Best smartwatch and running watch with music: Spotify, MP3 and more

The rise of running watches with built-in music playback means you can go for a run without taking your smartphone with you.

Whether you're looking for a Garmin watch with music or a fitness smartwatch, the Wareable team has tested every device on the market.

Most of the Garmin sports watch range, and smartwatches such as the Apple Watch and Samsung Galaxy Watch 5, offer the ability to play music straight from the wrist.

Many running watches offer support for syncing over Spotify, Deezer, or Apple Music playlists, and most still allow you to upload old MP3s, as well.

Read on for our pick of the best running with music options from our reviews.

• Looking for a great running watch? Check out our full GPS running watch guide
• Need a pair of running headphones? Our sister site has tested the best wire-free options
• Run to the beat: Learn how to use Spotify on your Garmin watch

Key considerations:

Does it work with Spotify?

Many running watches and smartwatches support Spotify – and other streaming services. This means you can download playlists or individual tracks to listen to offline. Check that the watch supports your chosen service before you buy.

Remember, you'll generally need to be a Spotify Premium subscriber to offline sync to Garmin, Samsung, and the Apple Watch.

Music controls or music player?

Most running watches with music features will offer the ability to control the music that's playing on your phone – but that doesn't mean they can play music solo.

That can be from the phone's native music player or third-party apps like Deezer and Spotify.

If there's a music player also onboard you'll have a portion of storage on the watch to use and need to connect Bluetooth headphones to stream music from the watch.

How to add music

If you're using MP3s then the method of getting tunes onto your watch will vary. Some require plugging the watch into a computer and dragging and dropping your audio files to a folder on the watch. And there can be limitations on file formats and types.

Other watches will only allow you to sync music via the companion phone app, which means making sure that audio is on your phone already. That may mean connecting your phone to a computer first if that's where your audio lives before you can sync over.

Does it work with your phone?

It sounds like an obvious one but while many watches advertise having built-in music players, that doesn't mean they necessarily offer the ability to use that feature with your phone.

It can sometimes be the case that watches with music players are built to work for Android phones and not for iPhones despite being able to connect and use the other watch features on Apple's smartphone.

Huawei's watches for instance do not offer those music player features for iPhone users.

Battery life impacts

Streaming music from a watch will in general have a big impact on battery life. If you're planning to stream music while tracking runs, that's going to hit the battery the hardest so pay attention to the battery numbers quoted when those two things are done together.

Garmin Forerunner 255 Music

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Garmin Forerunner 255 Music key features and specs

• 500 songs
• Spotify (offline syncing, Premium required)
• Amazon Music (offline syncing, sub required)
• Deezer (offline syncing, sub required)
• iHeartRadio (offline syncing, sub required)
• 6.5 hours GPS with music
• Stereo and mono listening modes

Considering the price and connectivity options, the Forerunner 255 Music is the best all-out running watch with music we've tested; it offers top-end features without a crazy price tag.

The Forerunner 255 Music (and you must buy the 'Music' version) enables you to store up to 500 songs, either via drag-and-drop from your library of MP3s, or offline synced Spotify, Deezer, Amazon Music, or iHeartRadio content. You simply pair your Bluetooth headphones and you’re away.

Pressing the 'Down' button on the side of the watch (the button at the 7 o'clock position) gives you quick access to those music controls, and lets you do the basics like skip through tracks and change playlists.

If you're a Spotify Premium subscriber, you can transfer playlists to the device for that all-important offline support.

• Garmin Forerunner 255 vs. Forerunner 265

Away from the music, we're also big fans of the Forerunner 255 as a running watch. It offers dual-frequency GPS to improve outdoor tracking, a race widget, and morning report features. We also found the optical heart rate monitor performed well even at high intensity and intervals.

In short, the Forerunner 255 blends great running features and offline music playback at a price that's not absurdly expensive.

Just be aware that Garmin has now released the Forerunner 265 and Forerunner 265S, both of which come with music support as standard. We're currently conducting our extended review, so stay tuned for more.

Read more: Garmin Forerunner 255 Music review

Apple Watch Series 8 / SE 2 / Ultra

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Apple Watch Series 8 key features and specs

• 500 songs
• Apple Music (streaming/offline)
• Spotify (offline syncing, Premium required)
• Deezer (offline syncing, sub required)
• Pandora (offline syncing, sub required)
• Streaming and syncing with Podcasts app
• Roughly three hours of GPS and music playback

The Apple Watch could pose as a running watch in its own right – so don’t be fooled into thinking it’s all style and no substance.

The Series 8 might not offer a huge leap in change from the Series 7, but it does crucially still offer the ability to stream music while you're running – with Apple Music particularly well catered for.

The Workout app on the Apple Watch is pretty powerful, with customizable data screens that can even show live cadence when running.

