Apple Music is Apple’s streaming music service that competes with the likes of Spotify, Amazon Music, and YouTube Music. One of the key features of Apple Music is the ability to download music to your device so you can listen offline. But is downloading music from Apple Music actually free? Let’s take a closer look.
What is Apple Music?
Launched in 2015, Apple Music is a subscription-based music streaming service developed by Apple. Like other streaming services, Apple Music grants you access to a massive library of over 90 million songs that you can listen to on demand over the internet.
Apple Music works across all of Apple’s devices including iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, Apple TV, CarPlay, and even Windows PCs. An Apple Music subscription allows you to stream music, watch music videos, listen to radio stations, and more.
Key Features of Apple Music
Here are some of the main features and capabilities offered by Apple Music:
- On-demand streaming access to over 90 million songs
- Curated playlists and radio stations
- New music recommendations based on your tastes
- Download music for offline listening
- Live radio station Beats 1
- Watch music videos and concert live streams
- Listen across all your devices
- Family Sharing plan option
- Spatial Audio and Lossless Audio
How Much Does Apple Music Cost?
An Apple Music subscription costs $9.99 per month for an individual plan. There is also a Family Sharing plan that allows access for up to 6 family members for $14.99 per month.
Apple offers a free trial period for new subscribers to test it out. The free trial is for 3 months which is very generous compared to the 1 month free trials offered by Spotify and others.
For students, Apple Music is discounted at just $4.99 per month. The student plan gives you full access to Apple Music at half the regular price.
Downloading Music for Offline Playback
One of the best aspects of Apple Music is the ability to download songs, albums, and playlists to your device so you can listen offline. This is perfect for situations when you don’t have an internet connection such as plane trips or commuting on the subway.
Any music you download from your Apple Music library is saved directly on your device. Downloads work on all devices including iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch and more. Android devices are also supported with the Apple Music app.
There are no limits on how many songs you can download for offline playback. You are only limited by the storage capacity on your device.
Downloaded music from Apple Music is saved as DRM-protected files, meaning they only work inside the Apple Music app and can’t be transferred. The files are usually in AAC format at 256kbps bitrate.
Steps to Download Music for Offline Playback
Downloading music from Apple Music for offline playback is very straightforward:
- Open the Apple Music app and find a song, album or playlist you want to download.
- Tap the download button next to the music – this is indicated by a cloud icon with a downward arrow.
- The download will start and a progress bar will show the download status.
- Once finished, you’ll see a checkmark icon instead of the cloud download icon.
- The music is now saved offline and available to listen without an internet connection.
- To delete downloads, tap the checkmark icon which now indicates remove download.
Any music downloaded for offline playback will remain in your Apple Music library as long as you are paying for your subscription. If your subscription lapses, all downloaded music will become unavailable.
Is Downloaded Music Free with an Apple Music Subscription?
Yes, any music you download for offline listening from Apple Music is included free with your Apple Music subscription. There are no extra fees or charges associated with downloading music.
The standard $9.99 per month individual subscription fee includes:
- Unlimited online streaming
- Unlimited downloads for offline playback
- No download fees or limitations
So downloading as much music as you want for offline listening is considered a free perk of an Apple Music subscription. Just make sure you have enough storage space on your device for your desired downloads.
How Downloads Work on Multiple Devices
With a single Apple Music subscription you can download music for offline playback on multiple devices. For example, you can download songs on your iPhone to listen when commuting, download albums on your iPad for a flight, and download playlists on your MacBook for trips where Wifi is not available.
Your entire Apple Music library is synced across all devices logged into your account. When you download music on one device, it automatically becomes available and downloadable on your other devices as well.
So downloads are seamlessly integrated across all platforms for a streamlined user experience. Any offline music will be waiting for you on any device where you need it, while still just using your single Apple Music subscription.
How Many Songs Can You Download?
There is no explicit limit to the number of songs you can download for offline listening with Apple Music. You are only limited by the storage capacity on each of your personal devices.
For example, if you have a 128GB iPhone, you could potentially download tens of thousands of songs to max out the storage space. The same goes for a high capacity iPad or MacBook.
Since the Apple Music library includes over 90 million tracks, you’ll likely run out of device storage before you ever reach a limit on downloads. Apple doesn’t impose any artificial caps or thresholds on how much you can download.
Tips for Managing Downloads
To make the most of downloads for offline listening, here are some useful tips:
- Use downloaded playlists for themed music when traveling.
- Refresh your downloads regularly to try new music.
- Delete listened to downloads to free up space.
- Use iCloud Music Library to sync downloads across devices.
- Download a few large playlists rather than individual tracks.
- Focus downloads on music you regularly re-listen to.
- Set download limits on cellular data to avoid overages.
Download Limitations
While Apple Music downloads provide great flexibility, there are some limitations to be aware of:
- Downloads count against overall device storage space.
- DRM-protection means downloads only work within Apple Music app.
