Where are the Apple Music files stored?

ByJael Lawler

Apple Music is Apple’s music streaming service that gives users access to over 90 million songs. When using Apple Music, users can choose to either stream music or download it for offline listening. Downloaded Apple Music files are stored locally on each device.

In this article, we’ll take a deeper look at exactly where the Apple Music files are stored when you download music on an iPhone, iPad, Mac, PC or Android device. We’ll examine how iCloud Music Library factors into file storage, go over some tips for managing your storage, and troubleshoot common issues that can occur. Whether you’re looking to save space on your devices or want to know where to access your downloaded Apple Music files, this guide will provide the key details you need.

iCloud Music Library

iCloud Music Library is Apple’s cloud storage service that allows you to access your Apple Music files across all your devices. It works seamlessly with the Apple Music subscription service. When you enable iCloud Music Library, it uploads your music library (including songs purchased from iTunes as well as your own ripped CDs) to iCloud, enabling you to access your music from any device where you are signed into your Apple ID. This includes access on iOS devices (iPhone, iPad), Mac computers, Windows PCs, and even Android devices.

When you add a song to your library on one device, it is automatically uploaded and available on your other devices. iCloud Music Library matches your uploaded songs to songs already in the Apple Music catalog. This allows you to access high quality versions of the songs you own without using storage space on your devices. Any music you purchase or subscribe to through the Apple Music service is automatically made available in iCloud Music Library.

“iCloud Music Library stores all your Apple Music files in the cloud, including any songs you’ve added from your personal collection. This allows you to stream or download your Apple Music content on any device signed into your Apple ID.” (Source: https://support.apple.com/guide/itunes/icloud-music-library-itnsa3dd5209/windows)

On iPhone/iPad

Apple Music files downloaded on an iPhone or iPad are stored locally on the device. The amount of storage available depends on your Apple Music subscription level. With an individual subscription, you can download up to 100,000 songs. The files are stored within the Apple Music app’s sandboxed storage, meaning they are isolated from the rest of the iOS filesystem.

To manage the storage used by Apple Music downloads on your iOS device, go to Settings > General > iPhone/iPad Storage. Tap on Apple Music to see how much space is being used. You can offload unused downloads from this screen. The Apple Music app also has a Downloads section where you can view and delete saved music.

According to Apple Support discussions (https://discussions.apple.com/thread/254335620), iTunes Match subscribers are limited to downloading 256Kbps AAC files, taking up about 5MB per song. Apple Music Individual subscribers can download 256Kbps AAC files or 16-bit/44.1 kHz Lossless files at about 10MB per song.

On Mac

When you add songs to your iCloud Music Library on a Mac, the files are stored locally on your Mac’s hard drive. The Music app saves these files in your Mac’s Music folder, which is usually located in your Home folder > Music (1).

The amount of storage used will depend on whether you have enabled lossless audio and downloaded high-resolution album artwork. You can optimize storage on your Mac by turning off these features in the Music app preferences. This will remove the lossless audio files and replace high-res artwork with smaller thumbnails (2).

Additionally, you can have the Music app automatically delete downloads to manage storage. Go to Preferences > Downloads and check “Delete downloads after listening.” This will remove an album or playlist download after you finish listening to it (3).

So in summary, the Apple Music files are stored locally on your Mac’s drive, but you have options to manage the size of the Music folder based on your preferences for audio quality and downloading.

Sources:
(1) https://discussions.apple.com/thread/254602547
(2) https://www.idownloadblog.com/2023/01/18/how-to-find-mac-folder-where-music-app-saves-song-files/
(3) https://discussions.apple.com/thread/254335620

On PC

When you download music from Apple Music on a Windows PC, the files are stored locally through the iTunes app. iTunes organizes and syncs your music library between your PC, iPhone, iPad and other devices.

To save storage space on your PC, you can adjust your iTunes preferences to control where the files are stored. By default, iTunes stores downloaded music in the iTunes Media folder, typically located at:

C:\Users\ [username] \Music\iTunes\iTunes Media\

You can change this location in iTunes by going to Edit > Preferences > Advanced and selecting a new folder location under “iTunes Media folder location”.

