Music is essential to many people, but the days when we had to buy it at the mall in physical form are long gone. Many music streaming services, like Spotify, Tidal, Deezer, have emerged, so listeners don't have to own a physical copy of the recordings. Instead, everyone just streams music whenever and wherever they want. Nevertheless, downloading local files on your device can still be handy in some circumstances – especially when you know you won’t have access to the Internet or there are problems with slow connection.
Unfortunately, the option to download music from a streaming platform is usually restricted to paid users only. Luckily, SoundCloud is an exception – you can download the tracks for free to your device as long as the artist allows it. So how can you download songs from SoundCloud to mp3? You can do it directly on SoundCloud or through third-party tools such as SoundCloud downloaders and mp3 converters.
In this article, we'll show you different methods on how to download your favorite music from SoundCloud.
What is SoundCloud?
SoundCloud is undoubtedly one of the most original apps in the world of music streaming, allowing up-and-coming artists to increase their popularity. You'll find tons of customizable music tracks, podcasts, albums, and radio stations inside the service. Users may access it free through the basic plan, and premium subscriptions are offered for users and artists who want more features.
Now, SoundCloud is one of the most popular music streaming services, with millions of monthly listeners worldwide. This platform is well known, as many famous musicians started their careers and promoted their work here. The main feature of this platform is that users can share their audio with social networks using a unique link or URL. In addition, the application provides a bunch of unique options for both artists and listeners.
SoundCloud is available through the web player or an official app, which can be downloaded free from Google Play Store for Android smartphones and tablets or from the App Store for iPhone, iPad, and iPod Touch iOS.
See how Soundcloud compares to Spotify.
Downloading songs from SoundCloud - is it legal?
There are some audio files and music that can be downloaded from SoundCloud. However, it's the artist who decides whether the song can be downloaded or not. If audio is royalty-free - users may download it from SoundCloud and listen to it on their devices. Also, you can download songs from SoundCloud by using SoundCloud to mp3 converters/websites or with a Google Chrome extension. However, be aware that downloading audio from SoundCloud without the artist's permission is against SoundCloud policies and violates copyright laws!
To download the song on SoundCloud, you will have to log in to your SoundCloud account. Don’t worry, you don’t need a paid subscription. A free account will suffice.
How to sign up for SoundCloud?
- Visit SoundCloud website or open a SoundCloud app.
- Next, sign up by choosing the preferred option (separate email addresses, Google account, Facebook account, Apple ID).
- You may also enter your gender and age, but this is optional.
- Tap "Continue" and then enter your name.
- You'll be sent to the SoundCloud landing page in the next step.
Method 1: Download music directly from SoundCloud
If you're reading this guide, you probably already know there is an official way to download tracks from SoundCloud, with some limitations. However, downloading tracks with the official SoundCloud-approved method is incredibly easy.
As mentioned above, users can download an audio track directly from SoundCloud if it's allowed by the artist or uploader. You'll see a direct download button to save the SoundCloud song in this case. To download an artist-approved song, you need to search and locate it on SoundCloud. Then all you have to do is to find a download button.
Artists have the option to allow or disallow the downloading of audio tracks. The download button should be located below the comment box. If you can't find it, that means the song isn't available for Download. Also, this method allows you to download only one track at a time. So it becomes quite challenging to download the whole album from SoundCloud.
How to download songs from SoundCloud?
- Visit the SoundCloud website(https://soundcloud.com "https://soundcloud.com") (you may use any Internet browser). This step should take you to the SoundCloud homepage.
- If you have a SoundCloud account, then sign in. It's a necessary step to use some of SoundCloud's features, like, for example, the download button. The "log in" menu will be available in the top right corner of the web page. This is where you can enter your login details (like email address and password) to enter the music streaming service. Then tap "Continue". If you don't have a SoundCloud account, you need to create one to be able to download music from SoundCloud.
- Then use the search bar to 'Search for artists, tracks, bands, podcasts.'
- What song do you want to download? Search for it! Type the name of the music you want to download and tap "Enter." This will lead you to the song you're looking for on SoundCloud.
- Open the song's page. To do it, click on the song's name.
- Find the download button: if you're allowed to download the song, you'll see the download button. However, if you don't see a download button, you may see it when you click the "More" tab. Note that you may not be able to download a particular song without using a third-party website/app.
- Click Download: when you tap "Download," the song will be downloaded to your device, although you may need to choose the desired location on your device.
Method 2: Use a SoundCloud to MP3 converter (the unofficial way to download songs)
Musicians and artists uploading their songs on SoundCloud can make them downloadable.
However, most creators forbid downloading their music directly from SoundCloud. Especially popular artists don't allow others to download their songs or albums. So, in most cases, users can't save music from SoundCloud on their devices or download whatever they want.
Thus, another method is required. If you search "how to download songs from SoundCloud," you'll see many third-party websites and SoundCloud to MP3 converters available. Downloading songs from SoundCloud to MP3 files with the help of music converters is straightforward. Below we explained how they usually work in general:
1. Open an Internet browser and visit SoundCloud's website.
2. On the SoundCloud home page, find and tap the Search bar ("Search for Artists, Songs, Podcasts"). You should see the search bar at the top of the screen if you are signed in to your SoundCloud account.
