You can make a difference in the Apple Support Community!

When you sign up with your Apple Account, you can provide valuable feedback to other community members by upvoting helpful replies and User Tips.

Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

User profile for user: CazCDC
CazCDC Author
User level: Level 1
9 points

Cancelled Apple Music subscription

OK, so there are many here who seem to have had this problem.


I had in my library my music from years back (I-tunes days - when I moved a lot of my music across my CDs, downloads from sources other than Apple Music etc)

On cancelling the Apple Music subscription - all the music goes, except a few recent purchases.

I can understand losing music that I downloaded during my Apple Music membership days - but how can Apple take the music that belonged to me.

Does it exist anywhere else? I understand Apple Music was maybe hosting my music, but how can it all be taken away ?


So far I have had to subscribe again to Apple Music, it looks like the music has come back, although not on my iPhone yet.


Please explain step by step what I need to do next to make sure if I cancel my Apple subscription I don't lose what belongs to me,

thank you

Posted on Jun 12, 2021 10:56 PM

Reply
Question marked as Top-ranking reply
User profile for user: Limnos
Limnos
User level: Level 10
418,777 points

Posted on Jun 13, 2021 5:04 AM

If you use Apple Music you have the option to have your music stored in iCloud. If you have a track from a CD and Apple has that same track in the Apple Music library, Apple will tell the Music player to use Apple's copy. When your subscription ends, access to Apple's collection ends too. So if your track has a cloud next to it and it was referencing Apple's copy, you won't be able to use it. In reality your copy isn't on your device, it was Apple's copy.


If you use Apple Music I highly recommend that you keep a backup of all your personal source music on a separate backup drive. The syncing service is very useful but for many it is complicated to understand what is going on and it is easy to make mistakes, particularly if one discontinues using the service.

View in context

Similar questions

2 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply
User profile for user: Limnos
Limnos
User level: Level 10
418,777 points

Jun 13, 2021 5:04 AM in response to CazCDC

If you use Apple Music you have the option to have your music stored in iCloud. If you have a track from a CD and Apple has that same track in the Apple Music library, Apple will tell the Music player to use Apple's copy. When your subscription ends, access to Apple's collection ends too. So if your track has a cloud next to it and it was referencing Apple's copy, you won't be able to use it. In reality your copy isn't on your device, it was Apple's copy.


If you use Apple Music I highly recommend that you keep a backup of all your personal source music on a separate backup drive. The syncing service is very useful but for many it is complicated to understand what is going on and it is easy to make mistakes, particularly if one discontinues using the service.

Reply

Cancelled Apple Music subscription

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.
Learn more Sign up