Garmin is making it easier than ever for music lovers, and it has a convenient Spotify integration for many existing Garmin watch owners today. The app is available for various models, including Forerunner, Fenix, Epix, Venu, and vivoactive series. This support is designed for Premium users who want to take their favorite playlists to a Garmin watch for offline listening directly from your Bluetooth headphones.
If you own one of these models and aren't sure how to set up or use the Spotify app, this step-by-step guide will help you. Converting Spotify music to music files is also an option for free users.
Part 1. How to Install and Set Up Spotify on Garmin Forerunner
If you own a Garmin Forerunner (such as the Forerunner 245 Music or Forerunner 945) and haven't set up Spotify yet, start by downloading the app from the Garmin Connect IQ™ store. For offline downloads, a Spotify Premium account is required. After installing, log in to link your playlists and enable offline playback. Free users can still browse and control playback on their phone through the watch.
Open the Garmin Connect IQ™ store on your phone.
Search for Spotify and tap Download to install the app on your Forerunner.
Sign in to your Garmin account if prompted.
Select your watch (e.g., Forerunner 245 Music) from the list to complete installation.
On your watch, press the Down button, go to Music > Music Providers, and select Spotify.
Open the Garmin Connect app on your phone and enter your Spotify credentials. Tap Log In and Agree to confirm linking Spotify to your Forerunner.
Part 2. How to Play and Download Spotify Music on Garmin Forerunner
Once Spotify is connected, you can either stream music from your phone or download playlists, albums, or podcasts for offline listening. Forerunner models (like the 245 Music or 945) don't have built-in speakers, so playback always goes through Bluetooth headphones or a paired phone.
For Premium Users (Offline Music via Wi-Fi):
Your Forerunner acts as a remote to pause, skip, or select tracks while music plays on your phone.
Open the Spotify app on your Forerunner.
Tap Your Library and select the playlist, album, or podcast you want.
Tap Download and connect your watch to Wi-Fi to sync music.
Once downloaded, music can be played directly from the Forerunner without your phone.
For Free Users (Control Music on iPhone via Garmin):
Downloaded music can be played directly from the watch to Bluetooth headphones, no phone needed. Multiple playlists can be synced at once for added convenience.
Make sure your Forerunner is connected to your phone.
Open the Spotify app on the watch.
Browse your playlists and select a track.
Use the watch to pause, skip, or control playback while music plays on your phone.
Part 3. How to Listen to Spotify on Garmin Forerunner with Bluetooth Headphones
After pairing Bluetooth headphones, you can play downloaded Spotify music directly from your Forerunner. Offline playback requires a Spotify Premium account. Once paired, you can start playback from the watch and control it from your wrist.
Turn on your Bluetooth headphones and set them to pairing mode.
On your Forerunner, go to Settings > Music > Music Providers > Spotify.
Select Pair New Device and choose your headphones from the list.
Open the Spotify app on the watch and tap Your Library.
Select the playlist, album, or podcast you want to play.
Tap Play, and the audio will stream directly to your paired headphones.
Use the watch buttons to pause, skip, or switch tracks without reaching for your phone.
Part 4. Best Way to Use Spotify on Garmin without Premium
Garmin has teamed up with Spotify to enable the user to sync Spotify music to the watch - offering more people than ever the chance to untether from their smartphone and work out uninhibited. However, the feature of listening to Spotify on Garmin Forerunner is only available for Premium subscribers instead of all Spotify users.
With the help of a third-party tool like ViWizard Spotify Music Converter, you can download and sync Spotify music to Garmin Watch even though you are a Free Spotify user. ViWizard Spotify Music Converter can empower you to download any music track, playlist, album, podcast, and audiobook from Spotify. As ViWizard supports six popular audio formats, you can choose to save Spotify songs to MP3 or other formats for listening on any device.
Key Features of ViWizard Spotify Music Converter
Free Trial Free Trial* Security verified. 5, 481,347 people have downloaded it.
- Download Spotify songs, playlists, podcasts, and audiobooks extremely fast at up to 15x speed
- Convert Spotify into MP3, FLAC, WAV, AIFF, M4A, and M4B losslessly
- Lets you play Spotify tracks offline on any device without restrictions
- Works seamlessly on Windows and macOS, supporting the built-in Spotify Web Player
Step 1Install ViWizard on Your Computer
Download and install ViWizard Spotify Music Converter for Windows or Mac. Open the program and log in to your Spotify account. Both Free and Premium accounts are supported. ViWizard includes a built-in Spotify browser for searching and playing songs without switching apps.
Step 2Choose MP3 as the Output Format
Use the search bar or paste Spotify links into the converter. Click the + button to add tracks to your conversion list. You can select individual songs, albums, or full playlists.
Step 3Convert and Save Spotify Music
Open Preferences or Settings in ViWizard and select MP3 as the output format. MP3 is compatible with Garmin watches and most Bluetooth headphones. Optionally, adjust audio quality or organize files by artist, album, or playlist.
Step 4Transfer Converted Spotify Music to Garmin
Click Convert to start. ViWizard removes Spotify's DRM and saves music as MP3 files on your computer. After conversion, open the output folder to access your new MP3 tracks for transferring to Garmin.
Connect your Garmin Forerunner watch to your computer by using an included USB cable.
Open the Garmin Express app on the computer and find your watch in the device list.
Click on the Music button and select the audio file category from the My Music or iTunes Library list. Tick the checkboxes next to the desired audio files and then click on the Send to Device button.
Conclusion
With a Premium subscription, you can directly download and connect Spotify to Garmin Forerunner watch. If you don't have a Premium Spotify account, then you can try using ViWizard Spotify Music Converter. You can use this tool to download Spotify songs to your watch for playing offline anytime.
You May Be Interested
Adam Gorden, the digital media specialist at ViWizard, is dedicated to providing the best solutions for digital media management, including audio and video conversion, file optimization, and media workflow enhancements.
Leave a Comment (0)