How to Download Music from SoundCloud (Ultimate 2025 Guide)
Summary: In this comprehensive 2025 guide, I’ll walk you through the best ways to download music from SoundCloud—on your computer, iPhone, Android, and more. We'll cover both official and unofficial options, compare tools based on quality and ease-of-use, and highlight what works best in 2025 based on the latest user feedback, data, and community-tested methods.
Table of Contents
Have you ever found a track on SoundCloud you loved, but only to realize there's no download button?
You're not alone. As someone who listens to remixes, DJ sets, and indie releases daily, I’ve often wished there was a simple, reliable way to save music from SoundCloud, especially when the track isn’t offered for download by the artist. Whether you're building a playlist for offline listening or looking for a high-quality version of your favorite lo-fi mix, this guide is here to help.
Quick Answer: How Can You Download songs from SoundCloud?
Here’s the short version:
- 1. If a track has a “Download File” button on SoundCloud, you can click it to download directly, but this depends on whether the artist allows downloads.
- 2. If there’s no download option, you can:
a) Use a trusted online downloader (like MusicVerter) to convert the link into an MP3.
-
b) Use a desktop app like MusicFab SoundCloud Downloader to batch-download songs or playlists in high audio quality (up to 320kbps).
-
c) On mobile, offline listening requires a SoundCloud Go+ subscription, but note, these tracks can't be exported outside the app.
Not every method fits every need, so read this table to find the one that’s right for you. The table below should give you a SoundCloud download options at a glance of how each of these methods works.
Method | Downloadable Track Type | Exportable Files | Batch Support | Device | Free/Paid | Quality |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Official Download | Only Songs that are enabled by artist | ✅ | ❌ | PC / Mobile Browser | Free | Up to 128kbps MP3 |
SoundCloud Go+ | Any | ❌ In-app playback only | ✅ | Android / iOS App | Paid | Up to 256kbps AAC |
Online Converter | Any | ✅ | ⚠️ Varies by site | PC / Mobile Browser | Usually free | 128–192kbps MP3 |
MusicFab SoundCloud Downloader | Any |
✅ |
✅ Full playlist support | Windows / macOS | Paid (Free trial available) | Up to 320kbps |
Browser Extension | Any | ✅ | ✅ (on supported sites) | Desktop Browsers | Free | 128–320kbps MP3 |
yt-dlp (CLI tool) | Any | ✅ Yes (with tagging options) | ✅ Full control via CLI | Windows / macOS / Linux | Free & open-source | Original stream quality (Opus 128kbps) |
Method 1: Use SoundCloud’s Official Download Way
1. 1 Download SoundCloud Song Directly on PC or Mobile browser (If Available)
SoundCloud does allow direct downloads, but only if the track owner enables it. According to SoundCloud’s Help Center, it lets the artists decide if they want to allow the users to download the tracks they upload to its platform. Otherwise, the option won’t appear.
Here’s how to check:
1. Open the song on SoundCloud (desktop browser recommended).
Tips: you can search for the #download tag to find the downloadable songs directly.
2. Look below the waveform for a “Download File” option (sometimes under the More menu).
3. If the button appears, clicking it will download the song as an MP3 file, typically at 128kbps.
Note: The file format will be according to what the artist might have specified. It can be in WAV, MP3, or AAC format. These downloads are free, and you don’t need a premium account. However, they’re limited; many major artists disable downloads, especially for label-backed releases.
If you're looking to download multiple tracks or want better quality, you’ll need an alternative. Let’s explore those in the later part.
1.2 Download with SoundCloud Subscription on Mobile App
Downloading the music from SoundCloud on your mobile device is slightly different. You will need a subscription to SoundCloud Go or SoundCloud Go+ to access this feature.
Here is how you can download the tracks for offline listening:
- Launch the mobile app
- Make sure that you have subscribed to SoundCloud Go or SoundCloud Go+.
- Like a song or add it to a playlist.
- Now, go to the Library and then to your Liked Tracks.
- You should find the downward arrow that lets you download the tracks or even the playlist that you have created.
Note: The downloaded tracks or playlists are available only for offline listening. You will not be able to download them and transfer them to any other device.
If you want to save songs from SoundCloud on your mobile phone without limits, go ahead to these posts to find your answer.
For Android, How to Download Songs from SoundCloud on Android?
For iPhone, How to Download SoundCloud Songs on iPhone?
Method 2: Download SoundCloud Music with a Desktop App, MusicFab
So, how to download SoundCloud songs without a download feature? Is there any robust tool that can enable me to download DJ sets and long playlists regularly?
That’s where paid desktop SoundCloud downloader apps shine, especially ones like MusicFab SoundCloud Downloader.
This app lets you log in to SoundCloud, browse internally, and download multiple tracks or entire playlists in one go. It preserves track titles, album art, and offers up to 320kbps MP3 or even WAV, M4A,FLAC. You can download 3 entire songs during the free trial.
You may wonder what the difference is between MusicFab and other paid SoundCloud converters. Well, in my experience, MusicFab SoundCloud Converter stands out as a powerful downloader, because that excels with an outstanding set of features, such as a built-in web browser, removing DRM by downloading rather than recording. This lets me enjoy a better and faster download experience.
