Spotify Adds Offline Music Downloads to the Apple Watch

Spotify is adding the ability to download playlists, albums, and podcasts on Apple Watch to play offline, the company announced last Friday. Users will be able to stream audio in 96kbps, add and delete Spotify content on their phones, and sync with the Watch. “Being able to download music and podcasts complements the existing feature of being able to stream your favorites from the watch, and now you don’t even have to take your phone with you,” the company said in its news release.

Spotify first launched its Apple Watch app in 2018, adding the ability to stream music using an Apple Watch just last November.  Before then, the Apple Watch only worked as a remote for Spotify music playing on an iPhone or other Spotify Connect-compatible device.

The new offline feature will be available on Apple Watch Series 3 or later running WatchOS 6.0 or later, with WatchOS 7.1 and up recommended.  However, note that a Spotify Premium subscription is also required, and Spotify Premium memberships range from $9.99 per month for a single account, up to $15.99 per month for a family plan. There’s also a $4.99-per-month student account option available.

Another cool thing to be on the lookout for, is that Spotify said it will be launching a new feature to allow Google’s Wear devices to download music and listen offline, without needing an accompanying phone. It hasn’t been released yet, but it’s “in the works,” said the company’s product lead for wearables during Google’s developer keynote on May 18th.

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