Offline music while online. Does it switch automatically?

[InstaCool]

Do I need to go offline to play my offline music or will it automatically switch streaming to downloaded songs? I have been switching offline to play my downloaded music but would like to go from a song that's not dowloaded to a a downloaded song. 

I'm wondering will it stream a downloaded song.

Anyone else curious or know the answer.

[Carina · Accepted solution]

Hey @InstaCool and welcome to the community!

Once you synced a track in an offline playlist, it stays downloaded in all of your playlists. So it won't be streamed. 

[InstaCool]

Thanks! Glad I don't have to switch to offline mode anymore! That was a pain. 

[MichaelW]

Hi there,
Welcome at the Spotify Community!

I've just checked it out. When I enable my mobile data connection and start a downloaded track, I don't see the arrows blinking (which means it doesn't download anything). Of course you can always enable offline mode if you'd like to be sure. 

[InstaCool]

Thanks! I believe when you're online though there are no arrows. That's why it's hard to tell. I don' think there's actually an idicator for that? /it would make sense to hop over to non streaming automatically....

So far I've been switch to offline mode an listening to my offline playlist but I have a few play list that are a mixture of off and online. I'd like to think it knows better....Wish i had unlimited data.

Does Spotify actually review these boards? Would be nice to have a customer service rep confirn.

[Carina]

There are plenty of Spotify staff members active in the community, but unfortunately it's weekend and they just work monday to friday.

But I can tell you FOR SURE that it doesn't stream anything. Because once I accidentally removed the offline setting for a playlist and was listening on the road to my music.. After an hour or something my traffic was fully exhausted. Usually I listen couple of hours outdoors every day and if the songs are downloaded it isn't streaming anything. Plus, I've never used offline mode (only on plane with in-phone-settings and not in-app).

[thiagooliv]

I know this is an old topic. But I'm having trouble related to this. When I play my donwloaded songs, the app will still stream them from the server, and this is getting me crazy because I suffer from pauses and my data pack ends in the middle of the month. This behabior began a month ago, I'm using latest Spotify app on Android 4.4 (LG G3).

[toddallen50]

So this is good so you don't have to use your data plan while in the car etc since it's downloaded and doesn't stream right?

[Switchbl4d3]

Same problem here. Everytime i drive through a tunnel and im listening to downloaded songs they just stop and/or lag as the connection fades. But when my internet connection is completely gone they seem to switch to offline mode and start playing normally.