1. Introducing Apple Music
Apple Music is a music and video streaming service developed by Apple Inc. It offers access to over 90 million songs, 30,000 playlists, and music videos. The service provides music recommendations based on a user’s listening habits and utilizes both algorithms and music experts to curate playlists.
Apple Music has three subscription options: Individual ($9.99/month), Family ($14.99/month for up to 6 users), and Student ($4.99/month). Subscribers can stream music online or download songs for offline listening. The service is available across Apple devices including iPhone, iPad, Apple TV and Mac as well as Windows and Android devices.
As of June 2022, Apple Music has over 88 million subscribers worldwide. It is the second most popular music streaming service behind Spotify, which has over 433 million monthly active users (Source: https://www.businessofapps.com/data/apple-music-statistics/). In the US, Apple Music has around 32.6 million subscribers as of February 2023, while Spotify leads with 44.4 million subscribers (Source: https://www.musicbusinessworldwide.com/spotify-had-44-4m-us-subscribers-in-february-apple-music-had-32-6m/).
Canceling Apple Music Subscription
To cancel your Apple Music subscription, you need to go to your Apple ID account settings. This can be done either on your iPhone/iPad by going to Settings > [Your Name] > Subscriptions, or on a computer by going to music.apple.com, clicking your profile icon, and choosing Account Settings. From there, find the Apple Music subscription and click “Cancel Subscription” [1].
Once you cancel, you will no longer be billed for Apple Music monthly. However, you will continue to have access to Apple Music until the end of your current billing period. For example, if you cancel halfway through the month, you can continue using Apple Music until the end of that month. At that point, your subscription will be deactivated [2].
It’s important to note that you cannot immediately deactivate Apple Music when canceling. You must wait until the end of your billing cycle for access to end. This gives you a grace period to reactivate your subscription if you change your mind.
Apple Music Library Access
When you cancel your Apple Music subscription, you lose access to your previously saved Apple Music library and anything that was solely streamed through the service. This includes playlists, albums, songs, and music videos that you had added to your library (Source).
However, any music content that you previously downloaded to your device can still be accessed and played after cancellation. So if you downloaded albums or playlists for offline listening, those will remain on your device (Source). But you won’t be able to stream or download new content without an active subscription.
In summary, canceling your Apple Music subscription restricts your ability to stream content and access your full previously saved library. But any downloads will persist on your device for offline listening.
Playlists and Favorites
When you cancel your Apple Music subscription, you will lose access to any playlists you’ve created and any songs you’ve added to your library or marked as favorites. Apple Music playlists are only available to subscribers, so they cannot be accessed after unsubscribing.
However, before canceling, you can export your Apple Music playlists. This allows you to retain a copy of the playlist contents that you can then import into another music service. To export a playlist, open it in Apple Music, click the three dots next to the playlist name, and select “Export Playlist.” This will create a file with the playlist details that can be imported to Spotify or other music apps.
Favorited songs will be removed from your library after canceling Apple Music. So if you want to keep a copy of favorites, make sure to add them to a playlist and export it before unsubscribing. Overall, with a few steps before cancellation, you can preserve your Apple Music playlists and favorites so you don’t lose curated content.
Sources:
https://discussions.apple.com/thread/251148547
Cancel Apple Music Subscription and Keep Your Playlists & Music
Listening History and Recommendations
When you cancel your Apple Music subscription, you will lose access to your listening history data. This includes recently played songs and albums, as well as your overall listening activity. According to discussions.apple.com, you can view your listening history by tapping the Queue button in the Music app, then swiping down.
However, once you cancel Apple Music, this listening data will no longer be available. As noted on iDownloadBlog, tapping “Clear” will permanently delete your listening history when you unsubscribe.
The loss of listening history also impacts your personalized recommendations. Apple Music uses your activity to suggest new music and playlists tailored to your tastes. Without access to your listening data, these recommendations will no longer be as accurate or relevant once you cancel Apple Music.
Overall, cancelling Apple Music means losing access to listening insights and forfeiting personalized recommendations. This data disappears when you unsubscribe. Users report music suggestions are not as useful after cancelling Apple Music until listening history is rebuilt over time.
Reactivating Apple Music
If you choose to cancel your Apple Music subscription, you can easily resubscribe and regain access to your previous content. According to Apple’s support documentation, your Apple Music content and data is not deleted when you unsubscribe – it is simply inaccessible until you reactive your subscription.
