Quick Answer
Apple Music will not immediately delete your library if you stop paying. However, there are some caveats to this. If you cancel your Apple Music subscription, you will lose access to stream or download any songs that you added from the Apple Music catalog. Any music you purchased or imported will remain in your library. After an unspecified grace period, Apple Music may begin deleting any music and playlists that came from their catalog if your subscription remains inactive. So while canceling won’t instantly erase your library, Apple does reserve the right to eventually remove anything you got directly from their service after an undetermined amount of time.
Does Apple Music delete your uploaded/purchased music if you unsubscribe?
No, Apple Music does not delete any music you’ve purchased or imported into your library if you unsubscribe. The music you’ve bought via the iTunes Store or added by uploading your own files will remain intact and playable even without an active Apple Music membership.
This only applies to music that is yours and not streamed from the Apple Music catalog. Anything you’ve downloaded for offline listening from Apple’s streaming catalog will no longer be accessible after canceling. But files imported from other sources or purchased outright will continue to be stored in your library and available to play as normal.
So you don’t have to worry about losing access to your owned music library if you discontinue your Apple Music subscription. Those tracks are yours to keep forever regardless of subscription status. Only the ability to stream and download from Apple’s catalog will be removed once you unsubscribe.
What happens to Apple Music playlists if you cancel subscription?
Your personal playlists created within Apple Music will remain visible in your library even after canceling your subscription. However, any songs added from the Apple Music streaming catalog will no longer play.
Playlists consisting solely of music you own, purchased, or imported will continue functioning normally. But playlists using Apple’s catalog will revert to empty, placeholder versions that list the unavailable streaming content in greyed-out text.
There is no definite timeframe, but Apple Music may eventually delete these placeholder playlists entirely if an account remains inactive after canceling the subscription. So while playlists stay put initially after unsubscribing, Apple does reserve the right to remove them eventually if a user does not resubscribe.
The exception is any smart playlists you make, as these are generated automatically based on specific rules rather than fixed tracklists. Smart playlists will continue working as normal using any matching eligible content in your permanent library.
Can you redownload Apple Music files after canceling subscription?
No, tracks downloaded from the Apple Music catalog for offline listening cannot be redownloaded once you cancel your subscription. Any offline music from Apple’s streaming library will be removed from your devices after ending your membership.
Downloaded Apple Music files are authorized on a rolling basis while subscribed, not permanently unlocked. So access to these downloads expires when your subscription does. If you try redownloading them post-cancellation, you’ll get an error that the content is no longer available.
The only way to regain download access is to resubscribe, at which point all your previously saved Apple Music content will become available offline again automatically. There is no ability to reauthorize lapsed downloads without an active paid membership.
Is there a grace period before Apple Music deletes lapsed downloads?
Apple does not provide an official grace period for how long Apple Music allows inactive accounts to keep streamed content. However, anecdotal reports indicate there is an unspecified several week window where downloaded Apple Music files remain playable after canceling.
Eventually, these unauthorized offline tracks will disappear entirely, no longer showing unavailable but listed as if never there at all. Exactly when this purge happens is unclear, likely occurring progressively in the weeks and months after cancellation. The grace duration seems to differ case by case, but Apple does reserve the right to delete lapsed downloads at any point.
So there is no guaranteed duration that canceled subscribers can still access their Apple Music content. Downloaded files can vanish days or even months later at Apple’s discretion. Don’t count on any consistent grace period for keeping offline access.
Can you recover deleted Apple Music files if you resubscribe later?
Unfortunately, there is no way to recover songs deleted from your Apple Music library if you resubscribe after a period of inactivity. When Apple removes tracks from a lapsed account, they are gone for good.
If you cancel and later rejoin Apple Music, your library is rebuilt from scratch just like a brand new user. You will have no access to Apple Music downloads or playlists that were present on your account before cancellation.
The only way to preserve Apple Music content long-term is to maintain an active paid subscription. If you allow your membership to lapse and Apple deletes your catalog, those files cannot be restored even if resubscribing later. Once gone, those downloaded or added songs, albums, and playlists are lost permanently.
What gets deleted immediately if Apple Music subscription ends?
When your Apple Music subscription ends, either by canceling or a lapse in payment, the following happens immediately:
– Loss of access to stream or download any songs from the Apple Music catalog. This includes any offline downloads for listening without internet, which are revoked.
