Smartwatches with offline Spotify or Deezer


Which Smartwatch supports Spotify? If you are a Spotify user and want to do phone-free sports then a great option is to get a smartwatch that supports offline Spotify. Currently, the two brands of watches you should be looking at are Garmin and Samsung for devices that support offline Spotify. Not all devices from these manufacturers are supported so check below the Garmin and Samsung headings to see which devices are supported.

Which Smartwatch supports Deezer? If you are a Deezer user and want to do phone-free sports then a great option is to get a smartwatch that supports offline Deezer. In addition to the Garmin devices, you can also look into the Fitbit devices.

So the bottom line is if you want Spotify go with Garmin or Samsung smartwatches and if you want Deezer you have the choice of Garmin or Fitbit.

Why would you want Spotify or Deezer on your smartwatch

You might not want to carry your smartphone while in the gym or doing other sports. The smartphone gets in the way and might not bear the sweat. It’s also a lot more convenient to change tracks from your wrist rather than getting your phone from the pocket.

Some devices support transferring your own music to the devices with a drag and drop approach from your PC or Mac. First of all, this would require you to own your own music and second of all for a Spotify or Deezer user you are used to having your playlists on that platform so why would you do it any other way for your smartwatch and spend the extra time choosing the music. It’s really convenient to have the same playlists sync across your devices.

What is Spotify

Spotify is a music streaming platform launched in 2008, developed and operated by Swedish company Spotify AB which is also listed on the New York Stock Exchange. Spotify is currently available in 78 countries and regions throughout the world: it is available in most of Europe, most of the Americas, Australia, New Zealand and parts of Africa and Asia.

Spotify is a freemium service offering some basic features for free with advertisements. Additional features like improved streaming quality are offered via paid subscriptions.

Spotify Premium costs 10 USD per month and you get offline and ad-free access to the music.

What is Deezer

Deezer is an Internet-based music streaming service launched in 2007 by a French company. Compared to Spotify it has nowadays a similarly wide music library as Spotify and similar audio quality. Deezer has also a free subscription with ads. Offline playback is available with the paid subscription which is 10 USD per month.

Spotify used to have the advantage with the music library size and they still have a much larger amount of subscribers estimated at 83 million compared to 16 million on Deezer.

Currently, Deezer is a good option compared to Spotify but the price is the same.

Smartwatches which support Spotify

Spotify has partnered so far with a few smartwatch manufacturers to provide Spotify music via your smartwatch to your Bluetooth headphones. You need to be a Spotify Premium subscriber to get access to Spotify on your smartwatch.

Spotify is supported on Garmin and Samsung smartwatches. Apple and Wear OS also have a Spotify app but it’s more like a Spotify remote and doesn’t support offline playback. Please note that not all smartwatches from these manufacturers support Spotify so look further below under the headings to see which devices are supported.

Offline Spotify on Garmin Smartwatches

For the Garmin smartwatches, you need to install the Spotify app from the Garmin Connect IQ store. The Spotify app seems to have great reviews on the Garmin app store.

This Spotify app is currently supported already on 39 Garmin Smartwatches (Updated 11.01.2021) which are all of the Garmin Fenix 5 Plus series devices, Fenix 6 series, The Garmin D2 Delta series devices, the Garmin MARQ series devices, Quatix, Rey, Venu, Garmin Vivoactive 4 & 3 Music, and the  Forerunner 245 Music & 645 Music as well as Forerunner 945. So even the Vivoactive 3 Music which I reviewed recently has now Spotify support. 

You can find my comparison chart with all the relevant Garmin watches supporting Spotify below.

You can also check the up to date list from the Garmin IQ store directly under ‘Compatible devices’.

You can only play music and podcasts you’ve downloaded. So basically this is offline Spotify. The Garmin Smartwatches have WiFi for syncing the music, but still, it’s not possible to stream Spotify. I think this makes sense since the WiFi would drain your battery way too quickly.

