money from offline ventures.” Record labels are the most common offline venture for curators. If RapCaviar earns $6 million from ad revenue and follows that 30% trend, then it could earn nearly $3 million from its record label with the chance to earn more if the artists succeed.

The RapCaviar team would probably welcome this influx of cash. Former RapCaviar curator Tuma Basa was lured away to join YouTube and was rumored to have been offered a higher salary than the person he reported to at Spotify. That either means YouTube gave him a very generous offer, Spotify doesn’t pay as well, or a combination of the two.

RapCaviar would still have to add personnel (A&R to manage its artists and social leads to manage the YouTube channels), but there would be plenty of money to go around. The question is whether Spotify is willing to set RapCaviar free to make it happen.

Here’s what RapCaviar currently looks like. The “Lil’s” aren’t playing around today. (via Spotify)

The spinoff would help Spotify too

The Spotify leadership team might be wary of losing exclusive ownership of RapCaviar if the playlist gains considerable traction on YouTube. The perceived threat is understandable, but it’s not as big of a risk as Spotify may think.

First, Spotify already has high switching costs with existing users because of the preferences, customization, and predictive playlists like Discover Weekly that are tailored for each listener. These cannot be carried over as easily to YouTube without starting from scratch.

Additionally, the RapCaviar extension to YouTube would indirectly help Spotify’s global reach. According to Forbes, 85% of YouTube music listeners are outside the U.S., compared to about 70% of Spotify subscribers. And YouTube is still the most popular music streaming platform in the world. RapCaviar would be introduced to a newer audience, which could indirectly help raise awareness for Spotify since that’s its original home. Spotify is banking heavily on international growth to meet its targets, so the efforts are aligned.

Each popular playlist like RapCaviar will need more attention as its influence and audience grow. ¡Viva Latino! is Spotify’s next biggest playlist with nearly 9 million followers. It has its own distinct curators that understand Latin music and culture. And at this rate, other large Spotify-run playlists like Baila Reggaeton, Are & Be, and mint are not too far from reaching RapCaviar’s current following.

Once a playlist can generate meaningful revenue, which RapCaviar has done for almost two years now, Spotify should be honest about whether it’s holding itself and the playlist back. For Spotify, the longer it manages these massive playlists, the less focused the entire company is on pursuing its aggressive growth goals. Playlists are integral to Spotify’s success, but at this stage, RapCaviar can be just as integral as a business partner.

Guwop and Mike WiLL in a promotional ad for a “RapCaviar Live” concert last year (via Spotify)

The streaming titan might see RapCaviar as intellectual property, but that’s a short-sighted perspective. The more influential RapCaviar becomes, the better for Spotify, even if that influence comes from outside of Spotify’s control.

If the spinoff happens, Spotify should still promote RapCaviar as much as it does today. Many of Spotify’s users have customized their experience to rely on RapCaviar, so it makes sense to maintain that. Spotify should also ensure that RapCaviar can leverage the data science and algorithms that infer the playlist selections. It will help both companies in the long run.

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Like countless company spinoff stories, the two parts are greater separately than together. Let’s see if Spotify takes action before another company does. Apple Music is right behind them with its own premier hip-hop playlist, The A-List: Hip-Hop. Other streaming platforms are watching as well. But its RapCaviar that’s in the driver’s seat.

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Trapital is written by Dan Runcie: info [at] trapital.co