Apple Music works on iPhone and Android phones, giving you access to millions of songs, playlists, and albums through the Apple Music app. With an Apple Music subscription, you can download songs, albums, and playlists for offline playback without an internet connection.
You can also save Apple Music as local audio files for more control over how your music is stored and played. This guide covers downloading Apple Music for offline listening, saving songs as local audio files, transferring them to your iPhone or Android phone, and managing your downloads.
For local audio files such as MP3 files, ViWizard Apple Music Converter can save Apple Music songs as regular audio files on a computer, which you can then transfer to your phone for local playback.
Part 1. Can You Save Apple Music to Your Phone?
Yes. Apple Music lets subscribers download music to an iPhone or Android phone for offline listening in the Apple Music app. Apple says its catalog is "available to download for offline listening." In the Apple Music app, find the song, album, or playlist, add it to your library if needed, and select Download. On iPhone, Settings > Apps > Music > Automatic Downloads can also automatically download music added to your library.
Apple Music downloads use phone storage, but they are not stored as regular MP3 or WAV files. Instead, they remain managed as offline content in the Apple Music app. If you need Apple Music songs as local audio files that you can manage and transfer, you need a conversion method such as ViWizard Apple Music Converter.
Need Apple Music in more flexible audio formats? ViWizard Apple Music Converter helps Apple Music subscribers create a personal music library with seamless music backup. Build your collection and keep your music beyond the Apple Music app.
Part 2. How to Download Music from Apple Music to Your Phone
With an active Apple Music subscription, you can download songs, albums, and playlists to your iPhone or Android phone for offline listening in the Apple Music app. The basic process is the same on both platforms: find the music, add it to your library if needed, and select Download.
01 How to Download Apple Music on iPhone
01Open the Apple Music app.
02Tap Search and find the song, album, or playlist you want.
03Open the item and tap Add or Add to Library if needed.
04Tap the Download button to save it for offline listening.
05Go to Library > Downloaded to view your downloaded music.
06To automatically download music added to your library, go to Settings > Apps > Music and turn on Automatic Downloads.
02 How to Download Apple Music on Android
On Android, find downloaded music from the Library tab in the Apple Music app. The available controls may vary slightly by app version, but you can add music to your library and select Download for offline listening.
01Open Apple Music and tap Search.
02Find the song, album, or playlist you want to save.
03Open the item and add it to your library if necessary.
04Select Download to make it available for offline listening.
05Return to the Library tab to access your downloaded music.
Part 3. How to Save Apple Music as Local Audio Files (ViWizard Apple Music Converter)
If you need Apple Music songs as regular audio files, ViWizard Apple Music Converter is a desktop application for Windows and Mac that converts and downloads Apple Music for local use. Through its built-in Apple Music Web Player, you can select songs, albums, playlists, or artists, choose an output format such as MP3, WAV, FLAC, AIFF, M4A, or M4B, and start the conversion. The resulting files are saved to a local folder on your computer with metadata and album art for management or transfer. You can then transfer the saved files to an iPhone or Android phone for local playback.
Key Features of ViWizard Apple Music Converter
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- Convert Apple Music songs, playlists, albums, and artists
- Export Apple Music in 6 formats for different devices and players
- Preserve metadata and lyrics when creating music collections
- Organize converted music by artist and album
- Batch download large Apple Music collections
Step 1: Download and Install ViWizard Apple Music Converter
Start by visiting the ViWizard website and downloading ViWizard Apple Music Converter for your computer. It works on both Windows and Mac. Once installed, launch the application and sign in with your Apple Music account. This gives you access to your Apple Music library, including playlists and albums, so you can download selected music as local audio files on your computer.
Step 2: Select MP3, WAV, or FLAC as the Output Format
Choose the format you want to use for the local audio files. You can select MP3, WAV, or FLAC depending on how you plan to use the files on your phone. Click the gear icon in the top-right corner to open the settings, where you can adjust options such as the sample rate, bit rate, and channel settings. When you're finished, click OK to confirm.
Step 3: Choose the Apple Music Songs to Download
Browse your Apple Music library and select the songs, albums, or playlists you want to save to your phone. Click the "+" button to add your selections, then click "Add to Conversion List" to queue them. When you're ready, click "Convert" to download the selected Apple Music content as MP3, WAV, or FLAC files to your computer.