Another option is to sync your iTunes library to iCloud Music Library. This uploads your music to iCloud and allows you to stream your library without taking up storage space on your PC. To enable this, go to Edit > Preferences > Store and check “Sync Library” under iCloud. Use iCloud Music Library on PC

When your iPhone or iPad is connected to the same iTunes app, any music downloads or purchases made on those devices will be automatically synced to your PC’s library. You can also manually transfer music files from your iOS devices via the File Sharing section in iTunes.

On Android

When using the Apple Music app on Android, the files are stored in internal device storage within the app’s data folder (source). The location is typically:

Internal Storage\Android\data\com.apple.android.music\files\Media

However, Android users have limited offline storage for downloads compared to iOS devices. The maximum storage amount allowed for offline downloads is 10GB (source). If you reach this limit, you’ll need to manually delete downloads to free up space for new ones.

So while Apple Music downloads are stored locally on your Android device, you may need to manage your storage by removing some downloads – especially for large files like videos. The key advantage of the service is streaming access to the full Apple Music catalog.

Streaming vs Downloading

When you stream music on Apple Music, you listen to songs directly over the internet without downloading them to your device’s storage. With downloading, the songs are saved to your device’s storage so you can listen offline.

According to Apple Discussions, streaming songs does not impact your device’s storage since the songs are not downloaded locally (see: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/253579017). Downloading obviously takes up storage space on your device. The amount of space needed depends on the number and length of songs downloaded.

Both streaming and downloading offer the same audio quality. As noted on Apple Discussions, there is no difference in quality between streaming a song versus listening to the downloaded version (see: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/252595997).

The main tradeoff is that downloading lets you listen offline when you don’t have an internet connection. Streaming requires an internet connection. For users who want offline listening or have limited data, downloading may be preferable despite taking up storage space.

Storage Management

Apple Music allows you to download songs, albums, and playlists for offline listening. However, these downloads can quickly eat up storage space on your device. Here are some tips for managing storage with Apple Music:

To limit how much space Apple Music takes up, go to Settings > Music > Downloads and turn on ‘Optimize Storage’. This will automatically remove downloads after you’ve listened to them a few times, while still keeping them available in your library [1].

You can also manually delete downloads in the Apple Music app. Go to Library > Downloaded to see everything you’ve downloaded. Tap ‘Edit’ and select the songs, albums or playlists you want to remove from your device. This deletes the downloads but keeps them available for streaming [2].

On an iPhone or iPad, you can offload unused apps to free up space taken up by Apple Music downloads. Go to Settings > General > iPhone/iPad Storage to see which apps you rarely use that can be offloaded.

For even more control, you can disable iCloud Music Library entirely and just use Apple Music for streaming. Go to Settings > Music and toggle off iCloud Music Library. This prevents automatic downloads and deletions by Apple Music.

Troubleshooting Tips

Here are some common problems users encounter with Apple Music files and how to fix them:

Music Files Not Showing Up

If some or all of your Apple Music files seem to be missing from your device, you can try the following:

  • Check to see if iCloud Music Library is enabled on your device. If not, enable it to allow access to your library from all devices (Source)

  • Try updating your music library within Apple Music or iTunes by going to File > Library > Update Library (Source)

  • If you have an external storage device where your music files are stored, check to make sure it’s properly connected

Recovering Deleted Music

If you have accidentally deleted songs or albums from your Apple Music library, try the following:

  • Check your Recently Deleted playlist – deleted songs could still be there for up to 30 days (Source)

  • If the files were stored offline, reconnect the device or external drive where the files were saved to restore access

  • You can restore deleted playlists, but not individual downloaded songs. You’ll need to re-download them.

Summary

To recap, Apple Music files can be stored in different places depending on your device and preferences:

  • On iPhone or iPad, songs you stream are not stored locally, while songs you download for offline playback are stored in the Apple Music app.
  • On Mac, all songs are stored in your local Apple Music library in the Music app by default.
  • On Windows PC, downloaded Apple Music files are stored in iTunes in the “My Music” or “Recently Added” folders.
  • On Android devices, Apple Music files are stored within the Apple Music app.

You have options like iCloud Music Library and song downloads if you want to store songs for offline access instead of just streaming them. Use the Apple Music app settings on each device to control where music is saved and how much local device storage is used.

For more details and troubleshooting, see Apple’s support articles linked below.

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