Move Spotify Playlists & Settings to a Lightweight Desktop App

This guide walks you through moving your Spotify playlists and core settings to a lightweight desktop app, so you can keep your music library and preferences without the heavy memory footprint of the official client. You’ll learn how to export your data, import it into a lightweight player, and manually recreate key settings.

What You’ll Need

A Spotify account (free or premium) with the playlists you want to move.
A lightweight desktop music player that supports importing playlists (e.g., Strawberry, Tauon Music Box, or a simple player like Audacious).
Optional: A third-party tool like “Exportify” or “Spotify Playlist Exporter” to export playlists as files. Many are web-based and don’t require installation.
Your local music files if you want the playlists to point to actual tracks on your computer (streaming-only playlists won’t work in most lightweight apps).

Step-by-Step

Export your Spotify playlists. Go to a trusted online exporter (e.g., Exportify) and log in with your Spotify account. Select the playlists you want to export and download them as .csv or .txt files. These files contain track names, artists, and album info.
Save your settings (optional). Spotify doesn’t have a portable settings file, but you can note your key preferences: audio quality (in Settings → Audio Quality), crossfade, gapless playback, and your equalizer preset. Screenshot these or write them down.
Install your lightweight player. Choose one that supports playlist import. For example, Strawberry (a fork of Clementine) supports CSV and M3U imports. Install it from the official site or your package manager.
Import playlists into the new app. In Strawberry, go to Playlists → Import Playlist and select your exported CSV file. The app will attempt to match tracks to your local music library. If you don’t have the actual music files, the playlist will still appear but tracks will be missing.
Point the app to your music folder. In your lightweight player’s settings, add your local music directory (e.g., ~/Music). The app will scan and index your files, making it easier to match imported playlists.
Recreate your settings. Open the settings panel of your new player and adjust audio quality (if it offers bitrate options), enable gapless or crossfade if you used them, and set up your equalizer manually if the app has one.
Test the playlists. Play a few tracks from each imported playlist to verify they point to the correct local files. If some tracks are missing, you may need to manually locate them or download them legally.

Common Mistakes

Forgetting that streaming playlists don’t carry over. Lightweight apps typically play local files, not Spotify’s streaming catalog. If you don’t own the music files, the playlist will be empty.
Exporting with the wrong format. Some exporters give you JSON or XML, which your player may not accept. Stick to CSV or M3U.
Not adjusting the import mapping. When importing CSV, the app may ask you to map columns (track name, artist). If you skip this, it might import the wrong fields.
Ignoring file path issues. If you move your music files after import, the playlists will break. Keep your music folder stable.

Tips

Use M3U format if possible. M3U files contain direct file paths, making them more reliable for local playlists than CSV.
Organize your music library first. Before importing, ensure your local files are properly tagged (artist, album, track number). This helps matching.
Consider a player with Spotify integration. Some lightweight apps (like Tauon Music Box) can connect to Spotify’s API for streaming, but that may defeat the purpose of a lightweight client.
Backup your exported files. Store the CSV/M3U files somewhere safe in case you need to re-import later.

Troubleshooting

Playlist imports but tracks are grayed out. This means the app can’t find the local files. Check that your music folder is added to the library and that the file names/paths match.

Imported playlist shows wrong tracks. The CSV might have misaligned columns. Re-import and carefully map the columns to the correct fields (e.g., “Track Name” to the title field).

The exporter won’t let you log in. Some third-party exporters have issues with Spotify’s authentication. Try a different exporter or use Spotify’s own “Export” feature (if available) by going to Playlist → ⋯ → Export.

Settings don’t stick after restart. Some lightweight apps store settings in config files. Look for a config or settings folder in your user directory and ensure the app has write permissions.

App crashes when importing large playlists. Break your playlist into smaller chunks (e.g., split the CSV into multiple files) and import them separately.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I keep my Spotify playlists synced to the lightweight app?

Not automatically. You’d need to re-export and re-import whenever you change your Spotify playlists. Some advanced users write scripts to automate this, but it’s not built-in.

Will my Spotify settings like “Private Session” carry over?

No. Settings like Private Session, device control, and social features are tied to Spotify’s servers and won’t transfer to any other app.

Does this work with free Spotify accounts?

Yes, exporting playlists is available to free users. However, you still need the actual music files to play them in a lightweight app.

Can I import my playlists into a lightweight app on a different computer?

Yes, as long as you copy the exported playlist files and have your music library on that computer. You’ll need to re-add your music folder in the new app.

What’s the best lightweight desktop app for this?

It depends on your needs. Strawberry is feature-rich and supports CSV import. Tauon Music Box is modern and lightweight. Audacious is extremely minimal but may lack playlist import features.

Do I lose my playlists if I cancel Spotify?

Your playlists remain in your Spotify account, but you won’t be able to stream them. Exporting them first ensures you have a backup that you can use in any app.

General steps for current mainstream versions; menus can differ by device and version. See the disclaimer or report an error.

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