Why is my Apple Music app taking up so much Storage?
Introducing the Issue of Apple Music’s Storage Usage
Apple Music is a popular streaming service that allows users to stream over 90 million songs and download music for offline playback. However, many users have experienced issues with Apple Music taking up significant storage space on their iOS devices.
Despite not downloading any songs manually, some users report their Apple Music app occupying multiple gigabytes of storage – sometimes over 10GB or more according to this Apple discussion thread. This is a major problem since storage capacity on iOS devices is limited.
Excessive and unclear Apple Music storage usage is a frustrating issue for many subscribers. In this article, we will dive into the various causes and solutions to help users reclaim their iOS device storage back from the Apple Music app.
How Apple Music Stores Songs
Apple Music allows users to either stream songs from the internet or download them for offline listening. When streaming, the songs are not stored locally on your device – the Apple Music app just plays the audio file directly from Apple’s servers as needed. Downloading songs saves a copy of the audio file to your device’s storage which allows you to listen offline when you don’t have an internet connection.
According to discussions.apple.com, downloaded Apple Music tracks are stored in the Music folder within your user account directory on your Mac. On iOS devices, the files are saved in a protected folder within the Apple Music app data. The app needs these local copies to play downloaded songs without needing to stream them. [1]
The main difference between streaming and downloading is that streaming does not take up permanent storage space, while downloads can quickly eat up local storage, especially for large libraries. However, downloads allow offline listening and continuous playback when no network is available. Both options have trade-offs to consider depending on your needs and device storage capacity.
In summary, Apple Music streaming plays songs remotely, while downloading saves a local copy for offline access. Downloaded songs are stored in the Music app’s data directory, protected from user access. The choice between the two depends on your need for offline listening versus storage space.
Cached Songs
One source of high Apple Music storage usage on iOS devices is cached songs. When you stream a song through the Apple Music app, it temporarily downloads or “caches” a copy of that song on your device. This allows for quicker access if you want to play the song again (Source).
The Apple Music app is supposed to automatically delete these cached song files when storage space runs low. However, sometimes the app fails to clear the cache properly, causing cached songs to build up and eat up storage over time (Source).
To clear the Apple Music cache and free up space, go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage on your iOS device. Under Audio, check the size of the Music app data. Tap the Music app and then tap “Offload App” to delete the cache. You can then redownload the Music app to start fresh. This process won’t delete any music you own or have downloaded for offline playback.
Downloaded Playlists and Albums
When you download playlists and albums for offline listening in the Apple Music app, it can significantly increase the storage used. Apple Music will download high-quality audio files for each song in the playlist or album, which take up a large amount of space compared to streaming songs. For example, one album may use 500MB or more of storage when downloaded for offline listening.
To reduce the storage used by downloads in Apple Music, go to Settings > Music > Downloads and turn on “Optimize Storage.” This will automatically remove downloaded music you haven’t listened to in a while. You can also manually delete downloads by swiping left on a playlist or album and tapping “Delete Download.” Downloading fewer playlists and albums you regularly listen to can prevent Apple Music from occupying gigabytes of storage.
Additionally, you can go to Settings > Music > Audio Quality and select a lower quality such as High Efficiency instead of Lossless to use less data per song download. However, this will reduce audio quality. Using Wi-Fi instead of cellular data to download playlists and albums will also help minimize mobile data usage.
Large Libraries
One of the biggest culprits for Apple Music’s high storage usage is having an exceptionally large library. The more songs and downloads in your Apple Music library, the more storage space they will consume. With Spotify or other streaming services, you don’t need to download songs as they stream directly when played. But Apple Music allows you to download your playlist, albums, and other content. If you’ve been an Apple Music subscriber for years and have amassed a massive collection of downloads, it’s no surprise your storage keeps filling up.
To prevent your large Apple Music library from hogging storage, consider the following options:
- Delete downloads you no longer listen to regularly. Go through your library and remove albums and playlists you no longer need downloaded locally.
- Switch to streaming. If you have fast internet access, consider turning off the Auto-Download option and stream your library instead.
- Set a download limit. You can set a max number of downloads in Settings so your device won’t go overboard.
- Use Spotify or other music services. Their streaming-focused approach means less local downloads.
- Backup and reset your library. Wipe all downloaded Apple Music content from your device and selectively re-download.
While convenient, having a massive, downloaded Apple Music library comes at the cost of increased storage strain on your device. Being selective and intentional about your downloads can help lighten the load.
