How to Download Spotify to USB Free for Playing in a Car

By Charles Davis Updated on 2024-10-10 / Update for Spotify Tips

Q: Can you transfer Spotify playlist to USB stick for offline playing? I would like to play Spotify music through USB in cars while long-distance driving. But to my disappointment, I can't play the Spotify music in the USB drive. Why and how can I put Spotify songs on a USB stick for easy listening without any issue? Thanks for any solution.

Putting Spotify music on a USB is a great choice to get Spotify music playback on more USB-enabled devices offline. Besides, with the small size of the USB flash drive, it's a good method for data backup and storage. Sometimes, it could be a bridge to sync Spotify music files between different devices via USB. Without further ado, today, we will introduce the best workaround to download Spotify music to USB free with ease. Also, we will share the solutions with you to fix Spotify won't play through car USB. Let's dive right into it.

download spotify music to usb free

Part 1. Can You Download Music from Spotify to USB Stick Directly?

Can I Download Music from Spotify to a USB Drive?

If you are a Spotify Premium user, you can download Spotify music to the USB drive. While for Spotify Free users, you can only download Spotify podcasts to USB for listening.

Note: Although you can save Spotify downloads in your USB flash drive, you cannot play the downloaded Spotify music on other platforms via the USB stick.

Can You Change Spotify Storage Location to USB?

Yes. Spotify provides music listeners with a channel to locate Spotify music downloads and change Spotify storage location. You can tap on the Profile in the top-right corner on the Spotify app. From the pull-down menu, choose 'Settings'. Then scroll to 'Offline storage location' under the 'Storage' section to find where are Spotify downloads stored. Later, you can hit on the 'Change location' button to change the target folder as your USB stick. Then you can find and download songs from Spotify to USB flash drive.

spotify offline storage location

Why Can't You Play Spotify through USB Stick Directly?

It is noted that the downloaded Spotify playlists are cache files due to Spotify's copyright protection. Even if you have downloaded Spotify music to USB, you will find that they are scattered unknown data files. They can be playable with its app or web player only.

Can You Download Spotify to USB Free?

Spotify free users are only allowed to listen to Spotify songs, playlists, or albums with a network connection. The available download options don't belong to the feature of the free tier. That's to say, there is no official way to download Spotify to USB for free. If you'd like to do this, the prerequisite is to download Spotify songs as USB-compatible audio files with the help of a third-party Spotify to USB converter free, like AudFree Spotify Music Converter.


Why Do You Need to Download Spotify Songs to USB Drive?

If you save Spotify music to a USB flash drive, you can play Spotify songs on portable devices or other media players. Also, you can keep Spotify music forever and save storage space on your device.

Part 2. Best Free Spotify to USB Converter - AudFree Spotify Music Converter

Spotify songs are encoded in a special OGG Vorbis format, which can't be recognized by many popular devices, like MP3 players, etc., and USB flash sticks are no exception. Besides, the compatible audio formats via USB connection are MP3, WMA, AAC, M4A, and M4B. So, to download Spotify playlist to USB free, it is necessary to get a Spotify music format conversion first. But how?

Here, we can meet AudFree Spotify Music Converter, one of the most professional Spotify to USB converters. It is specialized in unlocking the limitations of Spotify songs and playlists for both Spotify free and premium members. It helps free users to unlock the download function. As the name suggests, it can convert Spotify to MP3, AAC, M4A, and other USB-compatible audio formats with lossless ID3 tags retained for free.

It is worth mentioning that this multi-faceted software can download music from Spotify to USB free at 5X faster speed without any problem. After that, you're able to play Spotify in the car or on other devices that support the USB port without any limitation, such as a DVD player, smart TV, and more. It allows you to access the offline Spotify music permanently even though you cancel Spotify Premium subscription.

AudFree Spotify Music Converter

audfree spotify to usb converter
  • Download Spotify songs/playlists/albums to USB for free
  • Convert Spotify to USB-supported formats, like MP3, AAC, FLAC, etc.
  • Save Spotify playlist to SD card, USB stick, iTunes library, etc.
  • Work at 5X faster speed while downloading songs from Spotify to USB

Part 3. How to Download Spotify Music to USB Free

AudFree Spotify Music Converter offers the opportunity to download Spotify songs for free with a few clicks. After using it, you can quickly get local Spotify music and put Spotify songs on a USB flash stick. Let's take a look at the step-by-step tutorial below.

