Quick Answer
Yes, you can still download your iTunes library even after the launch of Apple Music. The iTunes application allows you to access all of your purchased music, movies, TV shows, apps, and books. You can download these items onto your computer by signing into iTunes with your Apple ID.
Where do I find my iTunes library?
Your iTunes library consists of all the media content and apps you’ve purchased through the iTunes Store over the years. This includes:
- Songs
- Albums
- Movies
- TV shows
- Audiobooks
- Apps
- iBooks
All of this content is tied to your Apple ID, which serves as your account for the iTunes Store and other Apple services. As long as you use the same Apple ID, you’ll have access to your iTunes library.
Your library is stored in the cloud on Apple’s servers. You can access it through the iTunes app on Mac or PC as well as the Apple Music or Apple TV apps on iPhone, iPad, and Apple TV.
How to download your iTunes library
Follow these steps to download your iTunes library on a computer:
- Open the latest version of iTunes on your Mac or PC.
- Click Account > Authorizations > Deauthorize This Computer.
- Sign in with your Apple ID and password.
- Go to Account > Purchased.
- Click the drop-down menu to select Music, Movies, TV Shows, Apps, or Books.
- Find the content you want to download and click the cloud download icon.
This will download your purchased content from iCloud onto your computer. Note that you can only have each item downloaded on a limited number of authorized devices, depending on Apple’s DRM policies.
If you want to download your entire iTunes library at once, you can go to Account > My Purchases and click “Download All.” This may take a while if you have a lot of content purchased.
Downloading previous iTunes purchases
What if you bought songs, albums, or other items years ago that are no longer available on the iTunes Store? You can still download these onto a new computer authorized with your Apple ID.
Go to your iTunes library on a device that already has the purchases downloaded, like an old computer or iPhone. Select the content, right-click and choose Transfer Purchases.
This will send the files to your new computer if signed into the same Apple ID. You can also use the Home Sharing feature to transfer between authorized computers on your local network.
How does Apple Music affect my iTunes library?
Apple Music, Apple’s streaming music service, has no effect on the ability to access your purchased iTunes content. Even if you subscribe to Apple Music, you can still download past iTunes purchases.
In fact, Apple Music incorporates your iTunes library into the My Music tab. You’ll see all your purchased and ripped songs alongside the streaming Apple Music catalog.
Any song added from Apple Music will have a cloud icon next to it rather than a download icon since these songs are streamed. But your purchased music can still be downloaded as described above.
Do I lose my iTunes library after a certain number of years?
There is no time limit associated with your iTunes library. You will not lose access to any purchased content. The songs, movies, apps, and other items you have bought through iTunes are yours to keep permanently.
As long as you continue using the same Apple ID, you’ll always be able to download your previous iTunes purchases. There have been rare exceptions when content providers remove the distribution rights for certain items, but this is uncommon.
Even if you start using a new Apple device and new Apple ID, you can still access purchases on your old ID indefinitely. Change the ID on your device to your previous one, re-download items, then switch back to your new ID.
What about iTunes Match and Apple Music Match?
iTunes Match and Apple Music Match are subscription services that store your personal music library in iCloud. This includes songs you ripped from CDs or acquired from sources outside the iTunes Store.
If you cancel iTunes Match or Apple Music, you would lose access to stream those songs stored in the cloud. But any music purchased directly from the iTunes Store is still accessible as it has its own permanent authorization attached to your Apple ID.
How do I transfer my iTunes library to a new computer?
There are a couple ways to transfer your iTunes library from an old computer to a new one:
- Sign into your new computer with the same Apple ID and re-download purchases from the iTunes Store.
- Use a wired connection and the Music app (Mac) or File Explorer (Windows) to transfer the iTunes Media folder.
- Enable Home Sharing on both computers to copy library content over your local network.
- Use a third-party app like iMazing to transfer an iTunes backup.
You’ll need an active internet connection to re-download purchased content. Make sure to deauthorize your old computer first if you don’t plan to use it anymore.
To transfer ripped CDs, local files, and items not purchased on ITunes, you’ll need to copy over the actual library files. This may take time if you have a large library.
What happens if I delete a file from my iTunes library?
If you delete a purchased song, movie, app, or other content from your iTunes library, don’t worry! You can always re-download it from the cloud.
Sign into iTunes with your Apple ID > Go to Account > Purchased to find and download the item again. As long as the content is still available in the iTunes Store, this will retrieve another copy.
However, any metadata like playlists, play counts, ratings, or other changes made to your local files will be lost. Back up your iTunes library data occasionally to retain that information.
If you delete an item you ripped from a CD or acquired elsewhere, it will be permanently gone from your library unless you have a backup. Purchased items are the only ones you can safely re-download.
What if I can’t sign into my old Apple ID?
If you can’t access your old Apple ID anymore, you will lose the ability to re-download previous iTunes purchases. Some reasons you might get locked out:
- Forgotten password and no longer have access to the recovery email
- Apple has disabled the account due to lack of use or security concerns
- You used someone else’s Apple ID to purchase content
If possible, recover access to your old account by resetting the password or contacting Apple Support. Ownership of the Apple ID is required to download purchases from it.
If you can’t recover the account, you will unfortunately be unable to get your music and other content back. One exception is if you have a backup of the iTunes library files you can restore.
Should I be concerned about Apple discontinuing iTunes?
In 2019, Apple announced they were ending the iTunes platform in favor of separate Music, TV, and Podcast apps. iTunes for Windows was discontinued in early 2021.
However, this does not affect your ability to download your existing iTunes library purchases. The iTunes Store is still running and you can continue downloading previous music, movie, app, and book purchases through your Apple ID account.
You just have to use the appropriate Apple media apps for your computer:
- Music app for Mac
- Apple Music or TV apps for Windows
Sign into these apps with your Apple ID to access the iTunes Store and re-download purchases. Your library lives on in the Music or TV apps.
Does iTunes Match still work without iTunes?
Yes, iTunes Match continues to work as a way to store your personal, non-iTunes music in the cloud. It is now integrated into the Apple Music app rather than the old iTunes app.
As before, an iTunes Match subscription scans and matches your files to songs in the Apple Music catalog. These can then be streamed through any device signed into your Apple ID, even if the songs were not purchased on iTunes.
ITunes Match continues to function the same way but without the dependency on the actual iTunes platform. You manage it from the Music app on Mac or PC or the Music Settings on iPhone and iPad.
Conclusion
Despite changes to iTunes and how you access media purchases from Apple, you can rest assured your existing iTunes library is safe. All previously purchased songs, albums, movies, apps, and other content can still be downloaded using your Apple ID.
As long as you remember your account details, these items are yours to keep and can be downloaded again even if lost locally. Your purchases persist through changes to Apple’s apps and services. Just be sure to back up any metadata you want to retain.
While iTunes the app is going away, your iTunes library lives on through the new Music, Podcasts, and TV apps on Mac and iOS. You’ll still have access to the same media library you’ve built up over the years.