Does iTunes backup backup music?

iTunes backups are an important way for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch users to save and restore their device data. A common question that arises is whether iTunes backups include music files downloaded from the iTunes Store or added from other sources.

Table of Contents

The Short Answer

Yes, iTunes backups do include music files purchased from the iTunes Store as well as music added from other sources like CDs or downloads from other sites. The iTunes backup contains a copy of the music library database file which keeps track of all music files synced to the device. It also includes the album artwork associated with those music files.

What Does an iTunes Backup Include?

An iTunes backup includes most of the data and settings stored on an iOS device. Here are some of the main components of an iTunes backup for an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch:

Device settings – Settings like Wi-Fi networks, wallpaper, ringtones
Text messages – All SMS and MMS messages
Call history – List of calls made and received

Voicemails – Any saved voicemail messages
Contacts – Names, phone numbers, email addresses, and other contact info
Calendar – All events and reminders

Notes – Notes and lists made in the Notes app
Messages – iMessages, conversations, and attachments
Photos – Camera roll photos and videos (but not those saved in cloud services like iCloud Photo Library)

Account settings – Accounts like email, social media, and keychain passwords
Health data – Information from the Health app like step counts or sleep data
Home screen and app organization – Layout of home screen icons and folders

Device settings – Settings like wallpaper, control center layout, notification settings
Safari bookmarks and history – Bookmarks, reading list, and browsing history

Does an iTunes Backup Include Music Files?

Yes, one of the most important components of an iTunes backup is the music library. This includes:

Music files synced from iTunes library – Any songs purchased from the iTunes Store as well as music files added from other sources will be included in the backup.
Playlists – Any playlists created on the device will be saved in the backup.
Play counts and ratings – Any play counts, skip counts, and ratings assigned to songs on the device will be preserved.

Last played time and date – The timestamps of when each track was last played will be saved.
Album artwork – Any album artwork synced to the device will be backed up.

By preserving the music library database file and all music files, an iTunes backup provides a way to completely restore the music collection on an iOS device.

What about Apple Music and iCloud Music Library?

Songs that have been downloaded from Apple Music or stored in iCloud Music Library work a bit differently. These tracks are not actually saved directly on the iOS device. Instead, they are streamed from Apple’s servers when played. The iTunes backup will not include the actual music files for this content.

However, the iTunes backup will save:

Apple Music and iCloud Music Library settings, so they can be logged into again.

Playlists created on the device, even if they contain Apple Music and iCloud Music Library content.
Play counts, ratings, and last played timestamps associated with Apple Music and iCloud Music Library content.

So in summary, the iTunes backup will not store the actual music files for anything streamed from Apple Music or iCloud Music Library. But it will save everything needed to restore your playlists, library organization, and listening history for that content.

Music Not Included in Backup

Here are some cases where music will NOT be included in an iTunes backup:

Apple Music or iCloud Music Library content NOT downloaded for offline use – If you have not marked content to be available offline, the music files themselves will not be included or restored.
Music stored on external SD card – If you have an iPhone or iPod model that supports external SD cards, any music stored on the external SD card will not be included in the backup. The backup only contains music stored internally on the device flash storage.

Files added directly via iTunes file sharing – If you manually add music files by connecting the iPhone or iPod to a computer and accessing the files directly via iTunes, those files will NOT be included in the backup.

Restoring Music Library from Backup

Once you have an iTunes backup containing your music library, you can fully restore it to an iOS device. This process will reload the entire music database file as well as all music content files that were backed up. Here is how it works:

Connect the new iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to your computer running the latest version of iTunes.

Enter restore mode by following the on-screen prompts.
Select the backup you wish to restore from the list of available backups. Click “Restore” to begin.
iTunes will load the backup file and restore the music library database as well as all music files that were included.

Once complete, your music content should be restored exactly as it was on the original device when the backup occurred.

This will reload all music files, playlists, play counts, ratings, last played times, artwork, and other music library data that was saved in the backup. Your full collection will be restored.

Limitations of Music Restore from Backup

While an iTunes backup and restore successfully transfers your music content, there are some limitations to be aware of:

Content no longer available – Any music files included in the backup that have been deleted from your hard drive or are no longer available on Apple Music or iCloud Music Library will be removed during the restore process.
Apple Music and iCloud Music Library – You will still need to re-download non-offline content by signing into these services on the newly restored device.
Music apps may need reconfiguration – Third-party music player apps will likely need to have logins, downloads, and settings configured again.

Backing Up Music Library to Computer

In addition to using iTunes backups, you can also manually backup your iOS music library to your computer. This provides a secondary archive of your music collection stored on your Mac or PC.

To manually backup music files:

Connect your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to your computer using the USB cable.

Open iTunes and select the device.
Go to the Music section.
Right-click on any music track and choose “Show in Windows Explorer” (on Windows) or “Show in Finder” (on Mac).

This will open a file explorer window with your music files.
Copy these files to a safe location on your computer for backup purposes.

This will store a second copy of the actual music files from your iOS device. You can restore them later by copying them back into the iTunes Media folder location.

Backing up with Third-Party Apps

Another option for backing up your music library is to use third-party iOS apps. Some examples include:

iMazing – Provides full backups of iOS devices including music and other media.
iExplorer – Browse and export music files, playlists, and more.

PhoneView – Backup music libraries, playlists, play counts, ratings, and other data.

These tools provide additional ways to view, manage, and backup your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch music collection for safekeeping and restore purposes.

Disadvantages of iTunes Backups

While iTunes backups provide an overall solid way to preserve your music library, there are some downsides to relying solely on this method:

Not readable outside of iOS – iTunes backup files are proprietary and can only be restored to an iOS device or viewed using special tools. They are not natively readable by other devices.
No guarantee music is preserved – If music files are deleted from your hard drive in between backups, they will no longer be available to restore even if preserved in an old iTunes backup.
Easy to overwrite – Saving multiple backups takes extra effort, otherwise the latest backup will simply overwrite the previous one and you could lose data.

Unclear what is contained – There is no simple way to verify what specific music files or playlists are contained in a given iTunes backup.
Relies on single source – Keeping backups only within iTunes puts all your eggs in one basket. If problems occur, you have no alternate copy.

Due to these risks, it is recommended to use iTunes backups in combination with other methods like manually exporting music files or using third-party apps. This provides full redundancy.

Tips for Backing Up iOS Music Library

To make sure your music library is properly preserved and protected, here are some tips to follow:

Regularly backup your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch to iTunes. This safeguards your entire music database and files.
Occasionally manually export your music library to your computer for a redundant copy.

Use an additional third-party app for periodic backups as an alternate solution.
Check backups regularly by restoring to a spare device to verify contents.
Store backups in multiple places like external drives or cloud storage in case of disk failure.

When switching devices, retain your old device until you confirm the new one has restored properly.

Following best practices for backing up your music ensures you always have multiple archival copies. This can prevent music library disasters from lost or corrupted data.

Conclusion

To sum up, iTunes backups do include your music library containing songs purchased from the iTunes Store as well as imported tracks. An iTunes restore from backup will reload the music database and files to their previous state.

However, there are some limitations around irretrievable music and reconfiguring music apps. Also, relying solely on iTunes backups has inherent risks if problems occur.

For full protection, periodic manual music library exports and third-party app backups are recommended in addition to standard iTunes backups. Following best practices reduces the chances of losing your precious music collection.