Last month, I wanted to save Spotify’s Today’s Top Hits playlist for a road trip. Not gonna lie, I was frustrated.
Tried three different “free online converters”—half the songs failed. The ones that worked? Sounded like they came through a tin can.
That’s when I realized something. Most people don’t know there’s a huge difference between tools that claim to download Spotify and tools that actually work.
Here’s what I figured out after testing 8 different methods. Maybe 9? I lost count.
What is Spotify Today’s Top Hits Playlist
Spotify’s Today’s Top Hits is the platform’s most popular playlist—and for good reason.
It features the 50 hottest songs right now. Pop, hip-hop, electronic, whatever’s trending. Updates daily.
What makes it special? Songs hit this playlist before they blow up everywhere else. I’ve discovered tracks here that my friends hadn’t heard yet.
The playlist sits at over 35 million followers. Last I checked, anyway.
How to Find Today’s Top Hits on Spotify
Three quick ways:
Method 1: Search for “Today’s Top Hits” in Spotify’s search bar. Usually the first result.
Method 2: Browse > Music > Spotify’s editorial playlists. Look for the one with the most followers.
Method 3: Go to Charts section. It’s right there.
Quick tip: Pin it to your sidebar. The playlist updates around midnight EST—I think it’s midnight, could be later—so new songs appear most mornings.
Why Download Today’s Top Hits to MP3
Spotify’s official download feature seems convenient. Premium users can “download” playlists for offline listening, right?
Here’s the thing—those downloads aren’t actually yours.
Spotify Download Limitations
I learned this the hard way when I canceled Premium last year. Those 400 “downloaded” songs? All disappeared overnight.
They’re not MP3 files—they’re encrypted streams locked to the Spotify app.
Here’s what you can’t do with Spotify’s official downloads:
- Play them on your car’s USB music system
- Transfer to an MP3 player or iPod
- Share with friends who don’t have Spotify
- Use in video editing projects
- Make custom ringtones
- Burn to CD for your car
And if you’re a Free Spotify user? No offline downloads at all. You’re stuck with internet-dependent streaming.
Benefits of MP3 Format
Real MP3 files give you actual ownership. Once you’ve converted Today’s Top Hits to MP3, those files are yours forever.
I use my downloaded Today’s Top Hits MP3s for:
- Car USB drives – My 2019 Honda doesn’t have Spotify built-in, but it plays MP3s perfectly
- Workout playlists – Older gym equipment MP3 players don’t support streaming apps
- Travel – International flights where Spotify either doesn’t work or eats through expensive roaming data
- DJing – Serato DJ and Rekordbox require actual audio files, not Spotify streams
- Video projects – Background music for YouTube videos or Instagram reels
- Ringtones – Custom ringtones from your favorite Today’s Top Hits tracks
Plus, Today’s Top Hits changes daily. Songs drop off the playlist after a few weeks.
By converting to MP3, you preserve tracks that might disappear from the playlist tomorrow.
One user on Reddit mentioned they wished they’d saved their favorite versions earlier: “I loved the acoustic version that was on Today’s Top Hits last month, but now I can’t find it anywhere on Spotify.”
MP3s solve that problem permanently.
Best Method: Download with Cinch Audio Recorder
Most people start with Spotify Premium downloads if they have a subscription. That works fine for casual listening within the app.
I actually used Premium downloads for eight months. Thought they were enough.
But here’s where it gets annoying:
- You can’t play downloaded songs outside the Spotify app—meaning no car USB, no MP3 players, nothing
- Cancel Premium and all your downloads vanish instantly
- Can’t make ringtones or use songs in video projects
- Sharing your favorite Today’s Top Hits with friends? Forget about it
Last month, I ran into this exact problem when I wanted to create a workout mix from Today’s Top Hits for my old MP3 player. Spotify Premium “downloads” were useless.
That’s when I discovered Cinch Audio Recorder.
Not as a replacement for Spotify—more like a backup plan for when you need actual MP3 files you can use anywhere.
