Can I transfer music directly to iPhone?

ByJael Lawler

Transferring music directly to an iPhone is a common task for many users. There are several ways to get music onto an iPhone, whether you want to move your existing music library or add new songs. The ideal method depends on your specific needs and the type of computer you use. This guide provides an overview of the main ways to transfer music directly into the iPhone music app so you can listen to tunes on the go.

The easiest options involve using a Mac or Windows PC with the iTunes app. You can sync entire music libraries or selectively transfer songs. For Mac users, the Finder also provides a direct transfer option.

If you want to transfer music between two iPhones or from an iPad, you can utilize AirDrop. There are also third-party apps that provide wireless transfers between iOS devices.

No matter how you get music onto your iPhone, the songs will be accessible in the Music app so you can listen anytime. With the right method, you can quickly load up your iPhone with all your favorite tunes.

Using iTunes

One of the easiest ways to transfer music to your iPhone is by syncing it with your iTunes library on your computer. To sync your iPhone with your iTunes library:

1. Connect your iPhone to your computer using the included USB cable. Open iTunes on your computer if it doesn’t open automatically.

2. In iTunes, click on the Phone icon in the top left corner. This will show you the sync options for your iPhone.

3. Under Music, check “Sync Music” and select “Selected playlists, artists, albums, and genres” if you only want to transfer some of your music. Or select “Entire music library” to transfer everything.

4. Check the other media types you want to sync like movies, TV shows, audiobooks, and more. Click Apply to start syncing your selected media to your iPhone.

5. Once completed, you can safely disconnect your iPhone and your synced music will now be available in the Music app.

Syncing with iTunes will copy music from your iTunes library and Won’t delete any music already on your iPhone. This makes it easy to sync new music and media without losing your existing iPhone content. Just reconnect and sync periodically to add any of your latest iTunes music and media purchases. For more details, visit Apple’s support page on syncing with iTunes.

Using the Finder

One way to transfer music directly from your Mac to your iPhone is by using the Finder app. The Finder allows you to sync music between your Mac and iPhone when they are connected via USB cable (https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/sync-music-to-your-device-mchlbf6a1fab/mac).

To sync music using the Finder on your Mac:

  • Connect your iPhone to your Mac using the included USB cable.
  • Open the Finder app on your Mac. Your iPhone should appear in the Finder sidebar under Devices.
  • Select your iPhone in the Finder sidebar.
  • Click the Music section in the button bar that appears.
  • Select “Sync Music” and choose the music you want to transfer from your Mac to your iPhone.
  • Click “Apply” to start syncing the music.

The Finder allows you to selectively sync music between your Mac and iPhone. You can choose exactly which artists, albums, playlists or genres to transfer over (https://support.apple.com/en-us/102471). This makes it easy to manage the music collection on your iPhone.

Using iCloud Music Library

One way to transfer music directly to your iPhone is by using iCloud Music Library. This allows you to store your music library in iCloud and stream your songs to any device signed into your Apple ID. To enable iCloud Music Library on your iPhone:

  1. Open the Settings app and tap on your name at the top.
  2. Tap on iCloud.
  3. Turn on iCloud Music Library.

With iCloud Music Library enabled, you can stream any music you’ve added to your library on your Mac or PC. This includes music purchased from the iTunes Store, ripped CDs, and music downloaded from other sources (https://support.apple.com/guide/itunes/icloud-music-library-itnsa3dd5209/windows).

The songs will appear in the Music app on your iPhone as if they were downloaded directly. You can listen to them even when you don’t have an internet connection, as iCloud automatically downloads any music you listen to for offline playback.

Using Third-Party Apps

There are many third-party apps that allow you to easily transfer music files directly from a computer to an iPhone.

Some popular options include:

The main benefits of using these third-party apps are the ability to transfer music without iTunes, wireless transferring, and more control over specific files and playlists to transfer.

Using AirDrop

AirDrop provides a convenient way to transfer music directly between iOS devices without the need for a cable connection or relying on wireless internet access. AirDrop uses Bluetooth to create a peer-to-peer Wi-Fi network between devices that are close to each other. Here’s how to use AirDrop to transfer music between iPhones:

First, make sure AirDrop is enabled on both devices. Open Control Center on each iPhone and confirm AirDrop is set to “Everyone” or “Contacts Only.” Then open the Music app on the iPhone containing the songs you want to transfer. Tap the More button (three dots) next to the song, then tap Share Song. This will bring up sharing options including AirDrop.