I have used the Garmin Vivoactive 3 Music and synced music via the Deezer app which is very similar to the Spotify app. So if you want to read more about what that is like you can have a look at my Garmin Vivoactive 3 Music review & test.

Garmin has really high-quality smartwatches and from this lineup, I would go for the Garmin Fenix 6 Pro series if money is not an issue and with the current sale prices you might find one for 450 to 500 USD.

Currently, in 01/2022 I think one of the best choices is the Garmin Venu 2 if you want the music features and want a bright vibrant screen. The Vivoactive 4 can also be found on sale for 200USD so that’s a great option if you are on a budget. You can check my top three picks for Spotify watches here.

You can use the below table I created to easily compare all of the relevant Spotify supporting smartwatches.

PictureBuy on AmazonPriceRatingBattery lifeWater ratingHeart rate sensorPulse OxGPSStores MusicMusic servicesSleep trackingSmart notificationsContactless PaymentsSwim trackingSwim metricsDimensionsDisplay sizeReleasedBrandOrder
Garmin Venu 2under $3504.5Up to 11 daysSwim, 5 ATMYesYesGPS, GLONASS, GalileoYesSpotify, DeezerYesYesYesPoollengths, distance, pace, stroke count/rate, calories, SWOLF2021Garmin1
Garmin Fenix 6 Prounder $5504.5Up to 14 daysSwim, 10 ATMYesYesGPS, GLONASS, GalileoYesSpotify, DeezerYesYes-Pool, Open Waterlengths, distance, pace, stroke count/rate, calories, SWOLF47 x 47 x 14.7 mm1.3”Garmin1
Garmin Fenix 6S Prounder $5504.5Up to 9 daysSwim, 10 ATMYesYesGPS, GLONASS, GalileoYesSpotify, DeezerYesYes-Pool, Open Waterlengths, distance, pace, stroke count/rate, calories, SWOLF42 x 42 x 13.8 mm1.2”Garmin1
Garmin Vívoactive 4under $2004.3Up to 8 daysSwim, 5 ATMYesYesGPS, GLONASS, GalileoYesSpotify, DeezerYesYesYesPoollengths, distance, pace, stroke count/rate, calories, SWOLF45.1 x 45.1 x 12.8 mm1.3"Garmin1
Garmin vívoactive 4Sunder $2004.3Up to 7 daysSwim, 5 ATMYesYesGPS, GLONASS, GalileoYesSpotify, DeezerYesYesYesPoollengths, distance, pace, stroke count/rate, calories, SWOLF40.0 x 40.0 x 12.7 mm1.1" Garmin1
Garmin Forerunner 945under $5504.4Up to 14 daysSwim, 5 ATMYesYesGPS, GLONASS, GalileoYesSpotify, DeezerYesYes-Pool, Open Waterlengths, distance, pace, stroke count/rate, calories, SWOLF47 x 47 x 13.7 mm1.2”2019Garmin2
Garmin D2 Delta PXunder $13003.7Up to 20 daysSwim, 10 ATMYesYesGPS, GLONASS, GalileoYesSpotify, DeezerYesYesYesPool, Open Waterlengths, distance, pace, stroke count/rate, calories, SWOLF51 x 51 x 17.5 mm1.2"Garmin3
Garmin Forerunner 245 Musicunder $3004.4Up to 7 daysSwim, 5 ATMYesYesGPS, GLONASS, GalileoYesSpotify, DeezerYesYes-Poollengths, distance, pace, stroke count/rate, calories, SWOLF42.3 x 42.3 x 12.2 (mm)1.2”Garmin3