Here’s why it actually solves the problem:
- Records in 320kbps quality (same as Spotify Premium streams)
- Automatically splits tracks and adds all ID3 tags (artist, album, cover art)
- Works with Free Spotify accounts too—no subscription required
- Keeps your files forever, completely independent of any subscription
Think of it as TiVo for music. You’re just recording what’s already playing.
Key Features of Cinch Audio Recorder
One-click recording – Hit record, play your playlist, done. No complicated setup.
Auto-split tracks – Cinch detects song breaks and creates separate MP3 files automatically. No manual editing required. I tested this with Today’s Top Hits (50 songs) and it split every single track perfectly.
Complete ID3 tags – Artist names, album info, release years, and cover art all get added automatically. Your music library stays organized without extra work.
Multiple format support – MP3, WAV, FLAC, M4A, WMA, AAC—whatever you need. I usually stick with 320kbps MP3 for the best size-to-quality ratio.
Ad filtering (for Free Spotify users) – If you’re using Free Spotify, Cinch can automatically detect and remove audio ads between songs. One click and they’re gone.
Built-in ringtone maker – Convert any track from Today’s Top Hits into a custom iPhone or Android ringtone in under 30 seconds.
How to Download Today’s Top Hits with Cinch
I’ll walk you through exactly how I download Spotify’s Today’s Top Hits playlist. Takes about 12 minutes for all 50 songs. Maybe 15 if you’re new to it.
Step 1: Install Cinch Audio Recorder
Download from the official Cinch website. Installation is straightforward—no complicated settings.
Takes less than 2 minutes from download to ready-to-use.
My note: Works on both Windows and Mac. The interface is identical on both platforms.
Step 2: Open Spotify and Find Today’s Top Hits
Search for “Today’s Top Hits” in Spotify. Open the playlist.
Quick tip: I pin Today’s Top Hits to my sidebar so I can jump straight to it every week when I update my downloads.
Step 3: Start Recording in Cinch
Open Cinch Audio Recorder. You’ll see a big red Record button—click it.
Now go back to Spotify and hit play on Today’s Top Hits. That’s it. Cinch captures everything playing through your computer’s audio output.
You can browse other apps while recording. I usually catch up on emails or scroll Reddit while my playlists record. Cinch keeps working in the background.
Step 4: Get Your Perfect MP3 Files
Cinch automatically splits songs as they play. No manual cutting required.
Each track gets saved with complete metadata:
- Artist name
- Song title
- Album name
- Release year
- Album artwork
Check the Library tab in Cinch to see all your recorded tracks. They’re already organized and ready to use.
What I actually like after using it for 3 months:
Set-and-forget recording is the best part. I start recording Today’s Top Hits, go make coffee, come back to 50 perfect MP3 files. No babysitting required.
Perfect track splitting—I’ve recorded over 200 songs across different playlists. Zero failures. Every song gets separated correctly with clean fade-ins and fade-outs.
Complete metadata makes my music library actually usable. I don’t have to manually add album art or fix “Unknown Artist” tags. Everything’s there.
My weekly routine: I record Today’s Top Hits every Monday to catch new songs. The playlist changes daily, but most new tracks appear over weekends. Takes about 15 minutes for all 50 songs, and I can work on other stuff while it records.
Quick tip I wish I’d known earlier: Set Spotify’s volume to 100% before recording. Cinch captures whatever volume level you’re playing at. Lower volume means quieter recordings. I learned this after my first batch came out too quiet for car playback.
Download Cinch Audio Recorder:
Available for both Windows and Mac. Free trial available to test it out.
Alternative Methods: Free Online Spotify Downloaders
Besides desktop tools like Cinch, there are free online Spotify downloaders you can use right in your browser. No installation needed.
Here’s the catch: Most online downloaders don’t actually get songs from Spotify. They search YouTube for matching tracks instead.
That creates problems:
- Lower audio quality – Usually 128kbps vs Spotify’s 320kbps
- Wrong versions – You might get live performances or remixes instead of studio versions
- Missing metadata – Half my downloads came through as “Unknown Artist”
- Ads everywhere – Pop-ups and fake download buttons
If you just need a few songs quickly and don’t care about perfect quality, here are three that still work in late 2025.
