If you decide to cancel your Apple Music subscription, you may be wondering what will happen to your library of saved music, playlists, and other data. Here’s a quick rundown of what you can expect if you stop paying for Apple Music:
Your Library
The songs and albums you’ve added to your library will remain there even if you unsubscribe from Apple Music. However, you’ll no longer be able to play those songs on demand or download them for offline listening. Your library will essentially become a catalog of music you’ve previously saved, but don’t currently have access to.
Playlists
Playlists you’ve created will also remain in your library if you cancel Apple Music. However, any songs in those playlists that you haven’t purchased may become grayed out and unplayable. So your playlists will still be there as a list, but any Apple Music tracks on them will be inaccessible unless you resubscribe.
Downloaded Music
If you’ve used Apple Music to download songs, albums, or playlists for offline listening, those downloads will no longer be available after you unsubscribe. Any offline music you’ve saved will be removed from your devices.
Listening History
Your Apple Music listening activity is also cleared out when you end your subscription. Apple will no longer keep track of your plays, favorites, and other listening patterns.
Recommendations
One lesser known impact – Apple Music will stop providing personalized recommendations once you cancel the service. Recommendations are fueled by your Apple Music activity, so without a subscription, that data is reset and tailored suggestions come to an end.
Syncing
The ability to sync your Apple Music library across devices will also be removed with an ended subscription. Any music you’ve downloaded for offline listening will only be available on the device it was originally downloaded onto.
Sharing
If you try to share an Apple Music playlist with someone else after unsubscribing, it will notify you that the playlist contains songs you don’t have rights to play. You can still share your own playlists, but the recipient won’t be able to play full songs from Apple Music without their own subscription.
Listening Limits
Without an Apple Music subscription, you’ll be limited to playing songs you’ve already purchased or imported. Streaming limits will also be imposed – you’ll only be able to stream radio stations for a limited time before ads interrupt playback.
Account Access
Cancelling Apple Music does not delete your account or data. If you resubscribe, your libraries, playlists, recommendations, and other data will be waiting for you as you left them. You maintain account access even without an active subscription.
iCloud Music Library
If you’ve enabled iCloud Music Library to combine your purchased music with your Apple Music catalog, your purchased songs will remain in iCloud and downloadable across devices. However, anything stored solely through your Apple Music subscription will be removed from iCloud until you re-subscribe.
Family Sharing
If you share an Apple Music family plan with others, cancelling your individual subscription will cut off your access but will not impact other family members. The family subscription continues for participating members even if you unsubscribe.
Prepaid Subscriptions
If you paid upfront for an Apple Music subscription, like a 12-month prepay discount, you’ll continue to have access until the prepaid term expires. At that point, your subscription will lapse unless you renew.
Trials and Promotions
Similarly, if you’re on a free trial or promotional subscription, cancelling early ends your access immediately, even if the trial or promo period has not ended.
Refund Eligibility
Apple Music subscriptions are not refundable. When you cancel Apple Music, you will not get a refund for any unused portion of the service period you’ve already paid for.
Cancellation Process
To cancel Apple Music, open Settings on your iPhone or iPad and tap your name at the top. Select Subscriptions and tap Apple Music. You’ll then see the option to turn off auto-renewal or cancel immediately.
On Android, go to the Play Store, select Subscriptions, choose Apple Music, and pick the cancellation option. On desktop, go to music.apple.com, click Account, click Subscriptions, and select Cancel Subscription.
Conclusion
In summary, when you stop paying for Apple Music:
- Your library remains visible but becomes unplayable
- Playlists stay intact but streamed songs will be grayed out
- Downloads and offline music are removed
- Listening history and recommendations are reset
- Syncing and sharing abilities are limited
- You can only stream radio stations in a restricted mode
- Your account and data remain unless deleted
- iCloud Music Library retains only purchased songs
- Family plan members aren’t affected by your cancellation
- Prepaid access continues until the term expires
- Trials and promotions end immediately
- Refunds are not provided
So in short, when canceling Apple Music you lose on demand streaming access and offline downloads, but your library itself will remain visible in limited form. Resubscribing restores full unrestricted access to your data and content.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I still listen to music if I end my Apple Music subscription?
