How to download songs from SoundCloud
Whether a SoundCloud track can be saved depends on the track, not on the tool. Below are the methods that work and what each one gives you, followed by the reasons some tracks can't be downloaded at all.
The short version
| Method | Works for | What you end up with | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| The download button on the track page | Tracks whose uploader switched downloads on | The file the artist uploaded, sometimes WAV or FLAC | Free, needs a SoundCloud login, web only |
| Go or Go+ offline listening | Most tracks, unless the rights holder turned offline off | Tracks saved inside the SoundCloud app. They aren't files you can move to another player. | Subscription |
| A converter such as this one | Public tracks with a normal stream | An M4A or MP3 file made from the 160 kbps stream | Free |
1. Use the download button when there is one
On soundcloud.com, sign in and open the track. If the uploader allowed downloads, there's a download file button under the waveform. It gives you a copy of the original file the artist uploaded, which can be better than anything a converter can produce. If the button isn't there, the uploader chose not to offer downloads.
Two limits, both from SoundCloud's help page: the button only exists on the website, not in the mobile apps, and it works one track at a time. There's no official way to download a whole playlist.
If you make music yourself, you control this button in your track's Permissions tab.
2. Offline listening with Go or Go+
A SoundCloud Go or Go+ subscription lets you save tracks and playlists for offline listening in the app. With Go+ and "High quality audio" switched on, they're saved at 256 kbps AAC, the HQ format SoundCloud describes as equal to a 320 kbps MP3 (source).
These saves stay inside the SoundCloud app. You can't drag them into a DJ program, a car stereo or another music player. If you need an actual file, this isn't the method.
3. Use a converter for public tracks
A converter takes the stream every listener gets and saves it as a file. On this site you paste the link and choose a format:
- M4A keeps the original 160 kbps AAC stream as it is. Rekordbox, Serato, Traktor, iTunes and phones all play it.
- MP3 converts that stream to 192 kbps for older players and car stereos.
Both formats get the title, artist and cover art written into the file, so they show up properly in your music library. Playlists come down as a ZIP, for free. Check this before you pick another site, since several downloaders charge for "download all".
Be wary of converters selling "320 kbps" or "lossless WAV" from a normal SoundCloud link. The free stream is 160 kbps, and a converter can't add detail that isn't in the stream it received.
Why some tracks won't download anywhere
Three kinds of track can't be saved by any honest tool:
- Go+ tracks. Free listeners only get a 30-second preview, so there's no full-length stream to save.
- DRM-protected tracks. Some releases are streamed encrypted, and getting around that encryption is illegal in many countries.
- Private tracks and secret links.
How often you'll run into this depends on what you listen to. On 10 November 2026 we checked 300 search results through SoundCloud's own player data. For a major-label artist (50 results for "drake"), 37 tracks were Go+ previews. For DJ mixes, techno sets, lo-fi, remixes and type beats, almost every track had a normal public stream. SoundCloud changes these rules over time, so treat this as a snapshot.
If a downloader site shows a preview-only or encrypted track as a normal download, expect a 30-second file or an error.
On iPhone
The SoundCloud app has no download button, so you have two choices. You can save tracks offline in the app with Go or Go+. Or you can open this site in Safari, paste the link, and download. Safari puts the file in the Files app, under Downloads. From there you can share it to another app or import it into a music player that supports files.
On Android
Same choices. In Chrome, files from this site land in the Downloads folder, and most music players find them automatically. For long DJ mixes, choose M4A: it skips the conversion step, which is slow on a phone.
Downloading a whole playlist
SoundCloud itself doesn't offer it. Paste the playlist link into the playlist downloader, untick what you don't want, and the tracks come down as a numbered ZIP. Very long playlists are split into several ZIP files so the browser doesn't run out of memory.
Is it legal to download music from SoundCloud?
Using the artist's own download button is fine, since the artist offered the file. Saving your own uploads, Creative Commons tracks, or tracks the artist marked as a free download is generally fine too. For everything else, it depends on the artist's permission and the law where you live. Some countries allow private copies, many don't. When in doubt, ask the artist. A lot of SoundCloud producers are happy to send a file.