Deezer & Spotify finally add offline playback for Apple Watch
Yesterday Deezer announced that is is adding offline playback for Apple Watch. Not to be left behind, today Spotify has done the same.
Deezer beats Spotify to the punch
Deezer is one of the most popular music streaming services around. However it had one feature missing as compared to the likes of Apple Music and Pandora – offline playback for listening without a paired iPhone. You need a connected smartphone or a watch internet/cellular connection to play back songs.
The offline feature is something that is particularly popular with those who like to run outdoors. Apple Watch has built-in GPS. Couple that with offline listening to tunes and you can run without the need to carry your smartphone with you.
Essential reading: Best fitness trackers and health gadgets
Yesterday Deezer announced that paid subscribers can now download songs directly to their smartwatch. This means they can sync their playlists and Deezer-curated playlists for offline listening. The new functionality works on Apple Watch Series 3 and above.
“When we updated our new Apple Watch app we wanted our users to have an effortless and hassle-free experience,” said Nicolas Pinoteau, Director of Partnership Solutions at Deezer.
Downloadable playlists give music fans the peace of mind to listen at will and enjoy with the convenience of Apple Watch from the wrist.”
You’ll need to follow a few simple steps to download Deezer Music to your Apple Watch:
- Make sure you have watchOS 6 or above installed
- Download and install the latest Deezer iOS app to your smartpone
- Pair the watch with your smartphone and open the Apple Watch app on your phone
- In the smartphone app choose the My Watch tab – you’ll be able to see all the apps that you can install to your watch
- Chooce the Deezer app and then the option Install. Wait for it to finish.
- Double-check that the slider on Show App on Apple Watch is set to Green
From that point on the Deezer app on your Apple Watch will sync and download data directly to the device on your wrist. It will do this via your phone’s network connection. If your smartphone is not around and the watch is connected to WiFi (or a cellular connection) – it will use that, instead. Other Deezer Family subcribers can also access the offline functionality.
Spotify rectifies situation quickly!
We were wondering how Spotify would respond to the Deezer announcement seeing as they also lacked offline playback. Well, it seems the Deezer news has prompted it into action.
Today Spotify announced that it, too, is allowing users to download and playback songs from their wrist. Just like Deezer, this functionality will only be enabled for Premium Subscribers.
Here are the steps you’ll need to follow to access offline listening:
- Make sure you have the latest Spotify app installed on your watch and smartphone
- In the smartphone app, find the audio that you want to sync to your watch. Click the three dots next to it and select the Download to Apple Watch option.
- The sync should start automatically. You can check on the progress in the Downloads section on your Apple Watch.
- The other way to know that the sync is finished is by checking the library in the smartphone app. A little Green arrow will appear next to the playlist/album/podcast that has synced successfullly.
The functionality has started rolling out to all users but it may take a few days to reach you. Spotify adds you’ll be able to use Siri to control playback and that songs will stream at 96 kbps.
All of this means Apple Watch users are now spoiled for choice when it comes to offline listening of songs, albums, playlists and podcasts. And that can only be a good thing. The only remaining stumbling block is the need to have a Premium subscription to access the functionality.
Like this article? Subscribe to our monthly newsletter and never miss out!
