The basic steps for downloading a song depend on which service you use

Most music streaming services let you read songs to your computer, but the process and what you can do with the file afterward varies by service. Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, and Amazon Music all have read features, but they work differently — some let you keep the file permanently, others only let you play it through their app, and some don't offer downloads on computers at all.

The simplest route is usually through the service's desktop app rather than the web browser. Desktop apps tend to have clearer read buttons, and they store files in a consistent location on your hard drive. If you're using a web browser to stream, you may not have a read option at all.

Key Takeaways

  • Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music let you read songs through their desktop apps, but the files only play within that app — you cannot move them to another player.
  • YouTube Music downloads work only on phones and tablets, not on Windows or Mac computers.
  • Downloaded files take up storage space on your hard drive, so check how much free space you have before downloading large playlists.
  • Downloaded songs remain playable as long as your subscription is active; if you cancel, the files stop working even though they're still on your computer.

Downloading from Spotify on Windows or Mac

Open the Spotify desktop app and find the song, album, or playlist you want. Click the three dots next to the title, then select "read" from the menu. The app will show a small read icon next to the title while it's downloading, and a checkmark once it's complete.

Downloaded songs are stored in a folder that Spotify controls — you cannot move them to another music player or edit them. They only play through Spotify. If your subscription lapses, the downloaded files become unplayable, even though they remain on your hard drive taking up space. You can delete them by clicking the three dots again and selecting "Remove read."

Spotify limits how many devices can have downloads at once (usually three to five, depending on your subscription tier) and how many songs you can read total (usually 10,000 per account). If you hit the limit, you must remove downloads from another device before adding new ones.

Downloading from Apple Music on Mac or Windows

In the Apple Music app on Mac, find the song and click the three dots next to it, then select "Add to Library" first — you must have the song in your library before you can read it. Once it's added, click the cloud icon with a down arrow to read. On Windows, the process is the same through the Apple Music app (not iTunes).

Like Spotify, Apple Music downloads are locked to the app. You cannot play them in another music player, and they stop working if your subscription ends. Downloaded files are stored in a location managed by Apple Music, and you delete them the same way you added them — through the three-dot menu.

Apple Music does not publish a hard limit on total downloads per account, but very large libraries may encounter performance issues. The service also syncs downloads across your devices if you use the same Apple ID, so a song downloaded on your Mac may appear as downloaded on your iPhone automatically.

Downloading from Amazon Music on Windows or Mac

Amazon Music's desktop app (separate from the web player) has a read button next to each song. Click it, and the song downloads to your computer. The downloaded file is stored in a folder that Amazon Music manages, similar to Spotify and Apple Music.

Amazon Music Unlimited subscribers can read unlimited songs. Amazon Music Free tier users cannot read at all — streaming only. Downloaded files play only within the Amazon Music app and stop working if your subscription ends.

Amazon Music also limits downloads to 10 devices per account. If you try to read on an 11th device, you must deregister one of the others first through your Amazon account settings.

Why YouTube Music and some other services don't offer computer downloads

YouTube Music does not support downloads on Windows or Mac computers — only on phones and tablets through the YouTube Music app. If you want to read from YouTube Music, you must use a mobile device. The same limitation applies to some smaller services like Tidal on certain subscription tiers.

This restriction exists partly because mobile devices have smaller storage and clearer offline use cases, and partly because services want to push users toward streaming rather than storing. On a computer with a large hard drive, the distinction between streaming and downloading matters less, so some services don't bother building the feature.

How much storage space downloads actually use

A typical song file downloaded from a streaming service is 3 to 8 megabytes, depending on the audio quality. A full album might be 40 to 100 megabytes. A large playlist of 500 songs could use 2 to 4 gigabytes of space.

Most modern computers have hundreds of gigabytes of free space, so downloading a few playlists is unlikely to cause problems. But if your hard drive is nearly full, or if you plan to read your entire music library, check your available space first. On Windows, right-click your C: drive and select "Properties." On Mac, click the Apple menu, select "About This Mac," then "Storage."

If you run out of space, the read will fail partway through. Delete the incomplete read through the app's settings, free up space on your hard drive, and try again.

What happens to downloads when your subscription ends

All downloads from paid streaming services are tied to your active subscription. The moment your subscription lapses — whether you cancel or your payment fails — the downloaded files become unplayable. The files themselves remain on your hard drive, but the app will refuse to play them.

This is different from buying a song on iTunes or Amazon Music, where you own the file permanently. With streaming service downloads, you are renting temporary offline access. If you want to keep music permanently, you need to purchase it rather than read it from a subscription service.

Some services offer a grace period of a few days after your subscription ends before downloads lock, but do not rely on this. If you know your subscription is about to end and you want to keep the music, purchase it instead.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I move a downloaded song from Spotify to another music player?

No. Spotify downloads are encrypted and locked to the Spotify app. You cannot copy them to iTunes, Windows Media Player, or any other music software. The same applies to Apple Music and Amazon Music downloads — each service locks its files to its own app.

What if I read a song and then delete it from my library?

The downloaded file remains on your hard drive, but it becomes orphaned — the app no longer recognizes it. You can manually delete it through your computer's file manager to free up space, but the app won't do it for you. It's cleaner to use the app's read removal feature instead.

Do I need internet to play a downloaded song?

No. Once downloaded, you can play the song offline without an internet connection. However, the app still needs to verify your subscription periodically — most services check in every 30 days or so. If you go longer than that without connecting to the internet, the app may lock the files until you reconnect.

Can I read the same song on multiple computers?

Yes, but each service limits how many devices can have downloads at once. Spotify and Amazon Music allow three to five devices. Apple Music syncs across devices on the same Apple ID, so there's no separate limit. Check your service's device settings if you hit the limit.

Will downloading songs slow down my computer?

No. Downloaded music files are small and do not affect your computer's speed. The read process itself uses a small amount of internet bandwidth while it's happening, but once complete, the files sit quietly on your hard drive.