Premium and downloading as mp3

[robindegen]

Sorry if this has been asked before but i found the Q&A page (http://www.spotify.com/uk/about/downloads/) a bit ambiguous.

I quote:

For Premium, there’s Offline
Of course, if you’re a Spotify Premium subscriber, you won’t need to buy any tracks. You can just sync all your playlists and listen Offline.

It says there is offline mode, after it speaks about buying credit for downloading mp3's. But it doesn't specificly state you can download them as premium. It merely mentions offline mode, which isn't the same as far as i know.

So I have a few questions about a premium account:

- Can i download songs i like as mp3 and play them anywhere? (Without the actual spotify software, for example in my car)

- Is there DRM or anything like that? Will they work on my car radio (usb stick)?

- What's the limit on this downloading?

Thank you

Robin

[robindegen2]

Yea that's how I am doing it currently. I'm getting a new car in August which means i'll finally have proper bluetooth audio.

Though I must say even on supposed "high quality streaming", my own collection of music usually sounds way better than spotify which ends up sounding like encoded blur and generally dull.

[Peter__]

I'm going to sit and mess around with the new iOS EQ in my car this evening and see if I can make it sound better on my rubbish speakers!

[Kelly_Fivebears]

i JUST CAME BACK FROM A TRIP TO bALI... IT WAS SWEET TO HAVE MY PLAYLISTS OFFLINE, AND I TOOK ADVANTAGE OF VILLA WIFI TO SOURCE AND SYNC NEW TUNES FOR THE MISSIONS AROUND THE JOINT...

Didnt have a car, but i made these mean speakers which worked awesome on the scooters, sound quality was amazing over the din of traffic and mufler blaring: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kp1CChL98Cs maybe if you dont have hooks ups on your car audio you could make these. just duct tape it to your dashboard near where your sterring wheel is... pretty much hands free too.

[kayakmangalway]

Me too, I've a premium accout but cannot transfer to USB for my cars audio.  Service is essentially useless unless you ALWAY play from a phone or PC

[millershine · Accepted solution]

1. Can i download songs i like as mp3 and play them anywhere? (Without the actual spotify software, for example in my car)

--No, except for removing DRM from Spotify songs or recording.

2. Is there DRM or anything like that? Will they work on my car radio (usb stick)? -

--Spotify songs are with DRM. They can't be enjoyed in the car.

[robindegen]

Thanks for your answer, but this question is nearly 5 years old. I've moved on 🙂 

[BelgianAlien]

They can be enjoyed in the car... download them in the spotify app on your phone for offline listening, connect phone to car stereo (aux input, bluetooth, etc.), listen to spotify in the car. I do it every day.

[robindegen2]

This was posted in 2012... Phones and car radio's with bluetooth weren't as common place as they are now.

[BelgianAlien]

note to self... look closer at the posting date... my bad.

[transcoder]

With a modern android phone, yo usually have a sd card slot. 128G not unheard of ( that is what I have in mine). Install the spotify client on the phone, download all your playlists to the phone. (to the the sd card) . Then you can listen to them using either bluetooth ro the phone's usb connector. (This assumes a _somewhat_ modern audio system in the car that either has bluetooth, or can play via usb, or if all else fails, has a pre-amp input jack).    I use my bluetooth connection in the car, works without a hitch.   I think Spotify is an insane value for $120 a year, DRM or not. It takes virtually no time to discover and put into a playlist _any_  genre of music, no matter how obscure.  This is esp. true for folks who listen to a lot of music or like to discover new stuff.  Prior to Spotify, I would have to buy cd-s or other form of music to find new stuff I like, and my hit-miss ratio was worse than 1:10.    

[BoookerDewitt]

nooope they download as .file, and are not able to be converted to any audio file. they encrypt all their **bleep** to make what your describing difficult. you cannot download and play locally, u need to play the downloaded songs through the app.

(idk if this is how it was in 2012 or not, they may have origianlly downloaded as .mp3 i do not know)

[RASHID1996-GB]

https://open.spotify.com/album/7rZrFvyGiP9wYkXWlF76gH?si=vgpM3zmKT7iFSqefhae6dw

[Falconcr]

Should be able to play your off-line playlist on your car stereo even if it is not bluetooth enabled by running a cable from you head phone jack in your phone to the input on your car stereo (which I believe you implied was USB).

Something like this:  https://www.amazon.com/3-5mm-Stereo-Headphone-Cable-White/dp/B006D7Z69E/

You wouldn't need to worry about data or bandwidth then.

[robindegen]

This post is from 2012 🙂 I have 4g with bluetooth and Apple Music nowadays since itunes did support what I needed back then... so I just stuck with it. Thanks though 🙂