Step 1Import Spotify Songs to AudFree SpoDable
import spotify songs to audfree spodable
Please install and launch AudFree SpoDable from your computer desktop. Then you will see the Spotify app will be opened automatically. Now, you can find your favorite Spotify playlist from the launched Spotify app. To import them to AudFree Spotify Music Converter, you can drag and drop them to the conversion window on the home page. Or try another way: Copy the Spotify track's URL link, paste it into the search box of the converter, and then click on the '+' tab.
Step 2Personalize Spotify Output Format for USB Drive
set spotify output format for usb stick
You can open the settings window by clicking the Menu icon and selecting 'Preferences' > 'Convert' Options. You have the freedom to set the target Spotify output format that can be compatible with USB flash sticks, like MP3, FLAC, AAC, M4A, etc. In general, MP3 format is set as the output format of this Spotify to USB converter by default. In this new window, you can also change other audio settings such as sample rate, bit rate, channels, etc. for playing Spotify through USB better.
Note: You can insert the USB stick to your computer in advance. Then set the output destination folder as USB music folder in AudFree Spotify Music Converter. By doing this, you can export Spotify playlist to USB directly.
Step 3Download Spotify to USB Free
download spotify songs to usb for free via audfree spodable
When all settings are ready, you can start to set up the converting process by touching the 'Convert' button. It will download Spotify songs without Premium to unprotected audio files that can be recognized by USB sticks. Generally speaking, it works at 5X faster speed while doing the conversion. By touching the bottom 'Converted' icon with a red spot with the number of tracks, you can find the Spotify downloads on your computer. After that, you can go to move Spotify to USB flash drive for playing offline. Or, you can find the downloads in the USB drive's music folder if you had inserted and saved them to the USB stick.

Part 4. How to Transfer Music from Spotify to USB Stick for Free to Play in Car

From the above, you can insert the USB drive to your computer and save Spotify music downloads to it directly via the AudFree Spotify Music Converter. If you don't do this before, it's also easy to transfer Spotify playlist to USB stick without hassle. Let's get started.

How to Put Music on a USB from Spotify on Windows or Mac Computer

Step 1. Connect the USB drive to your Windows or Mac computer via a USB port.

Step 2. Open File Explorer on Windows computer or Finder on Mac computer. Then find and open the USB drive you insert.

Step 3. Navigate to the local Spotify music storage location on your computer. Then locate and copy Spotify playlist to the inserted USB stick folder by copying and pasting.

Step 4. Wait for the end of the transferring process. It depends on how many Spotify files you'd like to sync.

Step 5. Once done, right-click your USB drive in the File Explorer or Finder and click Eject to remove your USB drive from your computer safely.

transfer songs from spotify to usb on windows or mac

How to Play Spotify through USB in Car

Now that you've transferred Spotify music to USB free, it's time to play Spotify in the car via USB flash drive. The premise is that your car has a USB port. Follow the complete tutorial below.

Step 1. Insert your USB drive with Spotify music downloads into the car's USB port.

Step 2. Select the USB folder on the car's main interface, browse, and find your favorite Spotify songs you want to play in the car.

Step 3. Click it, then the built-in media player will be launched to play Spotify music in car one after another.

play spotify in the car via usb drive

Part 5. Why Won't Spotify Play through My Car USB? Fixed!

Sometimes you may encounter the problem that Spotify isn't playing through your car USB. Here are some common reasons and potential solutions:

👉1. Check Content: Check that your USB drive contains the downloaded Spotify songs and make sure the Spotify music is intact.

👉2. USB Connection: Make sure your USB is functioning properly. You can try to plug the USB into another USB port. Or, you can unplug and insert again.

👉3. Try Another USB Drive: You can get a new USB drive to save Spotify music if the current one is damaged that causes Spotify music not playing.

👉4. Car Audio Source: Ensure that your car's audio system is set to the correct audio source, which should be the USB input. This may vary depending on your car's make and model.

👉5. USB Drive Format: Make sure your USB stick is formatted correctly (FAT32 or exFAT are usually safe choices). Also, ensure that the Spotify music files are in a format compatible with your car's audio system (e.g., MP3, AAC).

👉6. Software Updates: Outdated software can sometimes cause compatibility issues. So, check for software updates for your car's audio system to fix the issue.

👉7. Volume and Mute: Check that the volume on your car stereo isn't muted or set too low. Sometimes, the sound may be playing, but it's not audible due to volume settings.

👉8. Consult the Car Manual: If you've tried all of the above and are still experiencing issues, consult your car's user manual or contact the car manufacturer's customer support for specific troubleshooting steps.

If none of these solutions work, it's possible that your car's audio system or USB port may have a hardware issue, in which case you may need to visit a professional mechanic or car audio specialist for further assistance.

Part 6. Sum Up

From above, you can get a powerful Spotify to USB converter, namely AudFree Spotify Music Converter to download Spotify music to USB free without effort. In turn, it's able to play Spotify through USB in the car or any other preferred USB-supported device you like. There are also some troubleshooting to fix Spotify won't play through car USB issue. Just take action to start a free journey with Spotify music from a USB flash drive.

Charles Davis

Charles Davis

Chief Editor

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Charles Davis is the chief-editor of AudFree Company, who writes a variety of tech articles and music reviews, such as hot software releases and Spotify music tips.