– Inability to play Apple Music radio stations. These require an active subscription so are deactivated.
– Removal of lyrics search and viewing functionality within the app, since this relies on Apple’s licensing.
– Loss of personalized music recommendations and curated editorial content on Browse tab. These require an active membership.
Aside from downloaded tracks, which may have a grace period, everything else tied to Apple’s streaming service itself is cut off as soon as your subscription becomes inactive. However, your full library of purchased and owned music remains intact and playable.
Does Apple Music allow a free trial after canceling subscription?
Unfortunately, Apple Music does not currently offer any free trial for lapsed or canceled subscribers seeking to rejoin. The service only provides a standard 3-month trial for brand new users who have never had an Apple Music membership before.
Once you have an account and either cancel after the trial or let your paid subscription lapse, there is no way to get another free trial by resubscribing. You must immediately begin paying the monthly or annual fee again to reactive your membership.
In the past, some users were able to get additional 1-month trials by contacting Apple support and requesting a courtesy extension. However, this policy seems to have ended, with Apple now refusing to grant any subsequent free trials for returning subscribers.
So while new users can sample Apple Music with a 3-month complimentary period, don’t expect any free trials if resubscribing after canceling or lapsing. Paid plans must be restored right away.
Can you transfer Apple Music downloads before canceling subscription?
There is no authorized way to transfer offline Apple Music downloads to another device or user before canceling your subscription. Downloaded files from Apple’s streaming catalog are restricted solely to the account that saves them.
Attempting to transfer these files outside of your Apple ID, such as to a friend or different device not logged into your account, will result in immediate revocation. The downloads are encrypted and non-transferable as a piracy precaution.
Once your Apple Music membership ends, you instantly lose access to any offline tracks saved from their streaming library. The only way to continue accessing them is maintaining an active subscription on the original account. There are no workarounds for transferring downloaded content before cancellation.
Is there a way to bypass Apple Music download restrictions?
Apple employs strict digital rights management (DRM) on all content streamed or downloaded through Apple Music. This is intended to prevent piracy and unauthorized sharing of media.
As such, there are no sanctioned methods to bypass Apple’s restrictions when it comes to downloaded files from their catalog. Hacking, jailbreaking, or exploiting loopholes in their DRM constitutes copyright infringement, violating Apple’s terms of service.
The only way to legally listen offline is maintaining an active Apple Music subscription on the account used to download. Trying to extract the encrypted files or redownload lapsed music could land you in serious legal trouble and is not worth the risk. Respect Apple’s copyright protections.
Can you extract and convert Apple Music to MP3 before unsubscribing?
Bypassing Apple’s DRM to extract or convert downloaded Apple Music files to unprotected MP3s before canceling subscription is illegal. Their terms prohibit unauthorized usage of streamed content.
Even if you could strip the DRM successfully, it would be considered copyright infringement. Apple retains ownership of all media obtained through their streaming service. Downloaded tracks are merely licensed temporarily while subscribed.
Attempting to crack Apple’s protections and create permanent local copies goes against their usage terms. It can potentially expose you to civil penalties and criminal liability for piracy. Simply don’t do it.
Conclusion
In summary, canceling Apple Music does not result in an instant purge of your library. However, you immediately lose streaming and offline access to their catalog. Apple also reserves the right to eventually delete downloaded content and playlists if your account stays inactive too long after cancelling. There is no set grace period before removal.
Owned music stays put when subscription lapses, but anything relying on Apple’s licensing vanishes over time without a resubscription. And once deleted after cancellation, those files cannot be recovered later if you rejoin. Maintaining a continuous membership is the only reliable way to preserve Apple Music access long-term.
Key Points
- Apple Music will not immediately delete everything in your library if you cancel subscription.
- Purchased songs, imported files, and smart playlists remain intact after cancelling.
- Loss of Apple catalog streaming and offline downloads happens instantly on cancellation.
- Apple Music playlists stay visible initially but become unusable and may be deleted eventually.
- There is an unofficial grace period before downloads are purged from inactive accounts.
- Deleted Apple Music content cannot be recovered if resubscribing later.
- No free trial is offered for lapsed returning subscribers, only new users.
- Downloaded Apple Music files cannot be transferred to other devices or users.
- Attempting to bypass DRM or restrictions can violate copyright law.
