Pandora Plus and Pandora Premium are the only ways to save music for offline listening

Pandora's free tier does not let you save songs to your device. If you want to listen to music without an internet connection, you need either Pandora Plus or Pandora Premium — both are paid subscriptions. Pandora Plus costs around $4.99 per month and lets you save up to 4 hours of music per month. Pandora Premium costs around $9.99 per month and lets you save unlimited music.

The difference between the two comes down to how much you want to save and whether you want to skip songs freely. With Pandora Plus, you get limited skips and ads. With Pandora Premium, you get unlimited skips and no ads. Both subscriptions work on phones, tablets, and computers.

If you do not want to pay for a subscription, you cannot save Pandora songs to listen offline. Your only option is to listen while connected to the internet.

Key Takeaways

  • Free Pandora accounts cannot save music for offline listening — you need Pandora Plus or Pandora Premium.
  • Pandora Plus lets you save up to 4 hours of music per month and costs around $4.99 per month.
  • Pandora Premium lets you save unlimited music and costs around $9.99 per month, plus you get no ads and unlimited skips.
  • Once you upgrade, you save songs by tapping the heart icon or the three-dot menu and selecting the save option.
  • Saved music stays on your device even when you are offline, but only as long as your subscription is active.

How to save songs on Pandora Plus or Premium

After you upgrade to either paid plan, saving a song takes just a few taps. On your phone or tablet, open the Pandora app and play the song you want to save. Look for the heart icon or the three-dot menu button on the now-playing screen. Tap it and select "Save Offline" or "Add to Offline" — the exact wording depends on whether you are using iOS or Android.

On a computer, the process is similar. Play the song in your web browser, then look for the heart icon next to the song title. Right-click on it or look for a menu option that says "Save Offline." The song will download to your device in the background.

You can check how much space your saved music is taking up by going to your account settings and looking for "Offline Storage" or "Downloads." If you are running low on space and using Pandora Plus, you may need to delete some saved songs before you can save new ones.

What happens to your saved music if you cancel your subscription

Saved songs only work while your subscription is active. If you cancel Pandora Plus or Premium, the offline files stay on your device, but you will not be able to play them. The app will show them as locked or unavailable. If you resubscribe later, they unlock again and you can play them right away.

This is different from buying music outright on iTunes or Amazon Music, where you own the files permanently. With Pandora, you are renting access to the music, not buying it. The offline feature is a convenience for subscribers, not a way to keep songs forever.

Saving playlists instead of individual songs

If you have a playlist you want to save for offline listening, you can save the whole thing at once instead of tapping each song individually. Open the playlist, tap the three-dot menu at the top, and look for "Save Offline" or "Download." Pandora will save every song in that playlist to your device.

Keep in mind that saving a full playlist counts toward your monthly limit on Pandora Plus. If you have a 50-song playlist and your limit is 4 hours per month, that playlist might use up most or all of your allowance depending on song length. Pandora Premium has no limit, so you can save as many playlists as you want.

Storage space and device limits

Saved music takes up storage space on your phone, tablet, or computer. A typical song uses between 3 and 8 megabytes of space, so a 100-song playlist might use 300 to 800 megabytes. If your device is running low on storage, you may not be able to save as much music as your subscription allows.

Pandora lets you save music on multiple devices with the same account. You can have saved songs on your phone, your tablet, and your computer all at the same time. However, each device stores its own copy of the files, so saving the same 50-song playlist on three devices uses three times the storage space.

Troubleshooting saved music that will not play

If you saved songs but they will not play offline, the most common reason is that your subscription has expired or lapsed. Check your account to make sure your payment method is current and your subscription is still active. If it is, try logging out of the Pandora app completely and logging back in. This refreshes your subscription status.

If songs still will not play, try deleting the offline files and saving them again. Go to your account settings, find "Offline Storage" or "Downloads," and remove the songs that are not working. Then save them fresh. If the problem continues, uninstall the Pandora app, restart your device, and reinstall it.

On some older phones or tablets, the Pandora app may not support offline listening even with a paid subscription. Check the app store to make sure you have the latest version installed. If you are using an older device that Pandora no longer supports, you may need to upgrade your phone or tablet to use the offline feature.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I save Pandora songs on my computer?

Yes, you can save songs for offline listening on a Windows or Mac computer if you have Pandora Plus or Premium. Use the web version at pandora.com or download the desktop app. The process is the same as on a phone — look for the heart icon or three-dot menu and select the save option.

What is the difference between saving a song and giving it a thumbs up?

Giving a song a thumbs up tells Pandora you like it and helps personalize your stations. Saving a song for offline means you are downloading it to your device so you can listen without internet. You can thumbs up songs on the free plan, but you can only save them offline if you have a paid subscription.

How long does it take for a song to download after I save it?

Most songs download within a few seconds to a minute, depending on your internet speed and how large the file is. You can start listening to other music while the download happens in the background. If a song is taking longer than a few minutes, check your internet connection.

Can I transfer my saved Pandora songs to another music app?

No, saved Pandora songs are locked to the Pandora app and cannot be moved to Spotify, Apple Music, or other services. They only work within Pandora and only while your subscription is active. If you want to use a different music service, you would need to build your music library there separately.

Do I need WiFi to save songs, or can I use mobile data?

You can save songs using either WiFi or mobile data. However, if you are on a limited data plan, saving a lot of music over cellular can use up your monthly allowance quickly. It is usually faster and more efficient to save songs when you are connected to WiFi.