How to download music and films before a flight

Spotify: playlists and albums, not single songs

Spotify's help is clear about who can download what: with Premium you can download albums, playlists and podcasts, and on the free version only podcasts. While you are online, open the album or playlist and tap the download icon, and it is saved to Your Library.

Two rules catch people out. You cannot download a single song on its own, so for a flight mix, add the songs to a playlist and download the playlist. And downloads need a check-in: Spotify says you have to go online at least once every 30 days to keep them. On a normal trip that is not an issue, but on a long one with little connection, open Spotify once on Wi-Fi along the way. Spotify also allows up to 10,000 tracks on each of up to five devices, which is far more than a flight needs.

Netflix: in the mobile app, and not every title

Netflix downloads work in its app for Android phones and tablets, iPhone and iPad, Amazon Fire tablets and Chromebooks with the Play Store. In the app, tap Downloads, then See What You Can Download, pick a film and tap Download, or for a series tap Download Season to save all its episodes. Netflix itself recommends doing this on Wi-Fi.

Three limits matter before a flight. Not every film or series is available to download, so check the ones you want rather than assuming. Downloads stay on the device that downloaded them and you need to stay signed in to watch them offline. And downloads expire after a period of time; plans with ads also have a monthly limit of downloads per device. If you want something for the return flight too, download it close to the date, not weeks before.

YouTube: Premium, and a 29-day window

Downloading YouTube videos is a YouTube Premium feature. Signed in to your Premium account in the app, open the video and tap Download below it. Everything you save appears under your profile, in the Library, with the Downloaded filter. In Settings, under Background and downloads, you can choose the download quality; YouTube notes that higher quality uses more data and more storage, which matters if your phone is nearly full.

The offline window is the detail to know. YouTube's help says downloaded videos play offline for up to 29 days, after which the device has to reconnect so the app can check the video is still available, and in some countries the limit is 48 hours. For music, the separate YouTube Music app has its own downloads under the same Premium membership.

Apple Music: switch on Sync Library first

Apple Music will not download anything until Sync Library is on. Apple gives the route as Settings, Apps, Music, Sync Library; on older iOS versions Music sits directly under Settings. Then, in the Music app, touch and hold a song, album or playlist that is in your library and tap Download, or use the download button at the top of an album or playlist.

If you add music in a rush before leaving, Automatic Downloads in the same settings saves everything you add without extra taps. You can follow progress in the Library tab under Downloaded, then Downloading, which is worth a look before you switch off the Wi-Fi. The same settings screen has a Download over Cellular switch: leave it off if you do not want a large album pulled over your mobile data.

The night before: a five-minute test

• Download everything on home Wi-Fi, with the phone charging, and check there is free space before you start.
• Turn on airplane mode and open each app. Play a minute of each film and playlist. If something will not play now, it will not play mid-flight either.
• Stay signed in. Netflix and YouTube both need you signed in to the same account to play downloads.
• Add offline maps of your destination while you are at it, so you are not streaming them in the taxi.

Downloading at home also saves your trip data for things you cannot prepare in advance. If you are deciding how much data to take, the data calculator and the guide on how much data you need help you size it.