Song Formats
Apple Music offers songs in different quality formats which use varying amounts of storage space. The highest quality Lossless and Hi-Res Lossless formats use significantly more storage than lower quality compressed formats like AAC or MP3. For example, a 3-minute song could take up 30-40MB in Lossless compared to just a few MB as AAC.
To save storage space on your device, enable the “High Quality Streaming” option under Settings > Music > Audio Quality. This will stream songs in an efficient AAC format instead of Lossless while still providing excellent audio quality. Downloading playlists or albums in Lossless will quickly use up available storage, so use High Quality when possible.
Converting existing Lossless songs to AAC or MP3 can also reclaim a significant amount of storage. This can be done by offloading the music from your device and then re-downloading it in a smaller format.
Using lower quality audio formats is an effective way to reduce the storage footprint of Apple Music while still enjoying millions of songs on your device.
iOS Device Storage
One factor that can make Apple Music’s storage usage more problematic is the limited capacity of iOS devices like iPhones and iPads. For example, even the base model iPhone 14 comes with only 128GB of storage. With the operating system, apps, photos, videos, and other files, storage can quickly fill up.
Having a large Apple Music library synced to an iPhone or iPad with limited available storage can lead to issues like poor performance, inability to update apps or take pictures/video, and various error messages. Apple even warns that iOS devices need at least 10% free space to function properly.
To prevent Apple Music from consuming too much precious device storage, users can disable auto-downloads for new music added to playlists and libraries. Storing fewer songs locally and instead relying on streaming over WiFi or cellular data is an option. Users may also consider upgrading to a model with more built-in storage or adding iCloud storage for backups and synced files.
Citing https://discussions.apple.com/thread/254521741
Corrupt Files
Corrupt or damaged files in your Apple Music library can take up significant storage space on your device. This often happens if there was an issue downloading the song, syncing to your device, or if the file itself has become damaged over time. You may notice corrupt songs skipping, pausing unexpectedly, or not playing at all.
To identify corrupt files, go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage (or iPad Storage) and review large files under Music. Songs that show an unexpectedly large size may be corrupted. You can also try playing songs in your library – any that skip, pause, or won’t play are likely corrupted.
To delete corrupt files, find the song(s) in your library and delete them. Then go to the Apple Music catalog and download the song(s) again. This will replace the corrupt file with a fresh copy. You may need to repeat this process if the new downloads become corrupt over time. Restarting your device and checking for iOS updates can also help resolve software issues causing corrupt downloads.
As a preventative measure, periodically check your storage for overly large music files and delete any that seem corrupted. Avoid interrupted downloads and disconnecting from the internet mid-transfer. Limit syncing entire Apple Music libraries and instead selectively download albums or playlists you’re currently listening to. This reduces potential for widespread corrupt downloads. Keeping your OS and Apple Music app up-to-date can also help minimize corruption issues.
Unused Apple Music Data
Even if you haven’t downloaded any songs to your device, Apple Music can take up storage space with artwork, metadata, and other data associated with your library and listening activity. This unused data can build up over time as you stream music and engage with the app.
Some ways to clear out this unused Apple Music data and free up storage space include:
- Turn off “Show Apple Music” in Settings to remove artwork and metadata temporarily.
- Delete and reinstall the Apple Music app, which clears unused cache and data.
- Back up your device to iCloud or iTunes and then restore to remove corrupted files.
- Log out of iCloud Music Library on your device, then log back in to resync your library.
Regularly checking your device’s storage breakdown and clearing unused Apple Music data can help maximize available storage.
Preventing High Storage Use
There are several ways to prevent Apple Music from taking up too much storage on your device. The key is to optimize your settings and closely manage your downloads.
First, make sure to enable the Optimize Storage setting in the Music app. This will automatically delete songs you haven’t played recently when space is needed. You can find this under Settings > Music > Optimize Storage. See this guide for details.
Also, be selective about downloading full albums and playlists for offline listening. It’s better to cherry pick individual songs you want available offline. Downloaded songs and albums can be managed under Library > Downloads.
Check your device storage regularly and delete any cached or offline content you no longer need. The Music app Documents & Data section can use substantial space with cached and offline files.
Finally, if you have a large Apple Music library synced across devices, upgrading to a model with more storage may be worth considering. 256GB or higher capacity models reduce the need for meticulous storage optimization.