You can save songs to your library in three ways: the heart icon, the plus sign, or the three-dot menu
The fastest way to save a song on Spotify is to tap or click the heart icon next to the song title while it plays. On mobile, this icon appears on the now-playing screen. On desktop, it shows up when you hover over a song in any list or playlist. The song moves to your "Liked Songs" collection when ready.
If you do not see a heart icon, look for a plus sign (+) in the same location — older Spotify versions use this instead. Clicking it does the same thing: the song saves to your library. Both the heart and the plus sign are toggles, so clicking again removes the song.
The three-dot menu (⋯) next to any song also works. Tap or click it, then select "Add to Liked Songs" or "Save to Your Library" depending on your app version. This method takes one extra step but works the same way.
Key Takeaways
- The heart icon is the quickest way to save a song — it appears while a song plays or when you hover over it in a list.
- Saved songs go to your "Liked Songs" collection, which syncs across all your devices where you use Spotify.
- You can save songs from search results, playlists, albums, or radio stations using the same heart or plus icon.
- Removing a song from your library is as straightforward as clicking the heart or plus icon again to toggle it off.
Where your saved songs appear
Every song you save goes into a single collection called "Liked Songs" on Spotify. You can find it in the left sidebar on desktop or in the "Your Library" tab on mobile. This collection is private by default — only you can see which songs you have saved, unless you change your privacy settings.
Your Liked Songs collection syncs across every device where you log into Spotify. If you save a song on your phone, it appears in Liked Songs on your computer, tablet, or any other device within seconds. This means you build one library that follows you everywhere.
You can also add songs to specific playlists instead of just your main Liked Songs. When you tap the three-dot menu on a song, you will see an option to "Add to Playlist" — this lets you choose which playlist gets the song. A single song can live in multiple playlists at once.
Saving songs from different places in Spotify
You can save a song from almost anywhere Spotify shows music. If you are listening to a playlist, album, or radio station, the heart icon appears on the now-playing screen. You can also save songs from search results — just type an artist or song name, and the heart icon shows up next to each result.
When you are browsing Spotify's recommendations or "Discover Weekly" playlist, every song has a heart icon ready to click. The same goes for songs in other people's public playlists — you can save them to your own library without affecting their playlist.
If a song appears in a podcast episode or a video on Spotify, you can usually save it too. The heart icon works the same way across all these contexts.
Organizing your saved songs
Once you have saved songs to your library, you can organize them by creating playlists. A playlist is a custom collection you build yourself, separate from your main Liked Songs. You might create a playlist for workout songs, road trip music, or songs from a specific artist.
To make a new playlist on desktop, right-click in the left sidebar and select "Create Playlist." On mobile, go to "Your Library," tap the plus icon, and choose "Create Playlist." Give it a name, then add songs to it by using the three-dot menu and selecting "Add to Playlist."
You can also add songs directly while creating a playlist. After you name it, Spotify lets you search for songs and add them one at a time. This is slower than saving songs first and organizing them later, but it works if you know exactly what you want.
What happens when you save a song
Saving a song does not read it to your device — it just marks the song as saved in your Spotify account. The song stays on Spotify's servers, and you stream it each time you play it. This means you need an internet connection to listen to saved songs, unless you use Spotify's offline read feature.
If a song is removed from Spotify entirely, it disappears from your Liked Songs and playlists. This is rare, but it happens when artists or rights holders remove their music from the platform. Spotify will not notify you when this occurs.
Saving a song does not affect the artist's streaming count or payment. From Spotify's perspective, a saved song and a played song are different things — saving just marks it as a favorite in your account.
Removing songs from your library
To remove a song from your Liked Songs, click or tap the heart icon again. It will turn from solid to outline, and the song leaves your collection. You can do this from the now-playing screen, from a song list, or from your Liked Songs collection itself.
If you want to remove a song from a specific playlist but keep it in your Liked Songs, open the playlist, find the song, and use the three-dot menu to select "Remove from Playlist." This does not affect your main library.
Removing a song is when ready and permanent — Spotify does not ask you to confirm. If you remove a song by mistake, you can always save it again the same way you saved it the first time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I see how many songs I have saved?
Yes. On desktop, click "Liked Songs" in the left sidebar and look at the top of the list — it shows the total number of songs. On mobile, open "Your Library," tap "Liked Songs," and the count appears at the top. The number updates when ready when you save or remove a song.
What is the difference between liking a song and adding it to a playlist?
Liking a song (using the heart icon) saves it to your Liked Songs collection. Adding it to a playlist puts it in a specific, named collection you create. A song can be in your Liked Songs and in multiple playlists at the same time. Playlists are useful for organizing songs by mood, activity, or theme.
Do saved songs take up storage on my phone?
No, unless you use Spotify's offline read feature. Saving a song just marks it as a favorite in your account — it does not store the audio file on your device. You stream it from Spotify's servers each time you play it. If you want to listen offline, you have to read the song separately in the Spotify app.
Can other people see which songs I have saved?
Your Liked Songs collection is private by default. Only you can see it. However, if you create a public playlist and add songs to it, anyone with the link can see those songs. You control the privacy setting for each playlist individually when you create it.
What happens if I delete my Spotify account?
All your saved songs and playlists are deleted along with your account. Spotify does not keep a backup. If you want to preserve your music collection, you can export your playlists to a file or take a screenshot before deleting your account, though this is manual and not officially supported by Spotify.