You won't get pages of data like a Garmin, but it’s no slouch when it comes to tracking your activities. Also, there are third-party apps for pretty much every running service – the Strava and Workoutdoors apps being notably good third-party options.

So, what about music? In our testing, we found it easy to make playlists in Apple Music and sync them to the Apple Watch. The process has recently been overhauled, so the Apple Watch doesn't have to be attached to the charger to sync music.

Apple Music subscribers rocking a cellular edition of the Apple Watch can stream music and podcasts directly from their watch.

For the Spotify app, you do now have the ability to stream your music over a cellular or a Wi-Fi connection, and, finally, you can store Spotify music and playlists for offline playback as you can on Garmin and Samsung watches.

There's also the Apple Watch Series SE 2, which got a huge revamp in September 2022. It's still one of the most reliable for tracking effort levels during exercise from the wrist and matches up to the Series 8 and Apple Watch Ultra.

The latter will offer significantly more GPS tracking with music if you're worried about the longevity of the Series 8 / SE 2.

Our reviews: Apple Watch Series 8 / Apple Watch SE 2 / Apple Watch Ultra

Samsung Galaxy Watch 5

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Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 key features and specs

• 16GB storage
• Spotify (offline syncing, Premium required)
• Amazon Music (offline syncing, sub required)
• YouTube Music (offline syncing, sub required)
• MP3 support
• 40mm/44mm (Galaxy Watch 5) and 46mm (Galaxy Watch 5 Pro)
• Offline playback supported

The Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 runs Wear OS, which means users can access offline playlists from Spotify, Amazon Music, Deezer and YouTube Music.

All these apps enable you to stream music (over Wi-Fi or LTE), and download offline playlists from those streaming services onto the watch.

In our review, it has been a solid performer as a fitness device, as well. It might not match the supreme accuracy you'll enjoy on Garmin and Apple watches, but we found it does a good job overall of tracking your exercise – and is a good choice for Android smartphone users.

With Wear OS on board, you're also getting access to big third-party apps that have been rebuilt for this new Wear OS and that includes Strava.

The Galaxy Watch 5 comes in 40mm and 44mm sizes, with an additional 46mm Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro, which offers significantly better battery life and a titanium build

The older Galaxy Watch 4 also runs Wear OS, therefore delivering the same app support.

Wareable verdict: Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 review

Garmin Fenix 7 / Epix (Gen 2)

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Garmin Fenix 7 / Epix 2 key features and specs

• 1,000 songs
• Spotify (offline syncing, Premium required)
• Amazon Music (offline syncing, Premium required)
• Deezer (offline syncing, Premium required)
• iHeartRadio (offline syncing, Premium required)
• 10 hours of GPS with music
• Offline playback supported

The Fenix 7 range has the full gamut of music features, including storage for 1,000 songs and full support for Spotify, Deezer, and iHeartradio.

You can also opt for the more expensive Epix, which is the same as the Fenix 7 but with a full AMOLED display and an $899/£799 price tag. Both excelled in our reviews in terms of athletic tracking and analysis, but we found that the experience of adding music is much clunkier than rivals.

However, unlike the Fenix 6 you don't need to choose Pro or Sapphire options when buying – and all versions of the latest Fenix 7 can handle music playback.

And the Fenix 7 has also added battery life, which means you get even more music playback time. Garmin quotes 10 hours of the most accurate GPS tracking with music playback – and you'll get even more if you choose standard GPS. That's more than most people need.

When it comes to sports tracking, the Fenix 7 is pretty much the best you can buy with a vast array of modes, metrics, and settings to cater to all of your sports tracking needs.

It tracks everything from trail running to skydiving.

But it's the level of data you get from running that impressed us, with VO2 Max recovery stats, training data, and even insights into your running form. All models are available in solar editions, too, which can help slightly boost your battery when you head outside.

In-depth: Garmin Fenix 7X review | Garmin Fenix 7 review | Garmin Epix 2 review

Garmin Venu 2

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Garmin Venu 2 key features and specs

• 2,000 songs
• Spotify (offline syncing, Premium required)
• Amazon Music (offline syncing, sub required)
• Deezer (offline syncing, sub required)
• iHeartRadio (offline syncing, sub required)
• 8 hours of music with GPS
• Offline playback supported

The Venu was Garmin's first ever watch with a full AMOLED screen, and the Venu 2 improves that screen quality for those who don't want a Garmin with one of those dull-looking transflective displays on their wrist.

We found it's a capable smartwatch and a good jack-of-all-trades sports tracker in our review – although the data and analysis are more basic than its peers.

In terms of music, you're getting space for up to 2,000 songs, which is up from the 500-song storage offered on the first Venu. That includes offline syncing support for Spotify, Deezer, Amazon Music, and iHeartRadio.

You're getting a comprehensive list of tracked sports and improved modes for tracking HIIT and indoor workout sessions. The Venu 2 also comes in a smaller Venu 2S version, with both offering nice, bright AMOLED displays. There's also the Venu 2 Plus, which offers access to your phone's smart assistant.

