Quick Answer
Yes, you can regain access to your full Apple Music library, including any songs you added or downloaded, by resubscribing after cancelling. Your library is stored in the cloud and associated with your Apple ID, so it remains intact if you unsubscribe. Simply resubscribe and sign in with the same Apple ID to pick up where you left off.
What happens to my music if I unsubscribe from Apple Music?
When you end your Apple Music subscription, you lose access to the full Apple Music catalog and your personal music library. This includes:
- The ability to stream any of the 90+ million songs in the Apple Music catalog
- Access to your personal music library of saved songs, albums, and playlists
- The ability to download songs for offline listening
However, any music you purchased from the iTunes Store is yours to keep forever, even after unsubscribing. You can continue to listen to and download that content.
Your Apple Music library itself remains stored in iCloud. If you resubscribe, you regain full access with no music lost.
Can I listen to my purchased iTunes music if I unsubscribe?
Yes, any music you bought from the iTunes Store remains yours after cancelling Apple Music. This includes both individual song purchases and full album purchases.
You can continue streaming this purchased content from iCloud on any device logged into your Apple ID. You can also download it for offline listening as you normally would.
Unsubscribing only affects music leased through your Apple Music subscription, not owned content.
What about music I imported from CDs or other sources?
Music you personally imported, either ripped from CDs or downloaded from other sources, also remains yours after unsubscribing. However, you lose the ability to access those files through Apple Music.
To continue listening to this content, you need to locate the original files on your computer or external storage. If you deleted the originals and only have copies in your Apple Music library, you’ll lose access unless you resubscribe.
Can I use Apple Music on multiple devices with one subscription?
Yes, an Apple Music subscription can be shared across multiple devices, as long as they are all logged into the same Apple ID account. Up to six family members can share one subscription via Apple’s Family Sharing feature.
Each person gets their own Apple Music library and personalized recommendations, while sharing the subscription cost. You can stream on multiple devices simultaneously with no restrictions.
What happens to my playlists if I unsubscribe?
Playlists you created containing Apple Music songs will still exist in your library but become empty playlists after cancelling. You lose access to stream the playlist contents.
Any playlists containing only owned iTunes content remain fully intact and playable. You retain all purchased music on playlists when unsubscribing.
If you resubscribe later, your Apple Music playlists are restored to their full glory with all their previous tracks.
Can I use Siri commands and features without Apple Music?
Without an active Apple Music subscription, Siri loses the ability to play songs on request or add them to your library. Commands like “Play X song” or “Add Y song to my library” will no longer work.
Siri also loses access to Apple Music exclusives like artist radio stations, new release notifications, and customized playlists tailored to your taste. Any favorite genre stations you previously enjoyed disappear upon unsubscribing.
Basic Siri commands for controlling music playback on your own library still function. But Siri’s integration with the Apple Music catalog gets removed until you re-subscribe.
What about Android devices or iTunes on Windows?
Your Apple Music subscription works across iOS, Android, Mac, PC, and other devices when logged into the same Apple ID.
If youunsubscribe on an iPhone, for example, you are also unsubscribed on any Android phonesusing the same account. Your Apple Music access is terminated universally across devices.
When resubscribing, your full library becomes available again on all devices where you’re logged in with your Apple ID. Switching subscriptions on or off syncs across the board.
Can I see my old Apple Music data if I resubscribe?
Absolutely. When resubscribing after an unsubscription, all of your old Apple Music data comes back intact.
Your entire library of added songs, downloaded playlists, personal stations, listening history, recommendations, and other data will be waiting for you when you renew your subscription. It’s as if you never left.
This makes it easy to pick up where you left off and continue growing your Apple Music collection when funds permit.
Are there any limits for how long my data stays?
Apple has not placed any public time limits on how long Apple Music data persists after unsubscribing. In general, you can expect your data to remain for multiple years at least, based on Apple’s practices with other services.
However, there is no guarantee of indefinite persistence. It’s possible Apple could delete old data after an extended period of inactivity on your account. But typically, your Apple Music content will be waiting if you resubscribe after months or years away.
Can I see my listening history if I rejoin?
Your full Apple Music listening history comes back if you resubscribe after a break. You’ll be able to see your recent plays, favorite songs, top artists, genres, and everything else related to your past listening habits.
This allows seamless continuity, picking up where you left off with personalized playlists and recommendations. It’s as though you never cancelled subscription in the first place as far as your history goes.
