Trying to understand difference between streaming and syncing

[mcnaugha]

Can someone please explain the difference between streaming and syncing? Am I right in thinking streaming is when you are playing something with an Internet connection and syncing is for when you press the 'available offline' switch and it actually downloads the whole thing to your device? Syncing also applies to songs it sucks up off your computer music libraries???

I want to optimise my cellular/mobile data usage but I'm thinking these settings in Music Quality aren't going to help me achieve what I'd like. I'd like to see separate mobile and WiFi settings. I'd like fullest quality when I'm on WiFi but I'm prepared to live with a lower quality when on mobile. I have a 4GB mobile data allowance but I've just started more frequently listening to playlists and I notice that I've eaten through 29% in four days. I do have the highest music quality set. It looks as though I'm going to have to consciously change quality settings depending on where I am to balance the quality with data usage on mobile but open the throttle on my home or work WiFi.

T.I.A.

[Josh · Accepted solution]

Hello @mcnaugha, welcome to the community!

Streaming is when you are listening to music from the web (nothing is stored locally), syncing with Spotify is "Offline Mode" it saves the music you want to listen to on your device so you can listen to it when you are not connected to the Internet (it downloads the playlist to your device). 

Currently there is no way to differentiate between Wifi and cellular quality settings, but you can add your kudos to this idea here 🙂 If you want to listen to your music without using an Internet connection (you can set downloads to high quality), you will need to make them available offline (this will use your device storage), otherwise streaming will use your data when you are listening to music on Spotify. 

[KOOLV]

GRRREAT!!!  I was hoping this was the case.  Im going on a cruise, and I didnt want to purchase WiFi!!