Quick Answers
Downloaded music from the iTunes Store or Apple Music goes into the Apple Music app on your iPhone. Purchased music and music synced from your computer’s iTunes library will appear in the Library tab of the Music app. Streamed or downloaded music for offline playback from Apple Music will be in the Playlist or Downloads tabs.
Where Does Downloaded Music from iTunes Store Go?
When you purchase and download music from the iTunes Store on your iPhone, it will be saved directly into the Apple Music app (formerly called Music). The Apple Music app is where all your downloaded and streamed music from Apple Music, as well as your personal music library synced from iTunes, is stored and played back.
To find downloaded music from iTunes purchases on your iPhone:
- Open the Apple Music app
- Tap on the Library tab at the bottom
- Select Songs to view all your downloaded and synced music
Any music you have bought and downloaded from the iTunes Store on your iPhone will appear here mixed in with the rest of your music library. The iTunes purchases will be marked with an iCloud icon to denote they were downloaded directly to your device.
Where Does Apple Music Downloaded Music Go?
When you download music tracks, albums or playlists for offline listening from your Apple Music subscription, they will also be saved to the Apple Music app.
To find Apple Music downloads on your iPhone:
- Open the Apple Music app
- Tap on the Downloads tab at the bottom
This will show you all the music you have downloaded for offline playback from Apple Music. These will remain available even without an internet connection. The Downloads tab only appears if you have the Apple Music subscription.
Where Does Synced iTunes Music Go?
If you have synced music from your iTunes library on a computer to your iPhone, it will also be available in the Apple Music app.
To find synced music from iTunes:
- Open the Apple Music app
- Tap on the Library tab
- Select Songs to see your full synced music library
Any music synced from your computer’s iTunes library will appear here mixed in with any downloads and Apple Music tracks. There is no difference in how they are displayed.
Finding Purchased and Downloaded Music
To quickly find all your purchased music from the iTunes Store in one place:
- Go to the Library tab in the Music app
- Tap on the Downloaded Music section at the top
This will show only the music that has been downloaded directly to your device, including any iTunes purchases.
How to Re-Download Previous iTunes Purchases
If you have ever bought music on iTunes in the past, you can easily re-download any of those purchases to your iPhone again without needing to buy them again. Here is how:
- Open the App Store app
- Tap on your profile icon at the top right
- Scroll down to find the Purchased section and tap Music
This will display all your previous music purchases from iTunes. To re-download any of them to your iPhone, simply tap the iCloud download icon next to the track or album.
Checking Download Progress
When downloading multiple tracks or albums, you can check the download progress in a few ways:
- In the iTunes Store, tap on the profile icon to view your current downloads
- In the Music app Downloads tab, use the Downloading section
- In the Music app Library, find the items marked “Downloading…”
Pausing downloads if needed:
- In the iTunes Store downloads screen, tap pause on the download
- In the Music app Downloads tab, tap Edit, then pause the downloads
Music Won’t Download Due to Insufficient Storage
If you try downloading music but get an error that there is not enough storage, you will need to free up space on your iPhone first. Here are some tips:
- Delete old text messages and emails
- Offload unused apps
- Manage and optimize your iPhone storage
- Delete downloaded Spotify tracks and playlists
- Backup and delete photos and videos taking up excess space
Once you have freed up some storage, try downloading the music again. You may need to delete hundreds of megabytes or even several gigabytes of data depending on how much space the downloads require.
Music Disappeared from My iPhone
If downloaded or purchased music seems to have gone missing from your iPhone Music library, there are several things that could have happened:
- Check if the music is still on your account in the iTunes Store purchases section – you may need to redownload
- Music may have been accidentally deleted
- Syncing with a new computer can remove previous music
- A software glitch may have occurred
- Hard resetting your iPhone can erase content
Before taking any corrective action, first check if the music still appears properly on other synced devices like an iPad or computer. That will help determine if the issue is isolated to just the iPhone.
If music is missing across all devices, contact iTunes Support for help restoring lost purchased content. If it’s just the iPhone, try steps like adjusting sync settings, turning iCloud Music Library off/on, deleting the Music app data, or contacting Apple Support to see if the music can be recovered.
Music Disappears after Disconnecting from iTunes
If music you synced from iTunes disappears after disconnecting or syncing with a new computer, iTunes may be set to sync only specific playlists or selections. Change the sync settings to sync entire music library or restore missing tracks from a backup.
Can’t Find Purchased Music after iOS Update
Major iOS system updates can sometimes cause issues with downloaded and purchased content. After updating, check if your music is still available on other devices first. Then try steps like:
- Update iTunes and sync with computer
- Reboot the device
- Soft reset by holding Home + Power buttons
- Check Downloads section for missing items
- Turn iCloud Music Library off/on
If those troubleshooting tips don’t restore your purchased music post-update, contact iTunes support for further assistance.
How to Transfer Downloaded Music to a New iPhone
When moving to a new iPhone, there are a couple ways to transfer your downloaded and purchased music:
- Sync your old iPhone with iTunes then sync again with the new iPhone
- Use the Apple Music app’s Transfer Playback History option
- Enable iCloud Music Library on both devices
- Re-download previous iTunes purchases on the new device
The easiest way is generally to use iCloud Music Library to access your music on any device logged into your Apple ID. Just be sure to have sufficient storage space on the new iPhone.
Backing up Downloaded Music
To preserve access to your downloads, you should regularly back them up. Options for backing up purchased and downloaded music include:
- Syncing with iTunes to backup to computer
- Using iCloud Music Library to store in cloud
- Copying files directly from iPhone to computer
Ensuring you have backups prevents losing downloads due to issues like device corruption, hardware failure, or accidental deletion. Backups give you the ability to restore your music library when needed.
Key Takeaways
- Downloaded and purchased music is saved directly into the Apple Music app
- Check Library tab for synced iTunes songs and Downloads tab for Apple Music tracks
- You can re-download previous iTunes Store purchases if needed
- Make sure to backup music to avoid losing downloads
- Syncing, iCloud Music Library, and iTunes help transfer music to a new device
- Contact iTunes support if purchased music is lost or disappears
Conclusion
Knowing where to find your downloads and purchased music in the Apple Music app ensures you always have access to the content you own. Proper syncing and backup procedures help preserve your personal music library across multiple devices. If you ever encounter issues with missing music, there are several troubleshooting techniques and Apple support options available to restore your downloads.