Will my recommendations be the same when I resubscribe?
Apple Music’s recommendation algorithm works dynamically by examining your preferences and listening patterns. So after an extended break, your recommendations may have changed slightly to reflect your absence.
But within a short period after rejoining, your typical listening habits will be analyzed again. Recommendations will recalibrate to your taste. Expect to see your old favorites and preferred music styles coming back into rotation soon.
Do I have to use the same Apple ID when resubscribing?
To regain access to your personal Apple Music media library, you need to resubscribe with the same Apple ID. This ID connects you to your cloud-stored content.
Switching to a new or different Apple ID would essentially create a blank Apple Music profile lacking your previous data. Be sure to use your original signup email address when resubscribing.
Can I recover deleted songs if I rejoin Apple Music?
If you deleted songs from your Apple Music collection before cancelling your subscription, these tracks get removed permanently. Unfortunately, resubscribing will not bring back deleted content.
For songs you added to your library but didn’t explicitly delete, these get restored upon renewing your subscription. But any content you purposely removed is gone unless you search for it and re-add it later.
What if I subscribed through a third-party like Spotify?
If you subscribed to Apple Music through a third-party provider like Spotify, your Apple ID might be different from your Spotify credentials. Make sure you have the correct Apple-generated login info handy when the time comes to resubscribe.
Using your existing Spotify username and password won’t grant you access to your old Apple Music account. Retrieve your original Apple ID details to pick up where you left off.
Can I recover my playlists if I switched from Spotify?
Playlists imported from Spotify get deleted from Apple Music if you unsubscribe. To recover these, you’ll need to use a third-party playlist transfer tool to reimport them from Spotify again upon resubscribing.
Your Apple Music-exclusive playlists remain intact when you unsubscribe and resubscribe. But imported Spotify playlists get removed entirely when your membership lapses.
What happens if I’m on a family plan?
For Apple Music’s family plan, the plan owner controls the subscription status for the entire group. If they cancel, all members lose access.
If the family owner later resubscribes, all previous members can rejoin seamlessly and restore their individual Apple Music libraries. Family plan perks get reinstated for all.
Individual family members cannot control subscription status. Only the plan owner can subscribe, unsubscribe, and resubscribe for the family. All members are then subscribed or unsubscribed together based on the owner’s actions.
Can I get a refund for unused subscription time?
Apple Music subscriptions are non-refundable. When you cancel, your membership immediately terminates, and no refund is provided for any unused portion of the current billing cycle.
The only exception is if you cancelled shortly after subscribing and meet eligibility requirements for a refund under Apple’s policy. But typically, no refund gets issued for cancelling an ongoing subscription.
What are the steps to resubscribe on iPhone?
Here are the steps to restore your Apple Music membership on an iPhone:
- Open the App Store app
- Tap your profile icon at the top right
- Scroll down and tap Subscriptions
- Find Apple Music and tap Resubscribe
- Confirm with your Apple ID password
Your Apple Music access will be restored within seconds. You can then open the Music app and pick up where you left off.
And on Android?
To resubscribe on an Android device:
- Open the Play Store app
- Tap the hamburger menu icon
- Select Subscriptions
- Find Apple Music and tap Resubscribe
- Enter your Apple ID password to confirm
After a quick restore process, Apple Music will function again on your Android like normal. Just sign in with your existing Apple ID.
How do I resubscribe on a computer?
On a Mac or Windows PC, follow these instructions to resubscribe via iTunes:
- Launch the iTunes desktop app
- Click Account > View My Account
- Select Manage under Subscriptions
- Click Resubscribe for Apple Music
- Confirm with your Apple ID password
Your Apple Music access will be turned back on for use within iTunes on any computer where you’re logged in.
How can I resubscribe on the web?
Using any web browser on your computer or mobile device:
- Go to www.apple.com and sign in
- Click Account Settings
- Select Subscriptions
- Choose Apple Music then click Resubscribe
- Enter your Apple ID password to complete
This will instantly reactive your Apple Music membership for web or browser-based access on any device.
Conclusion
Unsubscribing from Apple Music causes you to lose access to the catalog and your personal library. But resubscribing lets you pick up right where you left off, with no loss of your data. Your full collection of saved songs, downloads, playlists and recommendations will be waiting for you when you renew your membership. Just use the same Apple ID, and your account will be restored with your complete listening history intact.