Playlist radio Spotify mobile

Theres more to the Spotify app for Android and iOS than simply streaming your favorite artists or Spotifys premixed radio stations. Indeed, the Spotify mobile app is capable of some pretty clever tricks once you know what youre doing.

For starters, its easy to download a Spotify radio mix to your phone for on-the-go playback without putting a dent in your monthly mobile data allowanceand indeed, you can set Spotify to stay offline completely, if the need arises. You can also tweak the quality of your audio streaming and music downloads, keep playing tunes even when your playlist is over, crossfade from one song to another, and more.

Note: Several of the features and settings well be covering require a premium Spotify subscription, which will set you back about $10 a month. (Psst! You can easily score a 30-day free Spotify Premium trial with the right Google search).

1. Play your radio stations offline

Whether theyre based on a song, an artist, or a particular mood, Spotifys radio stations are perfect for playing endless tunes at home over Wi-Fi. If youre out and about, though, you might not relish the idea of streaming all that music over cellular, or perhaps youre on a subway, soaring at cruising altitude, or otherwise unable to get a wireless connection.

Ben Patterson

Once youve added your Spotify radio station songs to a playlist, just flick the Download switch to save them for offline playback.

Luckily, theres a simple way to save Spotify radio stations for offline playback, perfect for bringing a smorgasbord of tunes with you while youre on the go.

For iOS: This ones easy. For a curated or mood station created by Spotify, just pull up the station, then flip on the Download switch.

For a custom station youve created (based on a song or an artist), tap the three-dot button in the top-right corner of the screen, then tap Add to Playlist. You can then add the tracks in your radio station to an existing playlist or create a new one (the default name for a new playlist will be the name of the station plus a timestamp). Once thats done, go to your new playlist (its under the Your Library tab), then flip on the Download switch.

For Android: For premade Spotify radio stations, the process is the same as iOSjust open a station, then switch on the Download setting.

For your own radio stations, youll have to jump through a few hoops, because (for whatever reason) the Android version of Spotify doesnt have a simple Add to playlist button for an entire station. Instead, youll have to tap the three-dot button next to each song in the station, then tap Add to playlisttedious, I know.

Ben Patterson

If youre using Spotify on Android, you can add a couple of songs from a radio station to a playlist, then tap the + buttons next to tracks in the Recommended Songs section.

Another option: Add just a few songs to a new playlist, open the playlist (from the Your Library tab), then tap the + buttons next to the tracks in the Recommended Songs section.

Yet another option: Open your custom station using the Spotify desktop app, click the three-dot button near the top of the screen, then click Add to playlist. Once youve created a new playlist with tracks from your radio station, the playlist will appear in the Android app.

Finally got your radio playlist created? Open it up (Your Library > Playlists), then flick on the Download setting.

2. Listen to Spotify offline, and only offline

Once youve got some radio stations saved for offline playback, you might want to be sure that you dont accidentally start streaming Spotify tunes over your cellular connection, particularly given Spotifys AutoPlay feature (which Ill cover in a moment).

Ben Patterson

Android Nougat users will find an Offline mode button for Spotify in their Quick Settings panel.

Heres the trick: Turn on Spotifys Offline mode, which will only let you play Spotify tracks and playlists that youve downloaded.

For Android, tap the Your Library tab at the bottom of the screen, tap the Settings button in the top-right corner of the screen, then flip the Offline mode switch. For iOS, head for the Your Library tab, tap Settings > Playback, then enable Offline mode.

If youve got Nougat installed on your Android phone, you can add an Offline button for Spotify to your Quick Settings panel. Open Quick Settings (swipe down with two fingertips from the top of the screen), tap the Edit button at the top of the screen, then look for the Offline mode button in the Drag to add tiles section.

3. Keep playing music when your playlist runs out

If you never want the music to end, Spotify has a clever feature just for you. The AutoPlay setting (yes, the one we referred to above) will automatically play recommended songs after the playlist or album youre listening to ends.

Ben Patterson

The music will never stop if youve got Spotifys AutoPlay setting enabled.

Its a nifty feature for anyone who wants continuous tunes without looping the same tracks over and overand yes, with AutoPlay enabled, you might end up streaming songs after your downloaded playlist tracks are done (unless, of course, youve turned on Offline mode).

On Android, tap Your Library > Settings, then toggle the AutoPlay setting on or off. On iOS, youll need to tap Your Library > Settings > Playback to reach the AutoPlay switch.

4. Snip out the gaps between songs

Nothing ruins the mood of Sgt. Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band (yes, Im dating myself) like a jarring skip between the title track and With a Little Help from My Friends. Luckily, you can set Spotify to eliminate the gaps between songs, which makes for a much more seamless Fab Four experience.

Ben Patterson

Sgt. Pepperswont sound quite right on Spotify unless youve enabled the Gapless playback setting.

On Android, tap Your Library > Settings, then toggle on the Gapless setting. For iOS, tap Playback from the Settings screen to reach the Gapless setting.

5. Crossfade between songs

Some albums, like Sgt. Peppers were meant to be enjoyed without gaps between songs, but perhaps youre a music lover who never wants silence between tracks, no matter what. If thats the case, Spotify has a setting for you.

Ben Patterson

You can set Spotify to crossfade anywhere between one and 12 seconds between tracks.

Head for Spotifys Playback settings (Your Library > Settings on Android, or Your Library > Settings > Playback on iOS), then swipe the Crossfade slider for anywhere between one and 12 seconds of crossfade.

6. Boost your playback quality

By default, Spotify will automatically adjust your music streaming bandwidth depending on the strength of your wireless connection, while downloaded tracks will be optimized for the best balance between sound quality and storage space.

Ben Patterson

You can boost the streaming and download quality of Spotify songs, but itll cost you when it comes to bandwidth and storage space.

Spotifys Automatic and Normal settings for streaming and downloads, respectively, should sound decent enough for most casual listeners. If youre ears demand the best, theres a way to wring every last bit out of Spotifys music streams and downloaded tracks.

First, tap your way to Spotifys Streaming quality settings (Your Library > Settings on Android, or Your Library > Settings > Streaming quality on iOS), then pick some new options. For Streaming, you can choose from Automatic quality, Normal (about 96KBps, not bad for mobile), High (160KBpsbetter), or Extreme (320KBps, for silky-smooth sound). For Download quality, your choices are similar: Normal, High, and Extreme. Naturally, the better your streaming or download quality, the more bandwidth and storage youll consume.