Minimizing Data Usage

[user-removed]

I'm not clear on how Spotify works and the difference between a "local" song and songs that have been "synched".  I want to minimize data avausage when I'm not on wifi. 

Clearly listening to Spotify Radio consumes data - I get that.  Once I've got a playlist built, do I have to "synch" those songs?  Does "make available offline" automatically synch the songs?  Whats the difference between having songs synched versus having them local?  Once synched, will I be able to listen to them on an airplane for instance?  If I'm out jogging and I don't have wifi, is there anything I need to do to make sure that when I'm listening to my playlist, I'm not streaming? 

I'm all over the board ... thanks for the help. 

[Carina]

Hey @user-removed and welcome to the community!

- If you enable "make available offline" it will automatically download the songs

- Songs synced: These are the files you made available for offline use through Spotify

- Local songs: These are the files stored on your computer. They don't have anything to do with Spotify except the playback within the client

- Yes, you can listen to synced songs on an airplane / a place without wi-fi

- You can listen to your songs while jogging if the playlist is set to offline. Make sure the playlist has synced completely because half-synced playlists will either download on the go or you'll stream the files that haven't synced properly (according to your settings). To be a hundred percent sure, you can switch to offline mode in your settings on your phone and only the downloaded songs will play.

[user-removed]

Thank you Carina - that was very helpful.  So just to be sure, if a song is on a playlist and synched, and the playlist is marked "make available offline", my phone will play the "synched" song, i.e. not stream it correct?  Put another way, the player will "default" to the synched song and not stream unless a song on my playlist is not synched?  

[user-removed]

Also, when I look at the songs on a playlist, what symbol shows me that it's synched?  I see a check mark on some, a plus sign on some and what looks like a chain link to the right.  Sorry to be so dense.

[Carina]

Yes, your phone won't stream a song if the song is downloaded / on a offline playlist.

If some songs couldn't finish their sync, they will stream while out of a wi-fi connection. But not if you enable offline mode in your settings (not on top of playlists but in the user settings) or disable "download over 3G/4G".

About the symbols:

Desktop client: It shows an arrow in a circle next to the playlist name. The plus and checkmark signs just mean you've added those tracks to the "Your Music" library (or can add them by pushing the plus).

Mobile: All songs have either a green or grey arrow icon next to the song. Green is synced, grey is not but it will return the download the next time you're in a wi-fi network.

[rodolforoim]

What Spotify could implement is a feature that would allow users to download songs and/or consume streaming only on wifi connection and not on 4G, for exemple. That way, it would prevent to consume data from my cell phone plan, but allow me to use on my home wifi in a easier and automatically way. Today I don't have this option. Either I'm online on wifi and on cellphone data or I'm totally offline from both.