Method 1: spotdownloader.com
The most feature-complete free online option that lets you download entire playlists as a ZIP file.
Pros: No installation needed, batch playlist downloads, keeps basic metadata
Cons: Quality stuck at 128kbps, contains ads, files include “spotdownloader” watermark in filename
How to Use:
- Copy Today’s Top Hits playlist link from Spotify (Share > Copy Link)
- Go to spotdownloader.com and paste the URL
- Click “Submit” and wait for processing
- Download individual tracks or grab the full playlist as ZIP
My experience: Tested with 20 songs from Today’s Top Hits. Three failed completely. Quality noticeably worse on bass-heavy tracks.
Works for casual listening, but not if audio quality matters.
Method 2: spotidown.com
Simpler tool with cleaner interface and fewer ads.
Pros: Mostly ad-free, retains cover art, faster processing
Cons: One song at a time only, 128kbps quality, 10% failure rate in my testing
How to Use:
- Copy song link from Spotify
- Visit spotidown.com and paste URL
- Click “Search” then “Get Download Link”
- Download the MP3
Worked for about 80% of songs I tested. The other 20% failed or downloaded as corrupted files.
Method 3: spotmate.online
Available as a Progressive Web App for mobile devices.
Pros: Can download HD album covers separately, PWA for Android/iOS, supports 6 languages
Cons: Many pop-up ads, one song at a time, 128kbps quality, “320kbps” button is fake
How to Use:
- Copy song link from Today’s Top Hits
- Visit spotmate.online and paste URL
- Click “Download MP3” (ignore the misleading 320kbps button)
- Optionally download HD cover art separately
Mobile users can install it as an app through “Add to Home Screen” in Chrome/Safari.
Important Reality Check
After testing 8 different online downloaders with Today’s Top Hits:
- 5 out of 8 tools failed on 30%+ of songs
- Audio quality consistently 128kbps or worse
- Files often missing artist names and album data
- Some tools watermarked filenames
For a 50-song playlist, you’d need over an hour of clicking through ads. One Reddit user said: “About 10% turned into corrupted files.”
Online tools work for grabbing one or two songs. For regular downloads? They’re more frustrating than helpful.
Cinch vs Online Tools: Which Should You Choose
Honest comparison time. I’ve used both Cinch Audio Recorder and various online downloaders extensively.
Here’s the real difference in actual daily use:
| Feature | Cinch Audio Recorder | Online Downloaders |
|---|---|---|
| Audio Quality | Up to 320kbps | Usually 128kbps or lower |
| Batch Download | ✅ Yes (entire playlists) | ⚠️ Limited (most require one-by-one) |
| Download Speed | 10x faster (batch processing) | 1x speed (one song at a time) |
| Metadata (ID3 Tags) | ✅ Complete (artist, album, cover art) | ❌ Partial or missing |
| Works with Free Spotify | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Ads | ❌ None | ✅ Many pop-ups |
| Reliability | ✅ High (tested on 200+ songs, zero failures) | ⚠️ Varies (30-50% fail rate in my tests) |
| Price | One-time purchase | Free |
Use Cinch if you:
- Want CD-quality MP3s that actually sound good (320kbps)
- Download playlists regularly or in bulk
- Need reliable, complete metadata for your music library
- Value your time—batch processing saves hours
- Have decent headphones or a car stereo where quality matters
Use online tools if you:
- Only need a few songs very occasionally
- Don’t mind compromising on audio quality
- Can’t install software on your device
- Just want to test the conversion process before committing
My recommendation after 3 months:
For Today’s Top Hits (50 songs, daily updates), Cinch saves hours. I tried spotdownloader once—90 minutes, 15 songs failed.
With Cinch? 12 minutes, zero failures, perfect metadata.
I compared the same song three ways:
- spotdownloader (128kbps) – compressed, muddy chorus
- Cinch (320kbps) – identical to Spotify stream
Through car speakers or good headphones, the difference is clear. Bass hits harder, vocals sharper.
