How to Automatically Download Apple Music (Step-by-Step)

Part 1. How to Enable Automatic Downloads on Apple Music

Automatic Downloads is easy to find and enable on supported devices like iPhone or iPad, but it's worth thinking about your music selections first. Take a moment to choose whether to add music from Apple Music or purchase music from the iTunes Store. While Automatic Downloads is helpful if you add music often and want it ready right away, it can take up a lot of storage. Start with small selections to keep downloads organized and save space.

To Add Music to Download Automatically:

On iPhone or iPad

1. From your home screen, open the Settings app.
2. Go to Apps > Music.
3. Under Downloads, toggle Automatic Downloads on.
4. Select and add music for automatic downloading via two options:

• Option 1: Add Music from Apple Music

  

  1. Open the Music app on your iPhone or iPad.
  2. Browse or search for the song, album, or playlist you want.
  3. Tap the ellipsis (···) icon next to the item.
  4. Select Add to Library.
  5. If Automatic Downloads is enabled, the music will start downloading automatically.
  6. Once downloaded, go to Library > Downloaded, and the music will show under your Recently Downloaded section.

• Option 2: Purchase Music from the iTunes Store

  1. Open the iTunes Store app on your iPhone or iPad.
  2. Browse or search for the song, album, or playlist you want to purchase.
  3. Tap the price button and confirm the purchase with your Apple ID or Face/Touch ID.
  4. After purchase, the item will add and download to your Library in the Music app.

On Mac / Windows 11 (Apple Music app)

1. Open the Apple Music app on your Mac or PC.
2. From the top menu, go to Music > Settings (or Preferences on older macOS versions).
3. In the General tab, check Automatic Downloads.
4. Browse or search for the music you want, then click Add to Library.
5. If Automatic Downloads is enabled, the content will download automatically and appear in your Downloaded section.

On Windows (iTunes Store purchases only)

iTunes does not have a dedicated Automatic Downloads option for music. However, you can purchase music from the iTunes Store and sync it across devices. Any newly purchased music will automatically download to your other devices if Automatic Downloads is enabled there.

1. Open iTunes on your Windows PC.
2. From the top menu, go to Edit > Preferences.
3. Click the General tab and check iCloud Music Library. This allows your iTunes purchases to sync automatically to devices that support Automatic Downloads.
4. Go to the iTunes Store and purchase the song, album, or playlist you want.

Part 2. How to Disable Automatic Downloads on Apple Music

If you want to keep previous downloads but stop new ones from downloading automatically, you can turn off Automatic Downloads anytime. With the feature off, new music you add to your library won't download automatically. Already downloaded songs will stay on your device and work offline unless you delete them.

To Turn Off Automatic Downloads:

On iPhone or iPad

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Go to Apps > Music.
3. Under Downloads, toggle Automatic Downloads off.

On Mac

1. Open the Apple Music app.
2. Go to Music > Settings (or Preferences on older macOS versions).
3. In the General tab, uncheck Automatic Downloads.

Part 3. How to Manage Automatic Downloads on Apple Music

Managing downloads is important to save space and keep your music library tidy. On iPhone or iPad, you can use Optimize Storage to remove songs you listen to less often. You can also delete downloads manually in the Music app or in Settings. Regular management helps your device run smoothly and keeps the music you want easy to access.

Option1: Optimize Storage to Automatically Remove Less-Played Music

On iPhone or iPad

1. Open the Settings app and tap Music.
2. Tap Optimize Storage.
3. Toggle Optimize Storage on.
4. Choose a minimum storage amount for music (e.g., 4 GB, 8 GB).
5. Apple Music will automatically remove downloaded songs you listen to less often when your device is low on space, keeping your library streamlined without affecting your library in the cloud.

Option2: Remove Downloaded Music Directly in the Music App

On iPhone or iPad

1. Open the Music app.
2. Go to your Library and select Downloaded to see all music stored on your device.
3. Select the downloaded item you want to remove.
4. Tap the ellipsis (···) icon and choose Remove Download.

On Mac

1. Open the Apple Music app.
2. Go to the Library and select Downloaded from the sidebar.
3. Right-click any downloaded item you want to remove and select Delete from Library.

Option3: Remove Downloaded Music in Settings

On iPhone or iPad

1. Open the Settings app and go to Music.
2. Under Downloads, tap Downloaded Music to see how much space your music takes.
3. Swipe left on a song and tap Delete to remove it from your device. This removes the downloaded file, but the music stays in your library if it's part of Apple Music or an iTunes purchase.

Part 4. Best Alternative Feature for Automatically Downloading Apple Music

Pinned playlists are a smart way to download music selectively. On iPhone or iPad, pin a playlist to the top of your Library and turn on Download Pins in settings. The pinned playlist will download automatically, so your favorite playlists are always ready offline. This method is great if you don't want everything in your library downloaded, but only your favorite music.

To Add Pins to Download Automatically:

On iPhone or iPad

1. Open the Apple Music app on your iPhone or iPad.
2. If the playlist you want isn't in your Library yet, go to Home or Search, open the playlist, and tap + Add to save it.
3. Go to Library > Playlists and locate the playlist you just added.
4. Touch and hold the playlist, or open it and tap the More (…) button to access options.
5. From the menu, select Pin Playlist to pin it to the top of your Library.
6. Once pinned, you can find the playlist under the Pin section.
7. Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
8. Scroll down and tap Music.
9. Under Downloads, toggle Download Pins on.
10. Any pinned playlist will now download automatically to your device. You can turn this off anytime to stop automatic downloads.

Part 5. Best Tool to Download Your Entire Apple Music Library at Once

If you want all your Apple Music tracks offline, a dedicated downloader works best. Tools like ViWizard Apple Music Converter let you save songs, albums, playlists, podcasts, or audiobooks from Apple Music to your computer. You can pick formats like MP3, M4A, M4B, FLAC, AIFF, or WAV, and the software preserves lossless audio and original metadata. This lets you back up your library, move music to other devices, or manage a large collection outside Apple Music. Once downloaded, your music is fully offline and ready to play anywhere.

On Windows or Mac

1. Download and install a trusted Apple Music converter on your Windows or Mac computer.
2. Open the software and log in with your Apple Music account.
3. Select the songs, albums, or playlists you want to download, then click the + button to add them to the conversion list.
4. Go to Settings > Preferences > Output Format and choose a format such as MP3 or FLAC.
5. Customize options like destination folder or file naming if needed.
6. Click Convert to start removing DRM and converting the files.
7. Wait for the conversion to finish. Open the output folder to access your converted music, which can now be used offline on any device.

Key Features of ViWizard Apple Music Converter

Free Trial Free Trial

* Security verified. 5, 481,347 people have downloaded it.

• Convert Apple Music songs, albums, playlists, and artists into MP3 for easy access
• Preserve lossless audio, high-resolution lossless, and Dolby Atmos quality
• Strip DRM from Apple Music for unrestricted offline listening
• Save converted audio files while retaining full ID3 tag details