How to Listen to Your Favorite Music, Online or Off the Grid

Streaming services have long provided the most popular way to listen to music, but downloading things digitally has its perks. That’s why some people still prefer to buy their music instead of renting it.

Downloaded files will eat into your device’s available storage space, but you don’t have to worry about inconsistent playback from an unstable internet connection or chewing through megabytes on a metered data plan. And, with some online stores, buying music directly puts more money in the artist’s pocket.

So whether you stream, download or both, here’s a guide to storing music on your phone so you can play it wherever you are.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2026/09/30/technology/personaltech/how-to-listen-to-your-favorite-music-online-or-off-the-grid.html