YouTube Music lets you download songs to your phone, but the method depends on whether you have a paid subscription
YouTube Music is a streaming service owned by Google that works alongside regular YouTube. If you have a YouTube Music Premium subscription, you can download individual songs, albums, or playlists directly to your phone and listen offline. If you use the free version of YouTube Music, downloading is not available — you can only stream while connected to the internet.
The download feature works on both Android and iPhone, though the steps differ slightly. Downloaded songs stay on your device until you delete them or your subscription ends. Once your subscription lapses, the downloaded files become unplayable, even though they remain on your phone taking up storage space.
Key Takeaways
- YouTube Music Premium subscribers can download songs to their phone by opening a song, album, or playlist and tapping the download icon.
- Downloaded music plays offline and does not require an internet connection, but stops working if your subscription ends.
- Free YouTube Music users cannot download songs at all and must stream with an active internet connection.
- Downloaded files take up storage space on your phone, and you can delete them individually or clear them all at once.
Downloading on Android phones
Open the YouTube Music app and find the song, album, or playlist you want to download. Tap the three-dot menu icon next to the title. A menu will appear with several options, including "Download" — tap that option. The song will begin downloading immediately, and a small download icon will appear next to the title to show it is saved on your device.
For playlists or albums, the process is the same: open the playlist or album page, tap the three-dot menu, and select "Download." YouTube Music will download all songs in that collection. You can see the download progress in the notification bar at the top of your screen. Depending on your internet speed and the number of songs, this may take several minutes.
Once downloaded, you can find your offline songs by opening the YouTube Music app, tapping "Your Library" at the bottom, and then selecting "Downloads." This section shows only the songs you have saved to your phone. If you want to remove a downloaded song to free up space, open the Downloads section, tap the three-dot menu next to the song, and select "Remove Download."
Downloading on iPhone
The process on iPhone is nearly identical to Android. Open the YouTube Music app, find the song or album you want, and tap the three-dot menu icon. Select "Download" from the menu that appears. The download will start right away, and you will see a download icon next to the title once it completes.
Access your downloaded music by tapping "Your Library" at the bottom of the app, then selecting "Downloads." From here, you can play any downloaded song without an internet connection. To delete a downloaded song on iPhone, swipe left on the song title in the Downloads section and tap the trash icon that appears.
How much storage space downloads use
Downloaded songs take up storage space on your phone, and the amount varies depending on the audio quality and length of each song. A typical three-minute song uses between 3 and 8 megabytes of space. An entire album of 12 songs might use 50 to 100 megabytes. A large playlist with 100 songs could use 500 megabytes to over 1 gigabyte.
If you are running low on phone storage, you can delete downloads selectively or clear all downloads at once. On Android, go to Settings within the YouTube Music app, tap "Storage," and select "Clear all downloads." On iPhone, go to Settings, tap "Storage," and choose "Clear Downloads." This removes the downloaded files but does not cancel your subscription.
What happens when your subscription ends
If you stop paying for YouTube Music Premium, your downloaded songs will no longer play, even though the files remain on your phone. The app will show them as locked or unavailable. You can delete these files manually to free up space, or they will remain taking up storage until you remove them.
If you resubscribe to YouTube Music Premium later, your previously downloaded songs will become playable again. You do not need to download them a second time — the app will recognize the files and unlock them once your subscription is active.
Downloading over Wi-Fi versus mobile data
YouTube Music allows you to download over both Wi-Fi and mobile data, but downloading over Wi-Fi is usually faster and does not count against your phone's data plan. If you have a limited data plan, consider downloading only when connected to Wi-Fi to avoid using up your monthly allowance.
You can set YouTube Music to download only over Wi-Fi if you want to prevent accidental data use. On Android, go to Settings, tap "Downloads," and toggle on "Download on Wi-Fi only." On iPhone, open Settings, tap "Downloads," and enable "Wi-Fi only." With this setting on, the app will not download songs when you are using mobile data, even if you tap the download button.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I download music from YouTube Music on my computer?
No, YouTube Music does not offer a download feature on computers or web browsers. Downloads are only available on the mobile app for Android and iPhone. You can stream music on your computer through the YouTube Music website, but you cannot save songs for offline listening on a desktop or laptop.
What is the difference between YouTube Music and regular YouTube?
YouTube Music is a separate app focused on music streaming, while regular YouTube is a video platform. YouTube Music Premium is a paid subscription that removes ads and allows downloads. Regular YouTube has its own premium tier called YouTube Premium, which is different and does not include YouTube Music downloads.
Can I transfer downloaded YouTube Music files to another device?
No, downloaded YouTube Music files are tied to your account and the specific device they were downloaded on. You cannot copy or move them to another phone, computer, or external drive. If you want the same songs on another device, you must download them again using the YouTube Music app on that device with an active subscription.
How long do downloaded songs stay on my phone?
Downloaded songs remain on your phone until you delete them manually or your subscription ends. If your subscription lapses, the files stay on your device but become unplayable. There is no automatic expiration date for downloads as long as your subscription is active.
Do I need to download songs to listen offline, or are there other options?
Downloading is the only way to listen to YouTube Music offline. If you do not want to use storage space on your phone, you can stream music while connected to Wi-Fi instead. Some other music streaming services like Spotify and Apple Music also offer offline downloads with a paid subscription.