Garmin MARQ Collectionunder $2500Up to 12 daysSwim, 10 ATMYesYesGPS, GLONASS, GalileoYesSpotify, DeezerYesYes-Pool, Open Waterlengths, distance, pace, stroke count/rate, calories, SWOLF46 x 14.1 mm1.2”Garmin3
Garmin D2 Deltaunder $10003.7Up to 12 daysSwim, 10 ATMYes-GPS, GLONASS, GalileoYesSpotify, DeezerYesYesYesPool, Open Waterlengths, distance, pace, stroke count/rate, calories, SWOLF47 x 47 x 15.8 mm1.2"Garmin3
Garmin D2 Delta Sunder $6503.7Up to 7 daysSwim, 10 ATMYes-GPS, GLONASS, GalileoYesSpotify, DeezerYesYesYesPool, Open Waterlengths, distance, pace, stroke count/rate, calories, SWOLF42 x 42 x 15.4 mm1.2"Garmin3
Garmin Captain Marvelunder $4004.3Up to 7 daysSwim, 5 ATMYesYesGPS, GLONASS, GalileoYesSpotify, DeezerYesYes-Poollengths, distance, pace, stroke count/rate, calories, SWOLF40.0 x 40.0 x 12.7 mm1.1"Garmin4
Garmin Darth Vaderunder $4003.8Up to 8 daysSwim, 5 ATMYesYesGPS, GLONASS, GalileoYesSpotify, DeezerYesYes-Poollengths, distance, pace, stroke count/rate, calories, SWOLF45.1 x 45.1 x 12.8 mm1.3”Garmin4
Garmin Reyunder $4004.8Up to 7 daysSwim, 5 ATMYesYesGPS, GLONASS, GalileoYesSpotify, DeezerYesYes-Poollengths, distance, pace, stroke count/rate, calories, SWOLF40.0 x 40.0 x 12.7 mm1.1" Garmin4
Garmin Venuunder $3504.4Up to 5 daysSwim, 5 ATMYesYesGPS, GLONASS, GalileoYesSpotify, DeezerYesYesYesPoollengths, distance, pace, stroke count/rate, calories, SWOLF43.2 x 43.2 x 12.4 mm1.2"Garmin4
Garmin Forerunner 645 Musicunder $4503.9up to 7 daysSwim, 5 ATMYesGPS, GLONASSYesSpotify, Deezer, iHeartRadioYesYesYesPoollengths, distance, pace, stroke count/rate, calories, SWOLF42.5 x 42.5 x 13.5 mm1.2"2018, MarchGarmin4
Garmin fēnix 5X Plusunder $5004.2up to 20 daysSwim, 10 ATMYesYesGPS, GLONASS, GalileoYesSpotify, Deezer, iHeartRadioYesYesYesPool, Open Waterlengths, distance, pace, stroke count/rate, calories, SWOLF51 x 51 x 17.5 mm2018, Q2Garmin5
Garmin Fenix 5 Plusunder $6504.2up to 12 daysSwim, 10 ATMYes-GPS, GLONASS, GalileoYesSpotify, Deezer, iHeartRadioYesYesYesPool, Open Waterlengths, distance, pace, stroke count/rate, calories, SWOLF47 x 47 x 15.8 mm1.2"2018Garmin5
Garmin Fenix 5S Plusunder $6504.2up to 7 daysSwim, 10 ATMYes-GPS, GLONASS, GalileoYesSpotify, Deezer, iHeartRadioYesYesYesPool, Open Waterlengths, distance, pace, stroke count/rate, calories, SWOLF42 x 42 x 15.4 mm1.2"2018Garmin5
Garmin vívoactive 3 Musicunder $2503.9up to 7 daysSwim, 5 ATMYesGPS, GLONASS, GalileoYesSpotify, Deezer, iHeartRadioYesYesYesPoollengths, distance, pace, stroke count/rate, calories, SWOLF43.1 x 43.1 x 13.6 mm1.2"2018Garmin5
Garmin fēnix 5S Plusunder $5004.4Swim, 10 ATMYesGPS, GLONASS, GalileoYesSpotify, DeezerYesYes-Pool, Open Waterlengths, distance, pace, stroke count/rate, calories, SWOLFGarmin5

Access the full comparison chart with filters here.

