Apple Music is a popular music streaming service that allows users to access millions of songs. A common issue that Apple Music subscribers face is accidentally deleting songs or losing access to music they’ve added to their library. Thankfully, there are a few different methods you can use to try to recover or download music you’ve previously had in your Apple Music library.
Check Recently Deleted
If you’ve accidentally deleted a song or album from your Apple Music library, the first thing you’ll want to do is check the Recently Deleted section. This is found by going to the Library tab in the Music app and selecting Recently Deleted.
Any music you’ve removed within the last 30 days will be available here to recover. Simply find the song(s) you want to restore and tap the Restore button. This will move the music back into your Apple Music library so you can access it again.
Restore from an iTunes or Finder Backup
If the music you want to recover is no longer in Recently Deleted, your next option is to restore it from a backup. There are two types of backups that may contain your Apple Music files:
- iTunes backups – Backups made in iTunes on a computer
- Finder backups – Backups made in Finder on a Mac running macOS Catalina or later
To restore music from an iTunes backup:
- Connect your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch to your computer and open iTunes.
- Under the Playback section, find your device and click Restore Backup.
- Select the backup that contains the deleted music, then click Restore.
To restore from a Finder backup:
- Open Finder on your Mac.
- Click General in the Finder sidebar.
- Select the name of your device under Locations.
- Click Manage Backups.
- Right click the backup you want and choose Restore from Backup.
Once the restore process finishes, your Apple Music library should return to the state it was in when the backup was made, including any deleted songs.
Download Previously Purchased Music
If you bought any music from the iTunes Store in the past, you may be able to download it again from the Purchased section even if it’s no longer available on Apple Music.
To re-download purchased music:
- Open the iTunes Store app on your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch.
- Tap on your profile icon in the top right corner.
- Select Purchased from the menu.
- Browse through your purchase history to find music no longer in your library.
- Tap the download button next to any item to re-download it.
This gives you access to music you may have bought years ago, even if it has been removed from the iTunes Store catalog since your original purchase.
Use a Third Party App
There are third party apps available that claim to be able to recover deleted music from Apple Music. Two examples of these apps include:
- iMyFone TunesFix: Scans your iPhone or iPad and finds residual data related to music that has been deleted. Allows you to recover and export the files.
- Fonelab: Designed to recover lost data from iOS devices including music, messages, photos and more. Can restore Apple Music files.
The effectiveness of these apps can vary, so read reviews and ensure the app supports the latest iOS before purchasing. They may find music files that the above Apple options do not.
Contact Apple Support
If you still can’t recover your lost Apple Music files through any of the above methods, one last option is to contact Apple Support directly. Explain your situation and what troubleshooting you’ve already tried.
While Apple won’t be able to simply restore deleted music for you, they may offer additional tips or solutions based on the specifics of your case. It’s at least worth contacting them to inquire if other options are available.
Prevent Future Music Loss
To avoid ever having to recover deleted music again, there are a few preventative measures you can take:
- Enable iCloud Music Library – This automatically syncs your Apple Music library across devices.
- Turn on Sync Library in iTunes – Syncs iTunes purchases and playlists to Apple Music.
- Use Offline Mode – Downloads songs for offline playback so they can’t be lost.
- Regularly backup your iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch.
Following these tips will help ensure your Apple Music library has redundant copies across services and devices, making accidental deletion less of an issue.
Third Party Apple Music Downloaders
Beyond trying to recover songs you’ve already had in your Apple Music library, some users want to download music from Apple Music that they’ve never saved before. Reasons may include wanting to listen offline, make backups, or switch music services.
Unfortunately, there is no official way to download and keep songs from Apple Music like you can with purchases from the iTunes store. Apple protects Apple Music content with digital rights management (DRM) to prevent unauthorized copying and distribution.
However, there are third party applications that claim to be able to crack Apple’s DRM and convert Apple Music files to unprotected MP3, M4A or other formats. Some examples include:
| App Name | OS | Key Features |
|---|---|---|
| NoteBurner Apple Music Converter | macOS | Bypasses DRM and converts Apple Music to MP3/M4A |
| TuneFab Apple Music Converter | macOS, Windows | Removes DRM, converts to common formats |
| iSkysoft Toolbox | macOS, Windows | Downloads Apple Music as DRM-free MP3, FLAC, etc. |
The biggest downside to these types of apps is that they violate Apple’s terms and conditions. Apple could potentially ban your Apple ID account if they detect you using services that circumvent their DRM protections.
Most of the apps above claim to use encryption and other tactics to avoid detection. But there is still some risk of account termination associated with using unauthorized Apple Music downloaders and converters.
Alternative Options
If you don’t want to violate Apple’s T&C or take any risks with your account, there are a couple alternative options for being able to download and keep Apple Music files:
- Family Sharing – Add up to 5 family members to your Apple Music Family Subscription. You can then access each other’s libraries.
- Burn to CD – Old school, but you can burn songs to CD then re-rip them to your computer as DRM-free files.
Neither method is quite as convenient as the third party apps, but they do allow you to get permanent access to Apple Music songs without breaking any rules. Although the CD burning loophole could potentially still be frowned upon by Apple.
Summary
Here are some key points to summarize how to recover music from Apple Music:
- First try Recently Deleted and backups to restore deleted files.
- Re-download any previous iTunes purchases.
- Third party data recovery apps may find residual files.
- Contact Apple Support for personalized help.
- Enable backups and library syncing for future protection.
- Third party converters can download as DRM-free files but risk bans.
- Family Sharing and CD burning offer safer downloading alternatives.
Losing access to music you enjoy listening to can be frustrating. Hopefully with the range of recovery options and preventative measures outlined above, you can get back any missing songs and avoid future Apple Music data loss.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is there any free software that can recover deleted Apple Music files?
Unfortunately there is no free software offered by Apple that can recover deleted Apple Music files. The free options are limited to checking Recently Deleted and restoring from an iTunes/Finder backup you’ve already created previously.
Can you recover Apple Music files after canceling your subscription?
Once you cancel your Apple Music subscription, you’ll lose access to stream or download any songs you haven’t already downloaded for offline playback. Make sure to use offline mode, playlist exports or third party apps to save any music you want to keep before canceling.
Why can’t I download Apple Music songs to my computer?
Apple Music utilizes digital rights management (DRM) to prevent unauthorized copying and distribution. This restricts you from downloading songs to use outside of Apple’s ecosystem. Third party apps can bypass the restrictions but violate Apple’s terms.
Is it legal to use software that cracks Apple DRM?
The legality depends on your location, but in general circumventing DRM protections is a legal gray area at best. Apple claims the right to ban any accounts engaging in this kind of activity, so proceed with caution.
What type of files can I convert Apple Music to?
Common unprotected formats include MP3, FLAC, M4A, WAV, etc. The specific formats supported will depend on the third party Apple Music converter app being used.
Conclusion
Recovering lost music from your Apple Music library is possible through a few different methods. First check Recently Deleted and device backups. If that fails, contact Apple Support or use data recovery software. Be cautious with apps that download Apple Music by cracking DRM – while convenient, they violate T&C and risk account bans. With the right tools and preventative measures, you can get back missing music while avoiding future data loss.