Download playlists regularly? Cinch is worth it. One-time grab? Online tools work.
Troubleshooting Common Issues
Based on messages I’ve seen in r/spotify and questions from friends, these are the problems people actually run into.
Songs Not Downloading
Common causes:
- Region-restricted tracks (licensing limits)
- Copyright-protected content
- Internet connection issues
Solution: Check if the song plays in Spotify first. If not, try a VPN for region-locked tracks.
Desktop tools like Cinch handle connection issues better than online converters—they buffer audio locally.
Poor Audio Quality
Issue: Downloads sound worse than Spotify streams.
Why: Online tools grab from YouTube (128kbps max), not Spotify (320kbps).
Solution: Use Cinch to capture actual Spotify stream quality at 320kbps. The difference is noticeable in cars or good headphones—especially on bass-heavy electronic tracks.
Missing Metadata or Album Art
Issue: Downloads show “Unknown Artist” with no cover.
Why: Online converters rip from YouTube, which lacks proper ID3 tags.
Solution: Cinch captures all metadata from Spotify automatically—artist, album, year, artwork. If you have songs with missing tags, use Mp3tag to fix them manually.
Managing Daily Updates
Today’s Top Hits updates daily. You don’t want to re-download the same 40 songs just to get 10 new ones.
My system:
- Record full playlist every Monday (most updates happen weekends)
- Compare tracklists—usually 8-12 new songs per week. Sometimes more, sometimes less.
- Use dated folders like “Top_Hits_Oct_Week3”
- Remove duplicates with MusicBee (audio fingerprinting)
This builds a library without repeats. Each Monday: 15 minutes total.
Conclusion
That’s what actually works for downloading Spotify’s Today’s Top Hits to MP3 in 2025.
The free online tools are fine for grabbing one or two songs here and there. But for a 50-song playlist that updates daily? Cinch Audio Recorder saves hours of clicking through ads and dealing with failed downloads.
Plus, the 320kbps quality difference is real—especially if you’re listening through decent headphones or your car stereo. I notice it most on electronic tracks and anything with heavy bass.
Start with whichever method fits your immediate needs. If you download playlists more than occasionally, you’ll probably end up where I did: wanting the reliability and audio quality that recording tools provide.
Your setup might behave differently than mine. I’m curious what actually works for other people—especially if you’ve found methods I haven’t tried yet.
FAQs
Q: Can I download Spotify Today’s Top Hits without Premium?
Yes. Spotify Premium is only required for official in-app downloads.
Third-party tools like Cinch Audio Recorder work with both Free and Premium accounts. You’re just recording what’s already streaming to your computer, which doesn’t require any special account status.
Q: Is 128kbps vs 320kbps really noticeable?
Depends on your playback setup. On phone speakers? Probably not.
Through good headphones or a car stereo? Absolutely. The 320kbps version preserves more detail in bass frequencies and high-end clarity. I noticed it most dramatically on electronic music tracks from Today’s Top Hits—the sub-bass just disappears at 128kbps.
Q: Will Spotify ban my account for using downloaders?
Spotify’s terms prohibit “unauthorized” downloads, but they can’t detect audio recording tools like Cinch—it just captures your computer’s audio output like screen recording software.
Thousands of users record Spotify daily without issues. Online downloaders that try to access Spotify’s API directly might be riskier, though I haven’t heard of account bans happening.
Q: How do I download Today’s Top Hits on my phone?
Cinch only works on Windows and Mac computers. On mobile devices, your options are limited to online downloaders accessed through your phone’s browser, or Spotify Premium’s official download feature (which keeps files DRM-protected and only playable within the Spotify app).
Most people find it easier to download on a computer then transfer files to their phone.
Q: What happens to my downloads when Today’s Top Hits updates?
Your downloaded MP3 files are yours permanently—they don’t change or disappear when Spotify updates the playlist.
The playlist might remove songs, but your local files stay exactly as they were. You’d need to download again to get new tracks that get added to Today’s Top Hits.
