How to Make Spotify Use Less Mobile Data

Streaming music on Spotify is awesome—until you blow through your mobile data plan halfway through the month. If you’ve ever wondered why your gigs disappear so fast or how to stretch your data without giving up your playlists, you’re not alone. Good news: you don’t have to stop streaming. Here’s how to make Spotify use less mobile data right now.

1. Change Your Streaming Quality

Spotify lets you pick how much data each song uses. The higher the quality, the more data it eats up. Here’s what you need to do:

• Open the Spotify app.
• Tap the gear icon (Settings) in the top right.
• Scroll to Audio Quality.
• Set WiFi streaming and Cellular streaming to Low or Normal.

Data usage per quality:

• Low: About 0.24 MB per minute (~14 MB/hour)
• Normal: About 0.72 MB per minute (~43 MB/hour)
• High: About 1.2 MB per minute (~72 MB/hour)
• Very High: About 2.4 MB per minute (~144 MB/hour)

Pick “Low” or “Normal” for mobile data. It’ll still sound good if you’re listening on the go.

2. Download Music While on WiFi

The ultimate data-saving move: download your favorite playlists and albums when you’re on WiFi. Here’s how:

• Find your playlist, album, or podcast.
• Tap the download toggle (down arrow icon).

Spotify will save those tracks to your device. Then, just switch Spotify to Offline Mode under Settings > Playback when you’re out and about. Zero streaming, zero data.

3. Turn Off Autoplay

Autoplay means Spotify keeps playing recommended songs when your playlist ends. More music, more data. If you want to cut back, turn it off:

• Go to Settings.
• Scroll to Playback.
• Switch Autoplay off.

4. Use Data Saver Mode

Spotify has a built-in Data Saver mode that handles a lot of this for you:

• Go to Settings.
• Tap Data Saver.
• Turn it on.

This lowers audio quality automatically and disables Canvas animations (those short video loops that play with some songs).

5. Watch Out for Podcasts and Videos

Podcasts and video podcasts can use a ton of data, especially if you stream them in high quality. Download them over WiFi, or keep an eye on your streaming settings.

Quick Tips Recap

• Lower your streaming quality
• Download music over WiFi and listen offline
• Turn on Data Saver
• Turn off Autoplay
• Download podcasts and avoid videos on data

Spotify’s all about enjoying your music—don’t let your data cap get in the way. Set it up once, and listen worry-free.

Got other streaming apps draining your data? Let me know in the comments if you want a guide for those too!

Mark Vincent

Tech enthusiast and content creator passionate about making technology simple for everyone. I share practical tips, guides, and reviews on the latest in computers, software, and gadgets. Let’s explore the digital world together!