Launched in 2015, Apple Music is a streaming music and video service developed by Apple. In addition to offering access to over 90 million songs through streaming, Apple Music also gave users the ability to purchase songs, albums and videos to download and own permanently through the iTunes Store. Unlike streaming, which requires an internet connection and active subscription to access, purchased content could be downloaded and used offline on multiple devices.
With the launch of Apple Music, questions arose around what would happen to music users had previously purchased through iTunes when it transitioned to the new Apple Music service. Some users found their existing purchased music libraries difficult to access after the change, leading to confusion around ownership rights and availability of purchased music within Apple Music. This article will examine what happens to purchased music from iTunes after the shift to Apple Music.
Purchasing vs Streaming
There is an important difference between purchasing music and streaming music on Apple Music. When you purchase a song or album, you own that music forever and can access it even without an Apple Music subscription. Purchased music is downloaded and saved locally on your devices. In contrast, streaming music through Apple Music requires an active subscription. If you cancel Apple Music, you will lose access to any songs and albums you were just streaming through the service.
As explained on the Apple discussions forums, “You can give star ratings to music downloaded from Apple Music, it works on all tracks. You can see the difference if you use Get Info on a purchased track versus a Apple Music track” (Source). Purchased music belongs to you even after canceling Apple Music, while streamed music disappears when you unsubscribe.
On Reddit, one user commented: “Me same with you, prefer owning the music than streaming it. Because sometimes some albums will be not available or disappear in Apple Music” (Source). Purchasing music means you own it forever, while streaming relies on ongoing access.
iTunes Transition
In 2019, Apple transitioned all purchased music from the iTunes Store to Apple Music as part of the closure of the iTunes Store (1). This transition was designed to provide customers continued access to their purchased music library within the Apple Music app and service. According to Apple’s support page, “Your iTunes Store purchases, including past iTunes music purchases, and iTunes Match songs will appear in the Apple Music catalog. Your purchased music will continue to upload to iCloud across your devices” (2).
However, some users have reported issues accessing their purchased music after the transition. Common problems include purchased songs going missing from the library, songs failing to download to devices, and purchases not showing up at all within Apple Music (3). This can occur across iOS devices as well as Mac computers. If purchases are missing or unavailable for download, users are advised to sign out and back into the iTunes & App Store on all devices which may resolve syncing issues with Apple servers (4).
Sources:
(1) https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT210200
(2) https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204939
(3) https://discussions.apple.com/thread/253687438
(4) https://discussions.apple.com/thread/7549338
Music Library Access
Purchased music that was bought through the iTunes Store is available in the My Music section of the Apple Music app. This includes music purchased on an iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, or PC with iTunes.
According to an Apple Support discussion thread (https://discussions.apple.com/thread/254378961), purchased music and playlists from iTunes will now appear in the My Music section of the Apple Music app. So previous iTunes music purchases are still accessible through Apple Music.
The purchased music can be downloaded for offline listening within the Apple Music app. To download a purchased song or album, tap on the 3 dots next to it and select “Make Available Offline.” This will save it to your device so you can listen without an internet connection.
So while the iTunes store no longer exists, purchased music is now integrated into the Apple Music app library. The My Music section provides access to all purchased content for listening across devices.
Listening Across Devices
One of the major benefits of purchasing music through Apple Music or iTunes is the ability to access that music across all of your Apple devices. The purchased music is linked to your Apple ID, so you can listen to songs you’ve bought on your iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and more.
According to Apple’s support article Access your music library on all your devices, you just need to make sure you have iCloud Music Library enabled on each device. Your purchased music will then be available across all devices logged into your Apple ID.
The same goes for any music you stream through your Apple Music subscription. As long as you are logged into your Apple ID, you can stream any song in the Apple Music catalog on any device.
Sharing Purchased Music
One limitation with purchased music on Apple Music is that it may be restricted by Digital Rights Management (DRM). According to the Apple Support article, songs purchased from the iTunes Store prior to 2009 contained DRM protection and cannot be shared freely.
