Guide: Downloading Music To Your DAP For Offline Listening

RICKY KOVACS | MOON AUDIO STAFF/
AnK SE200 with Focal Stellia Headphones


We live in an age where connectivity is all around us. Wi-Fi is literally available everywhere: the plane, your coffee shop, your car, your hotspot, even your gas station. I'm a millennial, and like most millennials, I store a lot of my files in the cloud. However, unlike millennials, I also like to have a copy of my files on local storage. I like storing my music files locally on my DAP, even though I have subscriptions to music streaming services. Why? I don't know. I guess you could call it security, considering I remember a time when everything wasn't connected. And the fact remains, if you don't have access to Wi-Fi then you're out of luck. Just sit there and twiddle your thumbs, music streamers...

That being said, when I get the opportunity, I download my favorite tunes direct to local storage on my DAP. Not sure how to do that? Don't worry - we'll walk you through the process step by step and tell you how to download, pick your storage location, and more.

Updating Your Device

Before downloading any music, I always use this as an opportunity to update my device. Firmware or OS updates usually come with quality of life improvements for your device and known bug fixes. It's always a good idea to check and see if your device has an update - so go ahead and check by doing the following:

Head to Settings > Updates > (If there is an available update then it will show up here)

Please plug in your DAP to charge it while downloading the update. Turning off your device in the middle of installing an update could cause damage to the music player. Also, before downloading any music, it's a good idea to leave your device plugged in overnight for a full charge and to make sure your applications are updated as well. The less multitasking your device does, the faster and more reliable the downloading of music will be.

Before downloading any music, it's a good idea to leave your device plugged in overnight for a full charge and to make sure your applications are updated as well. The less multitasking your device does, the faster and more reliable the downloading of music will be.

Installing External Storage

MicroSD card in slot in DAP

Astell&Kern music players are compatible with most major micro SD card manufacturers, and in the case of the original KANN, full size SD cards. It’s recommended that the cards are formatted as “FAT32,” since that is the most stable and compatible format for Android-based players. Using non-reputable SD card manufacturers may result in data corruption or data loss since the product quality may not be quality tested to the extent of other options.



Downloading Music for Offline Listening

Qobuz & Tidal

To download music for offline listening in Qobuz and Tidal, simply go to the album or song you want to download and click the download button next to or under the title. For instance in Qobuz, the download icon is a downward facing arrow next to the favorite, or heart shaped icon.

To Change the Download Directory

You can also change the storage location for the music you download. This is extremely helpful for when you run out of internal storage and need to switch over to the external memory card, or if you want to install all your music onto either the external or internal drive. To change the storage location, go to the following:

Qobuz storage location settings

-My Qobuz

-Settings

-Storage

-(Under downloaded music) Change Storage Location

From there you can select either the internal or external drive, or a different directory path.

By default, when you download music for offline listening, they will be stored in a folder titled "Imported Music." Again, you can change the default storage to a location of your choosing.


For Tidal, go to the following:

-My Collection

-Settings

-(Under my content) Download Destination

Tidal storage location settings

Migrating Music Files on the Player (Astell&Kern DAPs)

On Astell&Kern music players, you can also transfer filed internally now without the need to connect to a computer and manually migrate files. Before this update, you were only allowed to transfer files directly with the use of a computer onto the internal or external storage of the device. Here are some images to help you through the step-by-step process (click the right arrow to proceed to the next steps):

AnK function icon location

Step A) Locate the functional icon at the top right corner.

Move and copy options for storage

Step B) Select either the “move” or “copy” function.

Storage location selection

Step C) Select the destination you want to “move” or “copy” the files to.

Paste function to move files

Step D) Select “paste” and the file transfer will begin.


Related Links:

HiRes Music Downloading Guide

HiRes Music Streaming Guide

Ripping & Transferring Files On Your Astell&Kern Player

Astell&Kern Players Support APK Streaming


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Ricky Kovacs

My dad told me to be responsible and get a job that would allow me to finance my passion for music. Well, I did. That's why I spend all day in a proverbial candy store for music lovers. It's a dream job really.

Ricky Kovacs is a performer at heart but loves to bring his passion and experience with music to others. With a background in both politics and religion, Ricky has a knack for writing about divisive topics - which is why at the end of the day he loves writing about the one thing that brings us all together: music. Outside of Moon Audio, Ricky enjoys performing music in his band, recording, video games, virtual photography, reading, traveling, partaking in the finest scotch, and spending time with his wife, newborn, and doggy.