How do I delete my Music library?

If you want to delete your entire Apple Music library, there are a few things you need to know. Apple Music subscriptions allow you to save millions of songs to your library, so deleting everything can take some time. Here’s a step-by-step guide to deleting your entire Apple Music collection.

Table of Contents

Can I delete my entire Apple Music library?

Yes, it is possible to delete your entire Apple Music library. This will remove all saved Apple Music songs, albums, artists, playlists, and stations from your library across all devices.

Why would I want to delete my Apple Music library?

Here are some common reasons you may want to delete your entire Apple Music library:

You want to start fresh – Deleting your library gives you a clean slate if you want to re-build your music collection from scratch.
You’re canceling Apple Music – If you don’t plan to renew your subscription, deleting your library removes access to all the songs you’ve saved.
You have duplicated songs – Over time, you may end up with multiple copies of songs saved unintentionally.

You’re changing Apple IDs – Switching to a new Apple ID will remove access to your previously saved Apple Music collection.
You need to free up space – The Apple Music library can take up a lot of storage space, so deleting it can free up room on your devices.

How do I delete my Apple Music library on iPhone/iPad?

Follow these steps to delete your entire Apple Music library on an iPhone or iPad:

Open the Settings app and tap on Music.
Tap on Delete Library.
Tap on Delete Library again to confirm.

This will immediately remove your entire Apple Music collection from that device. Repeat these steps on any other iPhones or iPads to delete the library on additional devices.

How do I delete my Apple Music library on Mac?

To delete your Apple Music library on a Mac, follow these steps:

Open Music and go to Account > View My Account.

Deselect “iCloud Music Library”.
A dialog will appear – click Remove to confirm deletion.

This will delete all your Apple Music content from both that Mac and your iCloud Music Library. Any music purchased from iTunes that’s not Apple Music will remain.

How long does it take to delete an Apple Music library?

Deleting an entire Apple Music library can take a significant amount of time, from several hours to over a day in some cases. The time depends on factors like:

Library size – The more songs and content you have saved, the longer it will take.
Internet connection – You’ll need a steady, high-speed internet connection throughout the process.

Device type – Deleting a library on an iPhone or iPad tends to be faster than on a Mac.
Apple servers – Server speeds can vary, causing faster or slower deletion times.

Be patient and let the process complete – don’t interrupt it or you may have to restart. The Apple Music app will be unusable during deletion, so plan for downtime.

What happens when I delete my Apple Music library?

Here’s what happens when you delete an Apple Music library:

All saved Apple Music songs, albums, artists, playlists and stations are removed.
Any music you purchased from iTunes will remain, apart from Apple Music content.

Music you manually imported, such as CD rips, is not deleted.
If iCloud Music Library was enabled, the library is also deleted from there.
Your recent listening history and recommendations are reset.

You’ll have to re-follow any artists, recreate playlists, etc. if you resubscribe.

So in summary, deleting the Apple Music library removes all content synced from Apple Music itself but leaves other music untouched.

Is it reversible if I delete my Apple Music library?

Unfortunately, once you delete your Apple Music library, there is no way to recover or undo it. The deletion is permanent. Apple does not keep backup copies of your library that can be restored.

However, any music you purchased from iTunes will remain intact after deleting the Apple Music portion. You would have to re-add and re-download any Apple Music songs, playlists, albums, etc. to your library by searching for them again if you resubscribed.

Can I re-download my Apple Music library?

You can re-download any of the songs and content that were previously saved to your Apple Music library, but you’ll have to add them individually again. There is no automated way to restore a deleted library.

All of the songs and albums you previously saved will still be available in the Apple Music catalog if you resubscribe. You’ll just have to search for each one and re-add it to your library. Playlists and stations will have to be recreated from scratch.

Tips for deleting an Apple Music library

Here are some useful tips to keep in mind when deleting an Apple Music library:

Back up any important playlists, albums, or other collections you want to save using a third-party app.
Make sure you have enough available storage space for the deletion process.

Delete on all devices individually for a thorough removal.
Be patient and let the process fully complete before using Apple Music again.
Consider taking a screenshot of your recent listening history if you want to easily find favored songs again.

Don’t interrupt the deletion or you may have to restart it.

What happens if I cancel my Apple Music subscription?

If you cancel your paid Apple Music subscription, here’s what will happen:

You’ll no longer be able to stream Apple Music catalog songs or view your library.

Downloaded Apple Music songs will stop playing after syncing with Apple servers.
You’ll keep your library and playlists, but won’t be able to make changes.
Subscription-only features like listening across devices will be disabled.

After 6 months, your Apple Music library could be deleted for inactivity.

So while canceling won’t immediately delete your Apple Music library, you’ll lose access and risk deletion over time. If you definitely want to keep your music library, you’ll need to stay subscribed.

Other Apple Music library tips

Besides fully deleting your library, there are some other Apple Music library management tips worth knowing:

You can see how many songs you have saved by going to Account > View Apple ID > Manage Storage.
Turning off iCloud Music Library will delete any songs stored only in the cloud.
You can rebuild your library after deletion by reviewing your playback history and song ratings.

Using iTunes on a desktop can make deleting, backing up and managing your library easier.
Deleting the library on just one device will remove it only from that device.

Conclusion

Deleting your entire Apple Music library is a big decision that takes time and can’t be undone. But if you definitely want a fresh start or need to cancel Apple Music, now you know how to thoroughly remove your collection across devices.

Just be sure you really want to delete everything before proceeding, since you’ll have to manually rebuild your library song by song if you change your mind later. And be patient – give the deletion process plenty of uninterrupted time to fully complete.