Buzz
SoundCloud is a social platform where users can record, upload, download, and share songs with others. Many tracks on SoundCloud allow direct downloading from the website, but in some cases, users will need to use alternative methods to get the track they want. You can use built-in tools in Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or install an extension for Firefox. Alternatively, you can choose from several third-party websites to download the song.
Steps
Using Chrome, Firefox, or Safari
Open the song page you want to download on Chrome, Firefox, or Safari. These browsers allow access to developer tools, where you can find the file you want to download from the SoundCloud page. This method will provide a file at 128 kbps, lower than the original quality.
- If possible, use the download method provided officially by the artist. If the artist has made a downloadable version available and the download count hasn’t reached the limit, you will see a '⇩ Download' button below the track. Using this method supports the artist and provides a higher-quality file. Only use the following methods if there are no more free downloads and you cannot purchase the song yourself.
Open Developer Tools. Press F12 (for Windows) or ⌘ Cmd+⌥ Opt+I (for Mac). This will open a side or horizontal window at the bottom of the screen for any of the three browsers mentioned above.
Click on the Network tab located at the top of the Developer Tools screen.
Reload the page with the song you need. Immediately after, you will see the Network tab reset and items will begin to appear, followed by their respective bars or time values in the 'Timeline' column.
- Ensure the song is playing.
Sort the Network tab by the 'Size' column. Click the 'Size' column to arrange the largest items at the top. The audio file from SoundCloud will typically appear at the top since it is usually the largest file on the page.
- The 'Type' column will show 'audio/mpeg' or 'mpeg'.
Right-click on the item and select 'Open in a new tab.' If you've selected the correct item, the new tab will display a play button, and the song will begin to play right away.
- If the song doesn't open in a new tab, you may have selected the wrong item in the Network tab. Reload the page and search again.
Save the page. After downloading the audio file in a separate tab, you can save the song directly to your computer. You need to assign a name to the song for identification and choose the destination folder to download the file.
- On Chrome – Click the Chrome menu button (☰) and select "Save page as".
- On Firefox - Click the Firefox menu button (☰) and select "Save Page".
- On Safari - Click the "Safari" menu and select "Save page as".
- You can also press Ctrl+S (for Windows) or ⌘ Cmd+S (for Mac) on any browser.
Use DownloadHelper for Firefox
Click the Firefox menu button and select "Add-ons". You can install an extension called "DownloadHelper", which helps you easily download audio files from SoundCloud. Similar to other options mentioned in this article, the downloaded file will have a quality of 128 kbps.
Click "Get Add-ons" on the left menu and search for "DownloadHelper".
Click the .Install (Install) next to the "Video DownloadHelper" option. Even though it is named "Video", the extension still works for audio files on SoundCloud.
Go to the SoundCloud page of the song you wish to download.
Play the song. You'll notice the DownloadHelper button becoming active in the Firefox toolbar.
Click the DownloadHelper button, then select the song. You will be prompted to choose a location to save the song.
Use an intermediary service
Go to the SoundCloud page of the song you wish to download. If you can't access the browser methods above or don't want to deal with developer tools, you can use one of many available online music downloading services. This method will result in a lower quality file, as the song will be re-encoded before download.
Copy the song page URL. Copy the entire address from the browser's address bar into your computer's clipboard. Select the full path and press Ctrl+C / ⌘ Cmd+C, or right-click the selected text and choose "Copy" to save it.
Visit the download support page. There are a variety of options that SoundCloud downloaders commonly use, and most of these pages have a similar layout.
Paste the URL in the input field to load the page. A blank box will appear on the screen allowing you to enter the URL for the page.
Click the "Download" or "Convert" button. On StreamPocket, this action resembles a shirt button. The conversion process will begin, and you may need to wait a while.
- Note that many pages are filled with ads that may try to trick you into clicking a fake Download button. If you're having trouble selecting the right download button, consider using an ad blocker.
Right-click the provided link and select "Save link as". A window will open allowing you to save the new MP3 file to your computer.