On the receiving iPhone, open the AirDrop pane in Control Center to start receiving files. Select the sending iPhone from the list of nearby devices and accept the music file transfer request when prompted. The selected song(s) will transfer between the devices over Wi-Fi without needing an internet connection.

AirDrop provides a fast, easy way to share songs between Apple devices. Just make sure both iPhones have AirDrop enabled and are within close range. With AirDrop, you can skip connecting cables or relying on cloud services to transfer music files.[1][2]

Using Email Attachments

One way to get audio files onto your iPhone is by emailing them as attachments. Here’s how:

Attach the audio file to an email on your computer. Make sure the file type is supported by iPhone, such as .mp3, .wav, .m4a, and .aiff. Audio files can be large, so consider compressing them or using a cloud storage service if attaching multiple files.1

Send the email containing the audio file attachment to yourself. Open the email on your iPhone and tap to download the attached audio file. It will save to the Files app.

Open the Files app on your iPhone and go to On My iPhone > Downloads to find the audio file. Tap on it to play it back and confirm it downloaded properly.

You can then use the Share menu in the Files app to copy the audio file to Music or another desired location on your iPhone for easy access.

One limitation is you can’t directly add email audio attachments to your Music library. You’ll need to transfer them over using iTunes if you want them in your music collection.2

Using Cloud Storage

You can also transfer music files from your computer to your iPhone using a cloud storage service like iCloud Drive, Dropbox, Google Drive, or OneDrive. Here are the steps:

1. On your computer, upload the music files to your cloud storage service. For example, with iCloud Drive open on your Mac, simply drag and drop the music files into iCloud Drive.

2. On your iPhone, open the cloud storage app, such as the Files app for iCloud Drive. Locate the music files you uploaded from your computer.

3. Tap on the music file you want to download to your iPhone. In the file options, choose ‘Download’ to save the file to your iPhone storage. The music file will now appear in your Music app library.

4. Repeat this download process for any other music files you want to transfer from cloud storage. Just make sure there is enough free storage space on your iPhone.

The advantage of using cloud storage is you can quickly upload files from any device and access them from your iPhone. It allows wireless transfer without cables. Just note that free cloud storage services often have file size and storage limits.

Sources:
How To Move Music to iCloud Storage: 4 Workable Methods

Using the Files App

The Files app allows you to transfer and access files stored locally on your iPhone as well as files stored in cloud services like iCloud Drive, Dropbox, Google Drive, etc. You can use the Files app to transfer music files to your iPhone and then play them using the Music app.

To transfer music files via the Files app:

  1. Open the Files app and navigate to the folder or cloud service where your music files are located.
  2. Select the songs you want to transfer and tap the share icon in the top right.
  3. Choose “Save to Files” and select On My iPhone to save the music files locally on your device.
  4. Open the Music app, tap Library at the bottom, and select Files to access the music files saved locally on your iPhone.
  5. Tap the song you want to play. You can add it to your library or playlist from here as well.

The main benefit of using the Files app is convenience – you can quickly access files stored in various locations and transfer them to your iPhone for offline playback. However, there is no way to directly import files into the Music library. You have to access them through the Files section in the Music app.

Conclusion

There are several methods you can use to transfer music directly from a computer to an iPhone, without needing iTunes. The main methods covered here are:

  • Using the Finder app (for Mac users)
  • Using iCloud Music Library to sync your music across devices
  • Using third-party apps like AnyTrans, iMazing, or CopyTrans Manager
  • Using AirDrop to send music files wirelessly between devices
  • Emailing music files as attachments that can be saved on your iPhone
  • Using cloud storage services like Dropbox or Google Drive
  • Using the Files app to transfer from cloud storage or other linked storage

The easiest options are using iCloud Music Library or the Finder app if you have a Mac. Third-party apps also make it simple to manage and transfer music libraries. Overall there are several handy methods to get music onto your iPhone, no iTunes required.

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