3. Find the title that you wish to download. Type the song's name in the search bar and press "Enter" to do it. On the screen, you should see the results of your search. SoundCloud's database is vast, so make sure you've found your song. You can also include the artist's name in your search.
4. Once you find your song, click on it and find its page URL.
5. Copy the page URL. You'll find the song's URL page at the top of the screen. Copy it by pressing Ctrl + C for Windows or Command + C for Mac.
6. Now, it's time to use one of SoundCloud to MP3 converters/websites. There are many options available.
7. Paste the song's URL to the appropriate field: paste the URL you copied into that text field.
8. Then find the "Download" or "Download MP3" button and tap it.
9. The download process will start immediately; you can enjoy your song when it's finished.
5 best SoundCloud to mp3 converters
This is quite easy with the help of these free web tools. However, you can't use a song in a YouTube video or anywhere else unless the composer gives you the rights. Otherwise, you risk infringing someone's copyright. Another thing you need to know is that you need to get the exact URL of the song because some of the tools don't allow you to download the entire playlist.
SCDownloader
As the name suggests, SCDownloader is an online SoundCloud to MP3 converter. The site is very straightforward, and it hasn't too many options or buttons. Its main purpose is to download songs from SoundCloud. The significant advantage of this platform is that it's completely free. You can download as many songs as you want. Unlike other websites, you don't need to go through a long registration process. The steps to use SCDownloaded are pretty simple. Just enter the URL or link to the audio you want to convert into the provided text box, then click the "Convert" button, and the tool will start converting and downloading audio to your computer automatically. Once you have completed this process, you can enjoy your favorite music anytime, anywhere.
Single Mango
Single Mango downloader converts SoundCloud files to MP3 formats, and you may choose a bit rate: 128 and 320 kbps. It's possible to download entire playlists or just single files. To do it, copy and paste the song's URL into the special text box. Then tap the "Download" button to start the process. This SoundCloud to MP3 converter is compatible with all browsers and works even on Android mobile devices.
VideoProc Converter
This software can do much more than just SoundCloud to mp3 convention. It supports various streaming platforms (over 1000!), and can also download SoundCloud playlists.
While its main feature is video converting, it has SoundCloud to MP3 option. This app has many features in terms of video editing and an impressive range of output formats.
KlickAud
If you're looking for an easy-to-use and fast SoundCloud to mp3 converter, KlickAud will meet your needs. The app has a straightforward interface, so it's intuitive. Also, you can choose MP3 quality (128 and 320 kbps), and the whole process will take a few seconds and just two clicks. Even the artwork can be downloaded.
Jihosoft 4K Video Downloader
Regarding its name, you may think that this app is just a video downloader, but not really. Jihosoft 4K Video Downloader is an all-in-one program that not only can download videos from YouTube, Vimeo, Instagram, Dailymotion, Facebook, Twitter, and other sites, but you can also use it to download songs from SoundCloud. You'll see two sections in the main interface: Download and Convert. To download SoundCloud to MP3, you must first copy the song's URL and paste it into the app by clicking the + Paste URL(s) button.
FreeYourMusic - transfer Music from SoundCloud to Spotify or other music streaming apps!
If you want to download your favorite songs without using SoundCloud to MP3 software, you can also choose a completely different way. If you use another streaming service apart from SoundCloud, you can transfer some of your songs or playlists first. For example, from SoundCloud to Spotify. Then, you'll be able to download these songs via the Spotify app, which offers offline listening for Premium subscribers.
What does "transfer music playlist" mean?
With FreeYourMusic, your songs aren't actually transferred from one music platform to another. The tools will search for title matches to find the same tracks on the new streaming platform. This is why CD covers may differ. It's more of a search for correspondence than a transfer, and it's also possible that a title available on SoundCloud won't be present on the other streaming service. However, it's a convenient, fast, and easy way of transferring songs from SoundCloud to another music streaming service in order to then download the content for offline listening.
FreeYourMusic is a music transferring app that supports the most famous music streaming services such as Spotify, SoundCloud, YouTube, YouTube Music, Apple Music, Deezer, Tidal, Amazon Music, Qobuz, Google Play Music, and Napster. With this tool, you can transfer a playlist of up to 100 songs. But you will need to upgrade to the paid version to take full advantage of this tool.
Enjoy a multitude of options
With FYM you can transfer playlists from any music service, login to different accounts on the same music platform, and automatically synchronize your library on mobile and computer. With the premium account, you can enjoy unlimited transfers and automatic synchronization of all your playlists and albums every 15 minutes.
How to transfer your music from SoundCloud to other music streaming services (for example, Spotify?)
Step 1: Select SoundCloud as a source: login to your SoundCloud account and select it as a source to be able to transfer playlists with FreeYourMusic.
Step 2: Select Spotify as a destination music platform: select Spotify as a platform where you want to transfer your music or create a new playlist. It will take you just one click!
Step 3: Select playlists from the music library: browser for music tracks, playlists or albums that you want to transfer from SoundCloud to Spotify, and then select precisely the music you want to move.
Step 4: Confirm transferring SoundCloud playlists and moving them to Spotify: that's it! You've got it! Your SoundCloud songs and playlists have been moved to Spotify, and you can start enjoying your new music streaming service and download your music via the Offline Listening option.