SoundCloud is where producers post remixes, DJs share full sets and new artists put out tracks before they land anywhere else. Getting one of those tracks out of the app and into a file you keep takes one of three routes: the artist's own download button, SoundCloud Go offline listening, or a SoundCloud to MP3 tool that turns the track link into an MP3. Here's how to download SoundCloud songs each way, on any phone or computer.
Quick answer: on soundcloud.com, sign in and click Download file under the waveform; that button shows up when the artist has enabled downloads. In the SoundCloud app, a Go or Go+ subscription saves tracks for offline listening inside the app. For any public track, including on iPhone, copy the track link and paste it into sipsip.ai's SoundCloud to MP3 tool to save an MP3.
How to download SoundCloud songs: the three ways
| Method | Where it works | What you get | Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
| Artist's Download file button | soundcloud.com in a browser | The artist's original uploaded file (often WAV or MP3) | Free, needs a SoundCloud account |
| SoundCloud Go / Go+ offline | SoundCloud app on iPhone and Android | Tracks saved inside the app for offline play | Monthly subscription |
| Paste the link into a SoundCloud to MP3 tool | Any browser: iPhone, Android, Mac, Windows | An MP3 file in your downloads | sipsip.ai: one free try a day, more with a free account |
The quickest way to choose: if the button is there, use it, because you get exactly the file the artist uploaded. If you only want to listen on the bus, Go offline listening is built for that. If you want an actual file on your phone or for DJ software and the track has no button, paste the link.
Method 1: Use SoundCloud's own download button
SoundCloud's official download is a button that artists switch on for each track. According to SoundCloud's help page on downloading tracks, on the web you download "by clicking on the download file button beneath the waveform" once you're signed in, and the file is "a copy of your original file format that you have uploaded to SoundCloud."
Steps on a computer:
- Open the track on soundcloud.com and sign in (anonymous downloads are turned off, so a free account is needed).
- Look under the waveform for Download file. On some layouts it sits in the More (three dots) menu.
- Click it and the original file saves to your Downloads folder.
A few details from SoundCloud's own documentation explain why the button comes and goes:
- It's per track, chosen by the artist. The uploader turns downloads on in the track's Permissions tab. A missing button means the uploader kept the track stream-only.
- Free uploaders have a cap. SoundCloud's permissions guide lists a limit of 100 downloads per track on free accounts, while Artist Pro accounts are unlimited. A popular free download can therefore lose its button after the 100th download.
- Single tracks only. Playlists download one track at a time.
- Some tracks are for sale. Eligible Artist Pro creators in the US can now sell tracks as paid downloads, which you buy and download from your Collection.
Producers and DJs who give music away often route it through the Buy link instead, which opens a free download page on another site. When a track's description says "free download" and there's no button, check that link first.
The upside of this method is quality: you get the artist's master upload, which is often a WAV or high-bitrate file rather than the compressed stream.
Method 2: Save tracks offline with SoundCloud Go
SoundCloud Go and Go+ are the paid plans for listening without a connection. SoundCloud's offline listening guide says that "with a SoundCloud Go subscription, you can save your Likes, playlists, and your entire Library for offline listening on your mobile device."
How it works in the app:
- Like the track, or add it to one of your playlists.
- Go to Library, open Likes or the playlist, and tap the download arrow next to the heart.
- To save everything automatically, open Settings > Downloads and turn on Download automatically. A Wi-Fi-only switch saves mobile data.
Two limits matter before you subscribe. First, the saved tracks live inside the SoundCloud app. SoundCloud's guide says offline content "is temporarily stored in your mobile device's SoundCloud app" and is removed if you sign out or uninstall. Those tracks play in the SoundCloud app only, so for GarageBand, rekordbox or another player you need a real file from Method 1 or 3. Second, rights holders choose where and how their tracks are available, so a track can stream fine yet show as unavailable offline.
SoundCloud also says plainly that "it is not possible to download a track from a mobile device" through its own download feature; Go offline listening is the mobile option it offers. Prices changed in 2026, so check the current Go and Go+ rates on SoundCloud's site before you pick a plan.
Method 3: Paste the track link into a SoundCloud to MP3 tool
When a track has no download button and you want a real file, a SoundCloud downloader turns the track link into an MP3. This is the method that works the same on a laptop, an Android phone and an iPhone, because everything happens in the browser.
With sipsip.ai's SoundCloud to MP3 tool:
- Copy the track link. In the SoundCloud app, tap Share > Copy link (you'll get an on.soundcloud.com short link, which works). On the web, copy the address bar.
- Paste the link into the tool and click Get MP3.
- Save the file. It lands in your browser's downloads, ready for any music app or DJ software.
What to expect on the free tiers:
- Without an account: one free try a day across sipsip's free tools, for tracks up to 10 minutes.
- With a free account (no card): free credits and sources up to 4 hours long, so a full DJ mix or radio show comes down as one file.
- My Sip: signed-in downloads stay in My Sip for 7 days, so a track saved on your phone is ready on your laptop too.
Public track links work, from soundcloud.com or the short on.soundcloud.com share links. A private track works once its owner shares it with a public link. Paste one track at a time, since a playlist link points to many tracks. Short tracks come back fastest; hour-long mixes take a little longer because the whole set has to be fetched and encoded as one file.
How to download SoundCloud songs on your phone
On a phone, the steps are the same as Method 3. The SoundCloud app on Android and iPhone only offers in-app offline listening (Method 2), so to keep an MP3 you use the phone's browser:
- In the SoundCloud app, open the track and tap Share > Copy link.
- Open your browser (Chrome, Samsung Internet, Safari or any other) and go to sipsip.ai/tools/soundcloud-to-mp3.
- Paste the link, tap Get MP3, then tap the download prompt.
- Find the MP3 in your downloads.
Where the file goes depends on the phone:
- Android: the MP3 lands in the Downloads folder. Open it from the Files app or your browser's downloads list, play it in any music player, or move it to a folder your DJ or music app reads.
- iPhone: the MP3 lands in Files > Downloads (or tap the download arrow in Safari's address bar). Long-press it and use Share to send it to another app or AirDrop it to a Mac.
Is it legal to download songs from SoundCloud?
It depends on whose music it is and what you do with it. Downloading is clearly fine in these cases:
- Your own uploads, including when you've lost the original file.
- Tracks the artist offers as downloads, either through the button or a free download link.
- Audio you have permission to use, such as a podcast or lecture where the host allows it.
For other people's music, copyright law and SoundCloud's terms apply. Keep downloads for personal listening, and ask the artist before playing a track in a public set, putting it in a video or re-uploading it. Many SoundCloud producers are happy to say yes, and plenty post free downloads precisely so DJs can play them.
Beyond music: podcasts, talks and mixes
SoundCloud hosts a lot more than songs: podcasts, interviews, lectures, radio shows and long DJ sets. Once you have the audio, the next step is often to read it rather than listen again.
The MP3 from the link to MP3 tool or the SoundCloud page can go straight to the audio transcriber for a full transcript, and a signed-in download can be transcribed or summarized from My Sip without uploading it again. For an hour-long interview, the summary and key points are usually what you wanted the download for.
Which method should you use?
- The track has a Download file button: use it. You get the artist's original file at full quality.
- You only want offline listening in the SoundCloud app: SoundCloud Go or Go+.
- There's no button and you want an MP3, on any phone or computer: paste the link into SoundCloud to MP3 and save the file.
All three work as of October 2026. If you also save audio from YouTube, TikTok or Instagram, the Converter takes those links in the same box and keeps every file in My Sip for 7 days.
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