- Cellular data should be limited for large downloads to prevent overages.
- Downloads become unavailable if Apple Music subscription lapses.
- Account can only be logged into one device at a time for downloads.
Overall though, the ability to freely download for offline listening is a hugely valuable feature and sets Apple Music apart from other streaming music platforms.
Can You Listen to Downloads Forever?
Downloaded music from Apple Music will remain available for offline listening as long as your subscription is active. Once you end your subscription, the downloads will no longer be playable.
Essentially you are renting access to the downloads as part of your overall subscription. If you cancel Apple Music, the downloaded files will automatically become invalid due to the DRM protection.
So unlike purchased music downloads from iTunes, streamed music from Apple Music is not yours forever. It requires an active membership for ongoing access, whether streaming online or listening to offline downloads.
Using Downloads to Conserve Cellular Data
One smart use of Apple Music downloads is conserve your monthly cellular data allowance. Streaming music over cellular can quickly eat up gigabytes of data.
By pre-downloading playlists, albums and podcasts that you regularly listen to while out and about, you can save significant mobile data.
Relying on WiFi for larger downloads instead of cellular will help minimize data usage. Some additional tips include:
- Enable cellular download limits (go to Settings > Music).
- Restrict automatic downloads to WiFi only.
- Manually refresh downloads only when on WiFi.
- Download playlists rather than individual tracks.
- Use downloaded music when roaming internationally.
Sharing Downloaded Music with Friends
Unlike iTunes music purchases, you cannot share downloaded music from Apple Music with friends due to DRM protections.
The Apple Music Terms of Service prohibit transferring content to other people. Downloads are locked to your personal account and devices.
This maintains the streaming music concept that Apple is selling access, not ownership rights. So there is no ability to freely share downloads outside of your own account like you could with an iTunes MP3 purchase.
Does Downloading Music Help Artists?
When you stream music on Apple Music, royalties are paid to both record labels and artists. Downloading a track for offline playback generates the same royalty payments as normal streaming.
So yes, downloading music on Apple Music helps support artists just as streaming does. Whenever you play a song that you’ve downloaded, the content owner receives payment.
Apple pays rights holders approximately $0.01 per track streamed, so downloading does provide incremental monetary value compared to just streaming.
Think of downloads as offline streams that still count towards play counts and royalty payouts. The download itself does not confer ownership or copyrights.
Is Downloaded Music High Quality?
Apple uses AAC as its default audio format for Apple Music at 256kbps. This provides high quality audio that is virtually indistinguishable from lossless quality for most listeners.
While not as advanced as lossless formats, AAC 256kbps offers a great combination of audio fidelity and reasonable file size.
If storage space allows, you can choose to always download lossless versions of music at the maximum quality. Simply enable this in Settings > Music > Audio Quality.
Lossless downloads will be significantly larger in size but provide uncompromised sound quality. Ideal if you have spare capacity and want the highest fidelity music.
Can You Download Music Videos?
In addition to audio tracks, Apple Music subscribers can also download music videos to watch offline. The process is the same:
- Find a music video you want to download.
- Tap the download icon (cloud with down arrow).
- The video will download to your device storage.
- A checkmark icon will appear when download is finished.
Do note that music videos consume significantly more storage than audio. So only download a limited number for offline viewing.
Music videos can only be downloaded within the Apple Music app and cannot be transferred out. Like audio tracks, downloaded videos require an active subscription.
Downloading Music with a Free Apple ID
In order to download music for offline listening from Apple Music, you need to be an active paying subscriber.
Having just a free Apple ID is not sufficient to unlock download functionality. Downloads require a paid monthly individual or family plan.
During the 3 month Apple Music free trial period, you can download songs just like a paying member. But once the trial ends, downloads will be restricted unless you start paying.
Troubleshooting Tips
Here are some troubleshooting tips if you’re having issues downloading music from Apple Music:
- Check you have an active internet connection on your device.
- Confirm Apple Music subscription is current and valid.
- Restart your device and the Apple Music app.
- Ensure iCloud Music Library is enabled under settings.
- Check available storage space on device.
- Update Apple Music app and iOS/macOS to latest versions.
- Toggle download over cellular setting off/on again.
- Contact Apple support for further help.
Summary & Conclusions
Here are some key conclusions about downloading music from Apple Music:
- Downloads for offline playback come free with an Apple Music subscription.
- There are no limits or restrictions on number of downloads.
- Music downloads work seamlessly across iPhone, iPad, Mac, etc.
- Downloaded music requires a current subscription to keep accessing.
- Audio quality is very good with 256kbps AAC format.
- Great for saving cellular data when offline listening.
- Provides similar artist royalty payouts as streaming.
Overall, the ability to freely download tracks, albums, and playlists for offline listening is a hugely valuable feature of Apple Music.
Compared to streaming-only services, downloads give Apple Music much more flexibility for places with limited connectivity. Downloading provides a seamless user experience across all your devices.