You will only be able to listen to music you have purchased outright or music files imported from your computer. You will not have on demand streaming access to Apple Music’s catalog of over 90 million songs.
What if my prepaid year of Apple Music is ending?
If you pre-purchased an Apple Music subscription, your access will expire at the end of your prepaid term. You will need to resubscribe at the normal monthly or annual rate to continue uninterrupted access. Prepaid subscribers still lose access to the catalog once the term ends.
Will my playlists be deleted if I stop paying?
Your playlist names, order, and customization will be saved, but any saved Apple Music songs on the playlists will become unplayable until you resubscribe.
Can I download my Apple Music library before canceling?
There is no way to download or export the Apple Music catalog for use after you unsubscribe. DRM protections prevent catalog content from being used outside the service.
What if I only have family members on my plan?
If you share an Apple Music family plan but don’t have your own subscription, cancelling the family owner’s subscription will end access for the entire family group, including your account.
Can I re-download my music if I resubscribe later?
Yes, Apple Music will save a record of your library, playlists, favorites, and other data. If you subscribe again in the future, your content and activity will be restored in full.
| Content Type | What Happens When You Unsubscribe | What Happens When You Resubscribe |
|---|---|---|
| Library | Remains visible but unplayable | Full access restored |
| Playlists | Apple Music songs grayed out | Playlists intact again |
| Downloads | Removed from devices | Ability to re-download |
Alternatives to Canceling Apple Music
If you don’t want to lose access to your Apple Music perks, consider these options before canceling your subscription:
Pause Subscription
You can temporarily disable auto-renewal up to three times per year without losing your Apple Music access. This pauses payments instead of fully canceling.
Switch to a Student Plan
If you become a student, you can get Apple Music at a discounted $5/month rate. Verify your eligibility with UNiDAYS.
Downgrade to Voice Plan
Apple recently introduced a new Voice Plan for $5/month with Siri access but no offline downloads or music videos.
Share a Family Plan
Split the cost of a $15/month Apple Music Family plan with up to five others to save money each month.
Switch to Annual Billing
Paying annually instead of monthly saves you $20 per year compared to normal monthly pricing.
Resubscribing to Apple Music
If you do cancel and later decide to subscribe again, resubscribing is quick and easy. On iPhone or iPad, simply open the Music app and tap the account icon in the Listen Now tab. An option to resubscribe will be presented.
On Android, go back to the Play Store app and search for Apple Music, then select the subscribe option. On desktop, return to music.apple.com, click Account, click Subscriptions, and choose Subscribe.
Your Apple ID, payment method, libraries, playlists, and other data will be restored automatically once you resubscribe. You’ll have full access to Apple Music again right away.
Preserving Your Apple Music Library
If you want to retain permanent access to songs from Apple Music even after unsubscribing, there are a few options:
Purchase Songs/Albums
You can buy songs, albums, and music videos from the Apple Music catalog to own them indefinitely. Purchases remain yours and are not lost when you unsubscribe.
Save to Your Computer
Use a third party app to download and save Apple Music files to your computer as local files. This removes DRM so you can keep listening offline.
Transfer to Other Services
Utilize apps like Soundiiz or TuneMyMusic to transfer your Apple Music playlists and library metadata to another service like Spotify or YouTube Music.
The Bottom Line
Canceling your Apple Music subscription prevents further charges to your payment method, but results in losing access to the Apple Music catalog for streaming and offline use. However, your account, libraries, and playlists remain in Apple’s systems awaiting full restoration if you resubscribe in the future. So while Apple Music access ends when you stop paying, your personal data is not deleted, making it easy to pick back up where you left off if you rejoin Apple Music later on.