What Codec Does Spotify Use And Device Supported?

Written By Robert Fabry Last updated: January 6, 2024

Many music streaming services use different audio file formats to stream their content. What codec does Spotify use? What audio file formats you have come across throughout your music collections? This article will talk about what codec Spotify uses, and also the necessary things that we should know about it. Also aside from all this important information, we will also share a way for you can be able to download songs from Spotify with high-quality music without Premium. If you are one of the music enthusiasts who are curious to find out more, read this article until the very end.

Contents Guide Part 1. Which Audio Codec Does Spotify Use for Streaming?Part 2. Which Spotify Audio File Format Is the Best?Part 3. Bonus: Convert Spotify Ogg Vorbis to MP3 FormatTo Summarize It All

Part 1. Which Audio Codec Does Spotify Use for Streaming?

There are a lot of audio formats to use for delivering music. What codec does Spotify use? These audio file formats vary depending on the device that you are using, and also the type of subscription that you are paying. Let's see the details below:

Spotify Audio File Format On Spotify Web Player

Will Spotify use AAC (Advanced Audio Coding) as its audio codec? Yes. On Spotify web player, you can stream music and podcasts at AAC 128kbit/s (for free accounts), or AAC 256kbit/s (for Spotify Premium). AAC is a lossy compression format that delivers high-quality audio at lower bitrates than other codecs. This means that the music you listen to on Spotify web player is of high quality and sounds great.

Spotify Web Player Audio File

Spotify Audio File Format On Desktop, Mobile, and Tablet

What codec does Spotify use on its mobile app? Spotify has been using Ogg Vorbis to deliver all audio on its mobile apps since its inception. Ogg Vorbis is a lossy codec, with the format providing better sound at the same bitrate, giving the same audio quality through a smaller file size. On Spotify free, you can stream at Vorbis 96 kbit/s, 160 kbit/s. Whilst, if you want to try the higher quality Vorbis 320 kbit/s, you should be subscribed to the Spotify Premium.

Part 2. Which Spotify Audio File Format Is the Best?

Although we know what codec does Spotify use on its web player, desktop, and mobile apps, these audio file formats can become confusing for all new users. From AAC to OGG, we’re here to help explain what these file formats mean to you and your music, you'll be able to choose a format that suits your needs.

Lossy

AAC and Ogg Vorbis are both standard lossy audio formats. Lossy formats use compression techniques to reduce the file size by discarding some of the sound quality and audio data. This results in a loss of audio quality.

File Size

We have mentioned what codec does Spotify use. Lossy compression will break files down into smaller sizes. So AAC and Ogg files take up very little space and are great for streaming, especially over mobile devices.

Supported Device

Despite being capable of delivering good audio quality in a small storage space, the Ogg Vorbis is not as widespread. When you couple this with the fact that Ogg Vorbis files require software extensions to be playable on most devices, the Ogg Vorbis doesn't seem like a go-to format for most music lovers. What about AAC? Products that support AAC include Apple iPod, iTunes, Creative Zen, Nintendo 3DS, SanDisk Sansa (some models), Walkman, Samsung YEPP, and more. AAC can be applied to more devices than the Ogg format.

AAC and Ogg: Verdict

AAC and Ogg audio files offer greater sound quality at a small file size, however, all Ogg and AAC audio files on Spotify only can be accessed on its official apps, even though you have downloaded them with a Premium account. The DRM protection on Spotify audio files is what prevents you from saving songs on your external storage. To play Spotify downloads on any device, you better convert them to MP3 because it is one of the world’s most popular audio file formats that works on most devices.

What Is Digital Rights Management

Part 3. Bonus: Convert Spotify Ogg Vorbis to MP3 Format

You now have an understanding of what codec does Spotify use. The choice between AAC and Ogg audio formats depends on personal preference and the intended use of the audio file. If you are a casual listener who wants to enjoy Spotify music offline on a portable device, MP3 may be the best option. MP3 files are absolutely fine for the majority of listeners. Regardless of the platform, operating system, or software, an MP3 will most likely play. To download Spotify music at high quality to MP3 without paying any subscription, you can use AMusicSoft Spotify Music Converter.

AMusicSoft Spotify Music Converter offers a free trial. Be you a free user or a Spotify subscriber, you can download Spotify music to MP3 at no cost. Install the tool for free and get more control over your music immediately!

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You really do not need to be bothered by identifying what audio codec does Spotify use, this tool will help you effortlessly download your songs and playlist from Spotify to MP3, AAC, FLAC, AIFF, WAV, or ALAC mainstream format. On the other hand, AMusicSoft Spotify Music Converter can remove the DRM protection from Spotify alongside the process of conversion, so there will endless chances for you to play all the songs that you want to be played offline on any device.

It will only take you some minutes to have all your music files converted, and one of the reasons why it is said to be efficient is because even though the process is short, the music files are lossless, and are really of the best quality. You can enjoy the best listening quality you could ever hear.

Download Spotify Music to MP3

Step 1: Open The AMusicSoft Spotify Music Converter and log into its built-in Spotify web player. Once you are at the main screen, do the dragging and dropping of Spotify tracks to add those to convert.

Adding Spotify Music Songs To Converter

Step 2: Select one from the output formats. You can choose MP3 format or any other compatible with your media player depending on your preference. You can also set output quality, conversion speed, and output path. Also, you can follow the guide "Convert Spotify to WAV Losslessly" to get a WAV file from Spotify.

Choosing Output Format On Converter

Step 3: Tick the button at the bottom “Convert.” Now AMusicSoft program will transform all the Spotify tracks and at the same time remove the DRM protection of those.

Converting Music Songs To The Format You Want

Once you have the converted files, you need to go to the "Converted" tab and click the "View Output Files" to find well-downloaded Spotify music files from the folder you set. Once MP3 Spotify music is on your computer, you can play it anytime and anywhere you want. You will also save a lot of data and money because you can play Spotify music offline without Premium.

To Summarize It All

Being able to understand what codec does Spotify use is necessary if you want to use it for a long time. It will give you the option to choose what type of device you want to listen to. We have also shared with you AMusicSoft Spotify Music Converter which is a professional converter that can do almost everything for you when it comes to the conversion of music files. It has a lot to offer to those who are having difficulty playing, converting, and downloading songs.

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