Garmin has also tweaked the user interface to make it easier to find the features you use most regularly and makes customizable data screens easy to view when running.

And the battery doesn’t take as much of a battering as you might expect. GPS tracking with music playback is eight hours, which is more than enough for the average runner.

It’s not a running powerhouse, but the Venu 2 does excel in terms of all-day wear. There's also a Venu Sq 2, a square version that comes in at significantly less than round Venu 2 and still offers a music edition to pile on your music.

Wareable verdict: Garmin Venu 2 review | Garmin Venu 2 Plus review

Garmin Forerunner 955

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Garmin Forerunner 955 key features and specs

• 2,000 songs storage
• MP3, Spotify, Deezer, Amazon Music, and iHeartRadio
• GPS with music: 8.5-20 hours (dependent on multiband mode)
• Stereo and mono listening modes
• Offline playback supported

By now, you get the picture of Garmin's efforts - and the Forerunner 955 (the top Forerunner in the range) has space for 2,000 songs, as well as Spotify, Deezer and iHeartRadio offline playlists.

As a running watch, you're getting the most in-depth analytics of any Forerunner – and essentially a Fenix 7 watch with the extra sports stripped out and a lighter design.

We particularly enjoy Garmin's Training Readiness feature here, which pieces together metrics like sleep history, stress history and HRV to assess whether you're ready to go hard in your sessions.

The Forerunner 955 is a triathlon watch, so it's big on swimming, cycling and running. It comes with big battery life, though streaming music will inevitably eat into that time you have to track, so that's something to keep in mind.

Garmin has introduced the ability to switch between stereo and mono listening modes, with the latter getting you a bit more battery time in that music player mode.

It also offers on-wrist support for Garmin's Running Dynamics for advanced running metrics, as well, which means you don't have to hook up the external sensor. It's a gold standard running watch – with a price tag to match.

While there isn't a 955 LTE edition like there is for the 945, Garmin uses that cellular connectivity to offer safety features sans smartphones as opposed to offering phone-free music streaming.

Like with the Forerunner 255 above, just be aware that Garmin has now launched the AMOLED-packing Forerunner 965. There's no difference with regard to music support between this generation and the 955, but watch out for price cuts and stay tuned for our full review nonetheless. 

In-depth: Garmin Forerunner 955 review

Huawei Watch Fit 2

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Huawei Watch Fit 2 key features and specs

• Store up to 5000 songs
• Works with MP3 music synced in the Health app (Android only)
• 10-day battery life (GPS + Music unknown)

The Huawei Watch GT 2e, Watch GT 3, GT Runner series and Watch 3 all have built-in music players, but, if you want the cheapest Huawei wearable to offer that support, it's the Watch Fit 2 that you'll want to grab.

The Watch Fit 2 stunned us in our review time with its mix of workout features and price tag – and it's one of the best budget sports watches going. However, when it comes to music playback, there are major caveats.

We should start by saying that to use the onboard music player, you'll need to pair the Fit 2 with an Android phone because that support doesn't extend to iOS.

You'll have to pile on music (MP3 and AAC file formats) of your own via the Huawei Health app with the likes of offline support for music streaming services like Spotify and Deezer not supported. Huawei has now launched its own music streaming service so hopefully, that support will be added.

Away from those music features, Huawei includes dual-band frequency tracking, the ability to import routes, and use real-time breadcrumb navigation. There's Huawei's latest running performance and training insights also included here, too.

You're getting battery life that's good for a solid week's worth of tracking and longer if you sacrifice some features. If you want a good fitness watch with music features that looks like a mix of a smartwatch and a fitness band, the Fit 2 is a great performer for the price.

In-depth verdict: Huawei Watch Fit 2 review

Coros Vertix 2

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Coros Vertix 2 key features and specs

• 32GB memory
• Drag and drop MP3
• No streaming services
• 60 days battery life in daily use (35 hours with GPS + Music)

The Vertix 2 is the first watch in the Coros family to offer a built-in music player giving you a good chunk of the onboard 32GB storage to pile on your own music. It only handles MP3 file formats and you'll need to connect the watch to your computer to drag and drop them onto your watch.

Unlike other watches on this list, it doesn't work with any third-party music streaming services to offer offline playlist support. As long as you've got plenty of your music, you can pair up some Bluetooth headphones and leave your phone behind.

While it might not have the best music features available on a sports watch, it does promise some pretty impressive battery life. Even when you factor in music streaming.

Mammoth battery performance aside, the Vertix 2 also packs in a big collection of sports modes, offline mapping, access to its EvoLab training insights and does work with third-party apps like Strava, Apple Health, and TrainingPeaks to share your fitness data around.

In-depth verdict: Coros Vertix 2 review