Save Struct to UserDefaults

Here is a modern Swift 5.1 @propertyWrapper, allowing to store any Codable object in form of a human readable JSON string:

@propertyWrapper struct UserDefaultEncoded<T: Codable> {
    let key: String
    let defaultValue: T

    init(key: String, default: T) {
        self.key = key
        defaultValue = `default`
    }

    var wrappedValue: T {
        get {
            guard let jsonString = UserDefaults.standard.string(forKey: key) else {
                return defaultValue
            }
            guard let jsonData = jsonString.data(using: .utf8) else {
                return defaultValue
            }
            guard let value = try? JSONDecoder().decode(T.self, from: jsonData) else {
                return defaultValue
            }
            return value
        }
        set {
            let encoder = JSONEncoder()
            encoder.outputFormatting = [.prettyPrinted, .sortedKeys]
            guard let jsonData = try? encoder.encode(newValue) else { return }
            let jsonString = String(bytes: jsonData, encoding: .utf8)
            UserDefaults.standard.set(jsonString, forKey: key)
        }
    }
}

Usage:

extension Song: Codable {}

@UserDefaultEncoded(key: "songs", default: [])
var songs: [Song]

func addSong(_ song: Song) {
    // This will automatically store new `songs` value 
    // to UserDefaults
    songs.append(song)
}

If the struct contains only property list compliant properties I recommend to add a property propertyListRepresentation and a corresponding init method

struct Song {

    var title: String
    var artist: String

    init(title : String, artist : String) {
        self.title = title
        self.artist = artist
    }

    init?(dictionary : [String:String]) {
        guard let title = dictionary["title"],
            let artist = dictionary["artist"] else { return nil }
        self.init(title: title, artist: artist)
    }

    var propertyListRepresentation : [String:String] {
        return ["title" : title, "artist" : artist]
    }
}

To save an array of songs to UserDefaults write

let propertylistSongs = songs.map{ $0.propertyListRepresentation }
UserDefaults.standard.set(propertylistSongs, forKey: "songs")

To read the array

if let propertylistSongs = UserDefaults.standard.array(forKey: "songs") as? [[String:String]] {
    songs = propertylistSongs.flatMap{ Song(dictionary: $0) }
}

If title and artist will never be mutated consider to declare the properties as constants (let) .

---

This answer was written while Swift 4 was in beta status. Meanwhile conforming to Codable is the better solution.

In Swift 4 this is pretty much trivial. Make your struct codable simply by marking it as adopting the Codable protocol:

struct Song:Codable {
    var title: String
    var artist: String
}

Now let's start with some data:

var songs: [Song] = [
    Song(title: "Title 1", artist: "Artist 1"),
    Song(title: "Title 2", artist: "Artist 2"),
    Song(title: "Title 3", artist: "Artist 3"),
]

Here's how to get that into UserDefaults:

UserDefaults.standard.set(try? PropertyListEncoder().encode(songs), forKey:"songs")

And here's how to get it back out again later:

if let data = UserDefaults.standard.value(forKey:"songs") as? Data {
    let songs2 = try? PropertyListDecoder().decode(Array<Song>.self, from: data)
}

This is my UserDefaults extension in main thread, to set get Codable object into UserDefaults

// MARK: - UserDefaults extensions

public extension UserDefaults {

    /// Set Codable object into UserDefaults
    ///
    /// - Parameters:
    ///   - object: Codable Object
    ///   - forKey: Key string
    /// - Throws: UserDefaults Error
    public func set<T: Codable>(object: T, forKey: String) throws {

        let jsonData = try JSONEncoder().encode(object)

        set(jsonData, forKey: forKey)
    }

    /// Get Codable object into UserDefaults
    ///
    /// - Parameters:
    ///   - object: Codable Object
    ///   - forKey: Key string
    /// - Throws: UserDefaults Error
    public func get<T: Codable>(objectType: T.Type, forKey: String) throws -> T? {

        guard let result = value(forKey: forKey) as? Data else {
            return nil
        }

        return try JSONDecoder().decode(objectType, from: result)
    }
}

Update This is my UserDefaults extension in background, to set get Codable object into UserDefaults

// MARK: - JSONDecoder extensions

public extension JSONDecoder {

    /// Decode an object, decoded from a JSON object.
    ///
    /// - Parameter data: JSON object Data
    /// - Returns: Decodable object
    public func decode<T: Decodable>(from data: Data?) -> T? {
        guard let data = data else {
            return nil
        }
        return try? self.decode(T.self, from: data)
    }

    /// Decode an object in background thread, decoded from a JSON object.
    ///
    /// - Parameters:
    ///   - data: JSON object Data
    ///   - onDecode: Decodable object
    public func decodeInBackground<T: Decodable>(from data: Data?, onDecode: @escaping (T?) -> Void) {
        DispatchQueue.global().async {
            let decoded: T? = self.decode(from: data)

            DispatchQueue.main.async {
                onDecode(decoded)
            }
        }
    }
}

// MARK: - JSONEncoder extensions  

public extension JSONEncoder {

    /// Encodable an object
    ///
    /// - Parameter value: Encodable Object
    /// - Returns: Data encode or nil
    public func encode<T: Encodable>(from value: T?) -> Data? {
        guard let value = value else {
            return nil
        }
        return try? self.encode(value)
    }

    /// Encodable an object in background thread
    ///
    /// - Parameters:
    ///   - encodableObject: Encodable Object
    ///   - onEncode: Data encode or nil
    public func encodeInBackground<T: Encodable>(from encodableObject: T?, onEncode: @escaping (Data?) -> Void) {
        DispatchQueue.global().async {
            let encode = self.encode(from: encodableObject)

            DispatchQueue.main.async {
                onEncode(encode)
            }
        }
    }
}       

// MARK: - NSUserDefaults extensions

public extension UserDefaults {

    /// Set Encodable object in UserDefaults
    ///
    /// - Parameters:
    ///   - type: Encodable object type
    ///   - key: UserDefaults key
    /// - Throws: An error if any value throws an error during encoding.
    public func set<T: Encodable>(object type: T, for key: String, onEncode: @escaping (Bool) -> Void) throws {

        JSONEncoder().encodeInBackground(from: type) { [weak self] (data) in
            guard let data = data, let `self` = self else {
                onEncode(false)
                return
            }
            self.set(data, forKey: key)
            onEncode(true)
        }
    }

    /// Get Decodable object in UserDefaults
    ///
    /// - Parameters:
    ///   - objectType: Decodable object type
    ///   - forKey: UserDefaults key
    ///   - onDecode: Codable object
    public func get<T: Decodable>(object type: T.Type, for key: String, onDecode: @escaping (T?) -> Void) {
        let data = value(forKey: key) as? Data
        JSONDecoder().decodeInBackground(from: data, onDecode: onDecode)
    }
}