If you are an Apple Music subscriber trying to transfer your music to an iPod, you may have run into some frustration. Apple has placed restrictions on transferring Apple Music downloads to iPods and other external devices. This prevents unauthorized sharing of music, but it also limits what devices you can play Apple Music on.
Quick Answers
Here are quick answers to common questions about transferring Apple Music to iPods:
- Apple Music downloads are encrypted with your Apple ID and cannot be played on non-Apple devices.
- You cannot directly transfer Apple Music downloads to an iPod.
- You can play Apple Music on iPods by streaming it from your iPhone.
- iPods cannot store offline Apple Music downloads like iPhones and iPads can.
- The only way to get Apple Music on your iPod is to first download it on an iPhone or iPad, then sync it over.
Why Apple Music Downloads Are Restricted
When you subscribe to Apple Music, the downloads are encrypted with your Apple ID for security purposes. This prevents others from accessing your account and downloading music illegally. It also allows Apple to control where the downloads can be played.
Specifically, Apple Music downloads use Apple’s FairPlay Digital Rights Management (DRM) protection. This restricts them to being played only on Apple devices logged into the Apple ID they are encrypted with. So you cannot directly move Apple Music to other devices like you could with songs purchased on iTunes.
Unauthorized Sharing Prevention
The main purpose of the restriction is to prevent unauthorized sharing of Apple Music. Apple doesn’t want subscribers to download music then share or re-distribute it to others. This is part of their agreements with music studios and record labels when adding songs to the Apple Music library.
If Apple Music downloads were not restricted, a subscriber could download an unlimited amount of music, then freely share it or re-upload it. This would allow anyone to gain access to Apple’s music library without paying for a subscription.
Limited Device Compatibility
A secondary effect of the DRM protection is that Apple Music downloads can only be played on Apple devices. This limits their compatibility with non-Apple products.
For example, you cannot download Apple Music on an iPhone then transfer and play those downloads directly on an Android phone. The Android device will not be able to authenticate and decrypt the downloads.
So in addition to preventing unauthorized sharing, the DRM limits what devices you can use to play Apple Music offline. Any device wanting offline access must support FairPlay DRM and be logged into your Apple ID.
Streaming vs Downloading Apple Music
It’s important to understand the difference between streaming Apple Music and downloading it for offline playback. Streaming allows more flexibility for transferring music to iPods and syncing playlists.
Streaming Apple Music
When you stream a song, your device is playing it directly from Apple’s servers over an internet connection. The song file is not actually stored on your device.
You can stream Apple Music to any device logged into your Apple ID, including iPods. All iPod models since 2015 support streaming Apple Music from an iPhone or iPad through a WiFi connection.
Simply enable “Music Sync” in iTunes on your computer, then connect your iPod to sync Apple Music playlists for streaming. The playlists themselves sync over, but not the downloaded song files.
Downloading Apple Music
Downloading songs saves them offline on your device so you can listen without an internet connection. This is what allows offline playback for Apple Music subscribers.
However, the song downloads are encrypted and cannot be transferred directly to iPods and other non-Apple devices. Only Apple devices like iPhones, iPads, and Macs can store offline Apple Music downloads.
Transferring Apple Music to iPod
So how can you get your Apple Music on an iPod for offline listening if direct downloads are restricted? The solution is a two step process:
- First download the Apple Music songs on an iPhone or iPad.
- Then sync the music from your iPhone/iPad to the iPod.
Here are the detailed steps to transfer Apple Music downloads to an iPod:
1. Download Apple Music on iPhone or iPad
Use your iPhone or iPad to download any Apple Music songs, albums, or playlists you want stored offline:
- Open the Apple Music app.
- Tap the download icon next to music you want saved for offline playback.
- Downloaded items will appear under My Music > Downloads.
2. Connect iPhone/iPad to Computer
Connect the iPhone or iPad to your computer using the USB cable. Open iTunes if it doesn’t launch automatically.
3. Enable Music Sync in iTunes
In iTunes on your computer:
- Select your iPhone/iPad under Devices in iTunes.
- Click on Music in the sidebar.
- Enable “Sync Music” and select what music to sync.
4. Sync iPod to Computer
With syncing enabled, you can now connect your iPod to the computer:
- Connect your iPod to the computer using the USB cable.
- Select the iPod under Devices in iTunes.
- Select the Musik sync option to match your iPhone/iPad.
- Check the box to “Manually manage music.”
- Click Sync to transfer Apple Music from iPhone to iPod.
This will transfer the downloaded Apple Music songs from your iPhone/iPad to the iPod. You can now listen offline on your iPod.
Alternative Ways to Get Music on iPod
If transferring Apple Music downloads doesn’t work for your needs, here are a couple alternative options for getting music onto your iPod:
Sync iTunes Purchases
You can always sync iTunes purchases to an iPod the same way as above. Music purchased on iTunes does not have the same restrictions as Apple Music downloads:
- Buy and download songs on iTunes to your computer.
- Sync the iTunes purchases to your iPod.
Subscribe to Match
Apple Music subscribers can pay an additional $24.99 per year for iTunes Match. This lets you sync your entire personal music library to devices.
iTunes Match scans your library and gives access to high quality versions of your songs when available. It matches your personal collection and uploads it to iCloud.
You can then sync playlists of your personal music to devices like the iPod for offline listening. iTunes Match gives more flexibility with a personal library outside of Apple’s catalog.
Why Apple Music is Limited
To recap, the main reasons Apple Music downloads are restricted and cannot transfer directly to iPods are:
- Apple DRM prevents unauthorized sharing of music.
- Downloads can only be played on Apple devices logged into your account.
- Apple’s agreements with studios requires DRM protections.
While inconvenient, the protections are in place to satisfy licensing deals and prevent illegal distribution of music. Make sure to download your Apple Music first on an iOS device, then sync it over to enjoy it on your iPod.
Conclusion
Transferring Apple Music to an iPod is inconvenient due to DRM copy protection. But it can be done through a two step process:
- First download songs on an iPhone or iPad.
- Then connect the device to sync Apple Music to the iPod.
Streaming Apple Music playlists provides more flexibility. But offline downloads require the extra syncing step to enjoy on an iPod. Unfortunately Apple’s restrictions limit protections on downloads to Apple devices only.