DRM places restrictions on copying, sharing, and playing music. Songs with DRM are tied to an Apple ID and can only be played by authorized devices logged into that Apple ID. As a result, users cannot freely share purchased iTunes music with friends or across devices the way they can with non-DRM streaming songs.
Apple Music’s Family Sharing feature does allow some limited access to purchased music among family members. According to an Apple Community thread, Family Sharing allows users to stream each other’s purchased songs when logged into the same Apple ID. However, there are still restrictions around downloading and true sharing due to the DRM protections.
Music Ownership
When you purchase a song or album on Apple Music, you are purchasing a license to access that content, not the actual copyright to the music itself. The rights holder, typically the artist, retains ownership and copyright of the music (Source 1). Apple simply hosts the content on their platform and grants you access to stream or download it as part of your purchase. If Apple Music as a service was ever discontinued, it is unclear if you would maintain access to the purchased music or not since Apple does not actually own the copyright (Source 2).
So in summary, as a user you own a license to access the music you purchased on Apple Music, but not the actual copyright to the songs themselves. The future availability of that purchased music if Apple Music went away is uncertain given Apple’s licensing agreements. But as long as you remain an active user, you do maintain full access to all music purchases made.
Refunds
If you purchased music or other content directly from the iTunes Store that you would like refunded, you can request a refund through Apple’s Report a Problem website at https://reportaproblem.apple.com. This allows you to ask for a refund on content purchases including music, movies, TV shows, and apps.
To request a refund, you will need to login to your Apple ID account on the Report a Problem website and find the content purchase you want refunded. You can then select “Request a Refund” and choose a reason from the options provided. Typical reasons include “Accidental purchase” or “Item doesn’t work as expected.”
For music purchases specifically, Apple offers refunds within 90 days of the original transaction date. So you need to request the refund within this time period to be eligible. The full purchase amount will be credited back to the original payment method if approved. Refunds are generally processed within 48 hours.
Note that you can only request a refund once per purchased item. And refunds are not offered for subscription services like Apple Music. So this process applies specifically to media that was purchased outright from the iTunes Store. If you have any other issues with Apple Music, you will need to contact Apple Support directly for assistance.
Alternatives for Purchased Music Ownership
If you want to own your music files outright like with iTunes purchases, there are a few options:
The iTunes Store is still available on iOS devices, Macs, and PCs to purchase music downloads. You can download previous iTunes purchases again from your account library. iTunes purchases can be listened to across devices where you are signed into your Apple ID.
Third party services like Qobuz and Amazon Music also sell permanent music downloads. These purchases would be accessible on their respective apps and services.
iTunes Match is an Apple service that matches the music in your personal library to songs in the Apple Music catalog. This allows you to access your personal library anywhere and download your purchased music. An iTunes Match subscription is $24.99 per year.
Overall, while Apple Music focuses on streaming, options still exist to purchase and own music downloads if you prefer that model. The iTunes Store provides the most seamless experience for owning music and integrating with Apple devices.
Conclusion
In summary, music purchased through iTunes does not simply disappear when transitioning to Apple Music. However, the way that purchased music is accessed and managed has changed compared to the iTunes era. Purchased songs and albums are now found in the Apple Music app alongside streamed content, rather than in a separate iTunes library.
With the launch of Apple Music in 2015, Apple began the process of phasing out iTunes purchases in favor of subscription streaming. Any music previously bought on iTunes is still available in users’ libraries within the Apple Music app. However, new music can only be obtained through an Apple Music subscription, not permanent downloads.
This transition aims to align Apple with current listening preferences skewed towards streaming. However, it requires former iTunes users to adapt to a new model of music access. While purchased music remains available to download and sync, ownership looks different in the streaming age. Understanding these changes helps former iTunes users find their collections and continue enjoying purchased music within Apple Music.