If you have previously synced music from your iTunes library to your iPad, you may be wondering where that music is stored and how you can access it on your iPad. The music you synced from iTunes is still on your iPad, you just need to know where to look.
Checking the Music App
The first place to check for your synced iTunes music is the Music app on your iPad. The Music app is where all music on your iPad is stored and organized. When you sync music from iTunes, it gets copied into your iPad’s Music app.
To view all the music synced from iTunes, open the Music app and select “Songs” at the bottom of the screen. This will display all the individual songs you’ve synced. The music will be organized based on the metadata and playlists from iTunes.
If you had any albums or artists synced, select “Albums” or “Artists” at the bottom of the Music app screen to browse your music collection by albums or artists. The albums and artists will be the same ones you see in your iTunes library when you sync your iPad.
Checking Playlists
In addition to your overall music collection, any playlists you’ve synced from iTunes will also be available in the Music app. To view your synced playlists, open the Music app and select “Playlists” at the bottom of the screen.
This will display any playlists you’ve synced as well as any playlists you’ve created directly on your iPad. Synced playlists from iTunes will have the same playlist names and songs that you see in iTunes.
Playlists are a great way to organize and listen to your synced music by activity, mood, or other categories you create. Make sure to check them in the Music app playlist view.
Using the Search Function
You can also use the search function in the Music app to quickly find specific songs, artists, albums or playlists from your synced iTunes music. Simply tap the magnifying glass icon at the top right of the Music app screen to bring up Search.
Type in a song title, artist, album or playlist name and it will instantly search through all the music content synced from iTunes. This provides a fast way to locate and play anything from your iTunes music collection.
Checking Recently Added Content
If you want to see only your most recently synced iTunes music, there is a section just for that. In the Music app, select “Recents” at the bottom of the screen. This will show recently added songs, albums, playlists and artists.
Review the recently added content if you want a quick look at the music you just synced from iTunes. Anything you’ve added to your iTunes library and synced within the last month or so will likely show up here.
Finding Music from the Songs View
While playlists and library views are helpful, sometimes you just want to browse all your synced music by song title. View every individual song from iTunes by selecting “Songs” at the bottom of the Music app screen.
From here, you can scroll through and search an alphabetical list of every song stored on your iPad, including all your synced iTunes music. Tap any song to play it directly.
Searching with Spotlight
Spotlight search provides another way to find music from your iTunes library on an iPad. Pull down anywhere on the home screen to bring up the iPad’s search bar.
Type in a song title, artist, album or other search term related to your iTunes music. Suggested results will appear for any matching content including your synced iTunes music. Tap a result to go directly to the song, artist or album.
Using Siri
If your iPad has Siri enabled, you can use your voice to search for synced iTunes music hands-free. Simply say something like “Play [song name]” or “Show me albums by [artist]” to request music from iTunes.
Siri will search through your entire music collection on iPad, including your iTunes synced content, and play or show you the music you asked for. It’s an easy voice-powered way to access your iTunes library.
Checking Storage Usage
To confirm your synced iTunes music is actually stored locally on your iPad, you can check the iPad’s storage usage. Go to Settings > General > iPad Storage to see a storage usage breakdown.
This screen will display how much total storage is being used by Music and other media types. Generally, the size of your stored music in the Music app correlates directly to the amount of music synced from iTunes, minus any music you may have deleted locally on your iPad.
Why Can’t I Find All My iTunes Music?
If you synced iTunes music to your iPad but can’t seem to find all your songs, albums or artists, there are a few possible reasons:
- You may have a selective sync configured in iTunes that is limiting how much music gets copied onto your iPad. Check the sync settings in iTunes on the computer you originally synced from.
- Your iPad may be low on storage space. Try deleting apps or media to free up space and sync again.
- The songs may have been deleted locally. Any music deleted directly on iPad will no longer show up in your Music app.
- Check for any software update needs for iOS or iTunes, which can sometimes disrupt the syncing process until updated.
If you’ve confirmed your music has synced successfully to iTunes before, but now appears to be missing, a reset may help. Back up your iPad, then go to Settings > General > Reset > Reset Location & Privacy. This will reset your Music app and playback preferences without losing your data.
How to Redownload iTunes Music
If any of your previously synced iTunes music is no longer showing on your iPad, you can redownload it by syncing with iTunes again. Connect your iPad to the computer housing your iTunes library and sync.
This will copy over any music that is currently missing from the Music app on your iPad. Make sure to leave “Sync Music” checked in the Summary pane and select “Entire music library” or a relevant playlist.
You can also transfer purchased iTunes content via Wi-Fi by turning on iTunes Match on your iPad and iTunes account. This will allow you to stream or redownload music files previously acquired from iTunes.
Does Deleted Music Stay in iTunes?
When you delete music that was synced from iTunes directly on your iPad, it does not delete that music from the iTunes library itself. The original iTunes music files stay intact on the computer.
Simply syncing your iPad again will copy any “missing” music from iTunes back onto your iPad’s Music app. Unless you intentionally delete music directly within iTunes on the computer, your iTunes music is always preserved in the library.
Finding Music Files Using File Explorer
While music synced from iTunes is managed in the Music app, you can view the actual music files directly using the iPad’s file explorer if you wish. Here’s how:
- Get a file explorer app such as Documents, FileHub or GoodReader from the App Store.
- Navigate to the following location: On My iPad > Media > Music > iTunes.
- You will then see various folders for you music collection, such as one for each artist.
- Tap on a folder to find the individual song files in standard formats such as .mp3, .m4a, etc.
This allows you direct access to your iPad’s filesystem to verify your synced iTunes music library contents. Just be careful not to accidentally delete any files unless you intend to.
Backing up iTunes Music from iPad
Since the music synced from iTunes to your iPad is not natively backed up to iCloud, it’s a good idea to create your own backup.
Here are a couple options for backing up your iPad’s iTunes music library:
- Back Up to Computer: Connect your iPad to the computer housing your iTunes library. In iTunes, right click on your iPad and choose Back Up. This will create a backup of your iPad, including synced iTunes music, on your computer.
- Back Up to External Storage: Use a file explorer app on your iPad to copy your Music library folders to connected external storage like a flash drive, SD card or external hard drive.
Backing up provides an extra level of protection in case anything happens to the music files stored locally on your iPad.
Listening to iTunes Music on iPad
Once you’ve confirmed your synced iTunes music is present in the Music app, listening and enjoying it on your iPad is easy. Here are some ways to access and play your iTunes music:
- Open the Music app and browse or search for songs, albums, artists, playlists.
- Tap any song, album or playlist to start playback.
- Use Siri voice commands like “Play [song name]” to request music.
- Ask Siri to play songs in a playlist or by a certain artist.
- Use Control Center on your iPad to control music playback.
- Stream music to external speakers or devices using AirPlay.
Your iTunes music library is now easily accessible for your listening pleasure on your iPad. Sit back and enjoy!
Conclusion
Finding your iTunes music on your iPad is simple once you know where to look in the Music app. Playlists, recent additions, search and Siri can all help locate synced content. Make sure your music is backed up, then relax and listen to your favorite iTunes tunes using the Music app, Control Center or AirPlay.