Offline Spotify on Samsung Smartwatches

The Spotify app is currently supported on 6 Samsung smartwatches. Supported devices are Gear S2 and S3, Gear Sport, and Gear Fit 2 and Fit 2 Pro and the Galaxy Watch.

You will need a Spotify Premium account to use the offline Spotify features on your smartwatch.

First, you will need to install the Spotify app on the watch. To get the offline Spotify option in the watch app you will need to disconnect the Bluetooth connection to the phone. Connect your watch to a wireless network with Internet connectivity.

If you are unable to login into to Spotify at this point due to ‘username/password is incorrect’ please make sure that you have no more than 3 devices connected to your account via the Spotify website and also set a device password which you can then use on your phone.

After this, your Spotify playlists you see on the watch should have a download option.

The Galaxy Watch is the newest one released in 2018 and has a starting price of around 330USD. Gear S3 has a starting price of around 200USD.

Spotify “remote” on Apple Smartwatches

To get Spotify on Apple Watch, you’ll need to have an iPhone 5 or above, running iOS 10.0 or above and the Apple Watch needs to have watchOS 4.0 or above.

There is an Apple Watch Spotify app, but it’s not really what you would expect or hope for. Since currently, the Apple Watch app doesn’t allow you to sync songs for offline playback. The app is basically a way to control songs that are being played on your iPhone or other Spotify Connect devices.

Hopefully, the app will, later on, provide offline playback options like on the Garmin devices.

Spotify “remote” on WearOS Smartwatches

It’s easy to get started by downloading the Spotify app from the Google Play Store on your watch.

The WearOS smartwatch Spotify app will let you play, pause, skip and browse recently played music and podcasts. There’s also Spotify Connect support which allows you to play music from your smartwatch on compatible speakers in your home.

The thing users would have liked to have the most would have been offline playback support from the watch. This, however, isn’t possible at least yet.

Smartwatches which support Deezer

Deezer has partnered so far with a few smartwatch manufacturers to provide Deezer music via your smartwatch to your Bluetooth headphones. You need to be a Deezer Premium subscriber to get access to the music on your smartwatch.

Offline Deezer is supported on Garmin and Fitbit smartwatches.

Offline Deezer on Garmin Smartwatches

Garmin has exactly the same list of devices as with Spotify so you can refer to the list under the ‘Offline Spotify for Garmin’ heading. The one exception is the Garmin Vivoactive 3 which has Deezer support but no Spotify support yet. I have used the Garmin Vivoactive 3 Music and synced music via the Deezer app which is very similar to the Spotify app. So if you want to read more about what that is like you can have a look at my Garmin Vivoactive 3 Music review & test.

If Garmin has some new devices out you can check the up to date list of Deezer supported devices from the Garmin IQ store directly under ‘Compatible devices’.

Offline Deezer on Fitbit Smartwatches

Fitbit currently has the Deezer app available for the Fitbit Versa and Ionic. The most important thing is that you can leave your phone at home or in the locker room while you do sports and these devices fully support offline usage of Deezer.

With the Deezer app, you can download your Deezer playlists and Flow directly to your watch. First, you download music, then you connect Bluetooth headphones or speakers to listen to your music.

Note that you need a paid subscription to Deezer and a Wi-Fi connection to download music.

Deezer”remote” on Apple Smartwatches

Can you download music to Apple Watch with the Deezer app? No. This is really all you need to know since this is what you are really looking for. The Deezer app on Apple Watch allows you to control the music playing from your iPhone. You cannot download music to, or stream music from, your Apple Watch using Deezer.

Deezer”remote” on WearOS Smartwatches

You can’t use offline Deezer on Wear OS smartwatches. It’s only for controlling the music on your phone. As long as you have downloaded content on the app in your phone, you will be able to control it offline from Wear OS.

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John

Hi! I'm John and this is where I share my tech learnings. As a tech enthusiast and a smartwatch believer (I wear a Garmin smartwatch), I like to read about the newest trends and research new devices. On this blog, I share all the things I learn about smartwatches as I go.

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