If you’re wondering where to access your personal music library, you’ve come to the right place! This quick guide will walk you through finding your music collection on various devices and platforms.
Checking on your computer
For traditional desktop and laptop computers, here are some common places to look for your music library:
- My Music or Music folder – This is the default music folder location in Windows. Go to File Explorer or My Computer and look for a folder called “My Music” or just “Music.” This is where Windows apps save music by default.
- iTunes media folder – If you use iTunes to manage your music on a Windows PC, your library will be in a folder called “iTunes.” The location varies by version, but is often in your My Music folder or under Users/[Your Username]/Music.
- Windows Media Player – WMP has its own music folder, usually called “My Music” under Documents > My Music. This is where music for WMP is stored.
- Mac Music or Music folder – The equivalent default folder on Mac is called “Music” and is located under Users/[Your Username]/Music in Finder.
- Third-party apps – If you use other apps like MediaMonkey, Winamp, etc., check their settings to see the configured music folder location.
Navigating to these folders in File Explorer or Finder will let you access all the music stored on your computer.
Checking on your mobile devices
On smartphones and tablets, here are some places to find your music library:
- Apple Music – Find your music in the Apple Music app on iOS devices. Tap on Library at the bottom to view playlists, artists, albums, and more.
- Spotify – On the Spotify app, tap Your Library to access playlists, albums, artists and podcasts. This contains music you’ve added or downloaded.
- YouTube Music – Open the YouTube Music app and select Library. This has your uploads, purchases, playlists and artist/album favorites.
- Google Play Music (retired) – While discontinued, if you still have the app you can tap Menu > My Library.
- Other streaming services – Look for “Library” or “My Music” tabs within apps.
- Local files – Find files stored directly on your device under Music or My Music folder using a file browser app.
Checking on the web
For cloud-based music libraries, log into music service web players to manage and access your full collection:
- Apple Music – music.apple.com lets you access your Apple Music library.
- Spotify – Go to open.spotify.com and log in to see all saved music.
- YouTube Music – music.youtube.com has all your library content.
- Amazon Music – Go to music.amazon.com to access Prime and purchased music.
- Google Play Music – Still available at play.google.com/music if you use a direct link.
- Other services – Most have a web player to stream your library.
Using a dedicated media player
If you use a device dedicated for playing music files, like an iPod or MP3 player, the music library is generally stored internally and can be accessed through the device’s menus and interface. For example:
- iPod – Use the iPod menus to find artists, albums, songs, playlists, genres, composers and more. No syncing to a computer needed.
- MP3 player – Navigate the MP3 player’s interface to find your music. Library organization varies by device.
- Hi-Fi media receiver – High-end home stereos let you manage and play your digital music library through the system.
- Car stereo – Many car entertainment systems now can store or stream your music collection.
Check your device owner’s manual for details on managing media libraries on dedicated music players.
Using cloud storage services
Here are some top options for storing your physical music files in the cloud and accessing them anywhere:
- Google Drive – Upload MP3s and other files to Google Drive then stream via drive.google.com or the mobile app.
- Apple iCloud – Store your library in iCloud Music Library to access on iOS, Mac andPC.
- OneDrive – Microsoft’s cloud storage integrates with Groove Music.
- Amazon Cloud Drive – Store and play files in Amazon Cloud Drive.
- Dropbox – Install the Dropbox audioplayer app for desktop playback.
- Plex – Media app lets you upload and stream your music to apps and devices.
The advantage of cloud music storage is being able to access your entire library anywhere without syncing across devices.
Using a home media server
For storing your physical media files at home but streaming them on demand, consider a home media server. This is a central networked storage device for your library. Options include:
- Network-attached storage (NAS) – Stores your files and serves them over the network to compatible apps and devices on your WiFi.
- Plex Media Server – Organizes your files with metadata and streams to Plex players.
- Windows Media Player media sharing – Share your PC’s WMP library to other devices.
- Music streaming software – Apps like Emby Server and Kodi act as your local music hub.
With a home media server, you can sit anywhere at home and stream your entire music collection on demand over your home network.
Checking music provider apps
Here are some of the top apps for accessing your music library:
| App Name | Description |
|---|---|
| Apple Music | All your Apple Music content in one place |
| Spotify | Stream and manage your Spotify library |
| YouTube Music | For music stored in your Google account |
| Amazon Music | Access Prime Music and your Amazon library |
| Pandora | Listen to your customized stations |
| iHeartRadio | Stream radio stations live |
| TuneIn Radio | Internet radio app with many stations |
| SoundCloud | Listen to all your liked tracks |
| Tidal | High fidelity music streaming service |
| Audiomack | Download and stream mixtapes |
Check if you have any apps already installed for streaming music services or online radio stations. You may find some or all of your music library accessible within these apps.
Using file manager apps
If your music files are stored locally on a device, external storage or on home media, you can use file manager and explorer apps to directly access your whole collection. Here are some top options:
- Files app – Manage local and cloud files on iPhone and iPad.
- File Explorer – Android default file browser and manager.
- Files by Google – Browse files on Android devices and cloud.
- Documents by Readdle – File management for iOS with cloud access.
- Solid Explorer – Powerful file manager for Android.
- ASUS File Manager – File explorer for Asus Android devices.
- MiXplorer – Fully-featured file browser for Android.
Advanced users may want to directly access music folders using one of these helpful apps.
Using iTunes or Windows Media Player
If you previously used desktop apps like iTunes or Windows Media Player to organize your library, you can still access your music through them:
- iTunes – Launch iTunes and go to Music or Playlist section to find your content.
- Windows Media Player – Open WMP, go to Music or Playlists to see your collection.
For the best experience, keep these apps up to date or uninstall to move to a dedicated streaming service. But you can still use them to play music already in your local libraries.
Checking online music lockers
If you’ve purchased digital music downloads from vendors like these over the years, check their online lockers:
- iTunes Music purchases – Found at music.apple.com if you’ve bought iTunes songs.
- Amazon Music Library – Go to music.amazon.com for your Amazon digital purchases.
- Google Play Music purchased songs – Still accessible at play.google.com/music via web browser.
- Bandcamp collection – Visit bandcamp.com to stream past purchases.
- Other online music vendors – May have web lockers for past purchases.
Downloaded songs may still be accessible via these online music locker services from retailers where you’ve shopped over the years.
Conclusion
Hopefully with the wide range of suggestions covered, you now know the common places to look for your personal music library on today’s popular devices, platforms and services. The key is knowing where your provider stores it – whether Apple, Spotify, YouTube, etc. – and checking their apps, websites, and pre-installed folders. With cloud music services so prevalent, your collection may be available even without local files on a device. But also consider apps, file managers, media players, stored files, home media servers and online lockers for accessing your entire catalog of songs, albums, artists, playlists and more.