I use it for weekly batch backups of my curated sets. The ability to queue 50+ tracks with full tags is a huge time-saver compared to manual methods.
Here are the pros and cons of MusicFab:
- batch downloads (great for playlists & album)
- higher audio quality than most online tools
- Saves metadata, cover art, ID3 tags
- Requires installation
- Paid after free trial
How to download songs from SoundCloud using MusicFab?
- Download and install MusicFab from the official website. The tool is available for both Windows and Mac.
- Choose the free trial option to help you get used to the tool and its features
- Choose SoundCloud and sign in to your account
- Search for the track or playlist that you want to download.
- This will bring up the download parameter configuration options. You can choose audio resolution and file format.
- Click on the download icon, and the track will be downloaded.
A desktop download software is the best and most reliable tool. It’s also a safer route, you’re not exposed to pop-ups or unknown links like some online sites. If you frequently download from SoundCloud, this is a solid, efficient option. You can check out more desktop SoundCloud downloaders that promise to help with an effective solution if you are looking to find how to download SoundCloud songs to MP3.
Method 3: Download SoundCloud Songs Online
When you just want to grab a single track quickly and are wondering how to download SoundCloud songs for free, without installing anything, online converters are your go-to.
They’re simple to use: paste a SoundCloud track URL, hit convert, and download the MP3.
Some popular online downloaders include:
1. SoundCloud Tool
The tool lets you download SoundCloud tracks without hassles for free. It works both on mobile and PC. It offers a completely free and easy-to-use option if you are wondering how to download music from SoundCloud.
2. MusicVerter
MusicVerter is yet another robust and powerful online downloader.
The downloader lets you download the SoundCloud songs or even the playlist into MP3 and WAV file formats. The online downloader lets you download the tracks in high quality, as high as 320 kbps. It is considered to be the most powerful SoundCloud downloader. The tool also offers a premium functionality where it supports MP3, AAC, WAV, and FLAC file formats. You can also download unlimited SoundCloud tracks.
Pros and Cons of downloading with online tools:
- No registration or software required
- Fast for single tracks
- Fast for single tracks
- Most free sites cap the quality at 128–192kbps
- No metadata or album art tagging
- No batch support
- can only convert SoundCloud to MP3 files
On Reddit’s r/DataHoarder and r/WeAreTheMusicMakers, users frequently recommend MusicVerter and KlickAud as stable, clean tools—but also warn about clone sites with malware or fake buttons.
If you're only downloading a couple of tracks and don’t mind average audio quality, this is a fast solution. But if you want to save playlists or full albums, online tools can become frustrating.
Method 4: Download SoundCloud Music with Browser Extensions
Browser plugins are a clever in-between: they live in your browser and add download buttons directly into the SoundCloud interface.
One popular choice is AddonCrop’s SoundCloud Downloader, available for Chrome and Firefox. Once installed, you’ll see a download icon next to playable tracks. The tools access the stream data and let you manually download the tracks.
The steps involved are quite easy to follow:
- Go to AddonCrop official website or a trusted plugin repository.
- Download the extension and follow the install instructions for your browser.
- For Chrome, you may need to use “Developer Mode” to load it manually.
- For Firefox, it's available on Mozilla’s Add-ons store.
- Navigate to SoundCloud and play any track.
- A Download button will appear next to the waveform. Click it, and the song will be saved as an MP3.
The pros and cons of using extension:
- Seamless: download directly while browsing
- Supports playlists and individual tracks.
- Often allows selecting bitrate (128–320kbps)
- Compression artifacts removal
- Smart HDR and color enhancement
- Only works on desktop browsers
- Unstable
- Some plugin sources are sketchy
For casual users who prefer staying in-browser, this method feels natural. Just keep in mind that it's browser-dependent and may need reinstallation over time.
Method 5: Download SoundCloud Songs with a Command-Line Tool
If you're comfortable with a terminal, yt-dlp is one of the most powerful tools for downloading from SoundCloud.
Originally a fork of the popular youtube-dl
, yt-dlp
supports a wide range of sites, including SoundCloud, and gives you full control over download format, quality, metadata, and playlist handling, all from the command line.
How to Use yt-dlp to Download from SoundCloud?
- Install it (if not already): pip install -U yt-dlp
- Download a single track:yt-dlp https://soundcloud.com/artist-name/track-name
- Download a playlist: yt-dlp --yes-playlist https://soundcloud.com/artist-name/sets/playlist-name
- Customize output: yt-dlp -f bestaudio --extract-audio --audio-format mp3 --audio-quality 0 -o "%(title)s.%(ext)s"
- 100% free and open-source
- Extremely flexible
- Works on Windows, macOS, Linux
- Ideal for automation and scripting
- Requires command-line knowledge
- No GUI (not beginner-friendly)
- No post-processing unless configured
- Can't access SoundCloud Go+ audio
If you're a developer, hobbyist, or just someone who values full control, yt-dlp is your best friend. But for most casual users, other tools with a user interface may be easier to manage.
FAQs
- If the artist enables downloading, you're good to go.
- If not, and you're using third-party tools, be sure to use the files strictly for personal use (offline listening, backups)
Use MusicFab or yt-dlp. Online tools often struggle with large lists.