To resume your Apple Music membership, simply open the App Store on your iPhone or iPad and tap on your profile icon in the top right. From there you can re-purchase an Apple Music subscription and seamlessly pick up where you left off. Your entire library of playlists, favorites, listening history and recommendations will reappear just as they were before cancellation.
According to Apple’s terms and conditions, you can cancel and resubscribe to Apple Music at any time with no penalties or fees. When reactivating, your previous subscription details and payment method will be restored so you can start listening again immediately. Overall, Apple makes it simple to pause and restart your membership if you ever reconsider cancelling.
Alternatives to Apple Music
If you decide to cancel Apple Music, there are several other streaming music services you could consider switching to instead. Some of the top competitors to Apple Music include:
- Spotify – Spotify has one of the largest music libraries with over 70 million tracks. It offers both free ad-supported and premium paid options. Spotify also has unique features like personalized playlists and shareable playlists. However, Spotify does not have as strong integration with iOS devices compared to Apple Music (https://www.soundguys.com/apple-music-vs-spotify-21232/).
- YouTube Music – YouTube Music provides official songs, albums, thousands of playlists and artist radio plus YouTube’s catalog of remixes, live performances, covers and music videos. The paid version removes ads and allows background listening and offline downloads. However, the library can be less comprehensive for finding rarer or older tracks (https://www.digitaltrends.com/music/youtube-music-vs-apple-music/).
- Amazon Music – Amazon Music has a library of over 70 million songs and works great with Alexa and Echo devices. It offers individual subscription plans as well as a Prime-bundled option. However, it does not have as many playlists or music discovery features as other services (https://www.tomsguide.com/us/amazon-music-unlimited-vs-apple-music,review-6447.html).
So while services like Spotify, YouTube Music and Amazon Music can be viable Apple Music alternatives, Apple Music offers unique integration with iOS, exclusive content, and access to your existing iTunes library.
Pros and Cons of Canceling Apple Music
There are some benefits as well as drawbacks to consider when canceling an Apple Music subscription. Looking at the pros and cons can help you decide if canceling is the right choice for you.
Benefits of Canceling Apple Music
Some of the main benefits of canceling Apple Music include:
- Saves money – With no monthly subscription fee, canceling can save you $9.99/month or $99/year.
- Avoid continuous payments – Canceling means you no longer have to worry about being continuously billed every month.
- Use other platforms – You can explore other music streaming options like Spotify, Amazon Music, or YouTube Music.
Drawbacks to Consider
However, there are also some downsides to be aware of with canceling Apple Music:
- Lose access to full library – You will no longer be able to stream or download the full Apple Music catalog of over 90 million songs (Source).
- Playlists disappear – Any playlists you’ve created will no longer be available.
- Loss of recommendations – Apple Music’s personalized recommendations based on your taste will stop.
Key Takeaways
If you cancel your Apple Music subscription, you will lose access to the Apple Music library and your saved songs, playlists, listening history, and recommendations will no longer be available. However, your playlists and music purchased through iTunes will not be deleted. You can easily reactive your subscription at any time to restore access. Consider the pros and cons before canceling, and compare with alternatives like Spotify. Overall, canceling Apple Music means losing access temporarily unless you downloaded songs or own them, but your account data is saved for easy reactivation.
FAQs About Canceling Apple Music
Here are some frequently asked questions about what happens when you cancel your Apple Music subscription:
What happens to my playlists if I cancel Apple Music?
Unfortunately, any playlists you’ve created within Apple Music will no longer be available after canceling your subscription, according to discussions on Apple’s forums. You’ll lose access to playlists you’ve made as well as any music you’ve downloaded for offline listening.
Can I still listen to music I purchased through iTunes?
Yes, any music you’ve purchased through iTunes can still be accessed even after canceling Apple Music, as that is not part of the streaming subscription service.
Will my listening history and recommendations be erased?
Your Apple Music listening history, favorites, and personalized recommendations will also be removed after canceling the service. Your profile is directly tied to the subscription.
How do I reactivate my Apple Music subscription?
You can easily resume your Apple Music subscription anytime by going back into your Apple account settings and reactivating auto-renew. Your previous playlists and favorites will not be restored, but recommendations will rebuild over time.
Can I get a refund for an unused portion of my subscription?
Unfortunately Apple does not offer prorated or partial refunds for unused subscription time if you cancel Apple Music mid-billing cycle, according to Apple’s support site. So it’s best to let the current period fully expire if you want to maximize the value.