Step 4: Access Your Downloaded Apple Music Files
When the conversion is complete, click the "History" button to view the downloaded files. Click the folder icon next to a file to open its location on your computer. The downloaded MP3, WAV, or FLAC files are now stored locally and ready to be transferred to your iPhone or Android phone for offline playback.
Part 4. How to Transfer Local Apple Music Files to Your Phone
If you created local audio files with ViWizard Apple Music Converter in Part 3, you can transfer them from your computer to your phone for local playback. The method depends on your device and computer.
4.1 How to Transfer Local Apple Music Files to iPhone
For iPhone, you can sync music through iTunes on Windows or use Finder and the Music section on Mac.
Option 1: Transfer Using Apple Devices on Windows
Add the files to your iTunes library, connect your iPhone, and use the device settings to sync the selected music.
01Open the Apple Devices app on your Windows PC.
02Connect your iPhone and select it from the sidebar.
03Click Music.
04Turn on Sync music onto [iPhone name].
05Choose Entire music library or select specific artists, albums, genres, and playlists.
06Click Apply to sync the selected music to your iPhone.
Option 2: Transfer Using Finder on Mac
Connect your iPhone, open Finder, select your device, and use Music to sync local audio files to your iPhone.
01Connect your iPhone to your Mac and open Finder.
01Select your iPhone from the sidebar.
01Click Music in the button bar.
01Turn on Sync music onto [iPhone name].
01Choose Entire music library or select specific artists, albums, genres, and playlists.
01Click Apply to start syncing the music to your iPhone.
01Wait for the sync to finish before disconnecting your iPhone.
4.2 How to Transfer Local Apple Music Files to Android
For Android, you can transfer the files directly from Windows or use Android File Transfer on Mac.
Option 1: Transfer Directly on Windows
Connect the Android phone by USB and copy the files to a suitable folder.
01Connect your Android phone to your Windows PC with a USB cable.
02Unlock the phone and tap the Charging this device via USB notification.
03Select File Transfer under Use USB for.
04Open the phone's storage in Windows.
05Create or open a suitable music folder.
06Drag the local audio files into the folder and wait for the transfer to finish.
07Disconnect the phone when the files are copied.
Option 2: Transfer Using Android File Transfer on Mac
Use Android File Transfer to access the phone's storage and copy the files over. You can then manage the files with a compatible music or file management app.
01Open Android File Transfer on your Mac.
02Connect your Android phone with a USB cable and unlock it.
03Tap the Charging this device via USB notification on the phone.
04Choose File Transfer under Use USB for.
05Browse the phone's storage in Android File Transfer.
06Drag the converted audio files into the folder where you want to keep them.
07Close the transfer window and disconnect the phone.
Part 5. How to Manage Downloaded Apple Music on Your Phone
You can check downloaded music, review download settings, manage storage, remove downloads, and download music again when needed.
5.1 How to Check Downloaded Apple Music on Your Phone
After downloading music, you can check which songs, albums, or playlists are saved on your phone for offline listening. Open Apple Music > Library and look for the Downloaded section or filter. This shows which music is currently available offline.
5.2 How to Check Apple Music Download Settings
You can check Apple Music settings to control how music is downloaded. On iPhone, go to Settings > Apps > Music and look for options such as Automatic Downloads, which can automatically download music added to your library. Available settings and their locations may vary by device and app version.
5.3 How Much Storage Do Apple Music Downloads Use?
Downloaded Apple Music is saved on your phone and takes up storage space. The amount depends on how much music you download and the selected download quality. If your phone is running low on storage, check your downloads and settings to remove music you no longer need or limit automatic downloads.
5.4 How to Remove Downloaded Apple Music from Your Phone
To free up storage, select Remove Download for a downloaded song, album, or playlist. This removes the downloaded copy from your phone but keeps the music in your library, so you can stream or download it again later.
5.5 How to Redownload Apple Music to Your Phone
If you remove a download and later need it offline, find the music in Library and select Download again. Apple Music saves a new offline copy to your phone, which uses storage again.
Part 6. Final Thoughts
Apple Music lets subscribers download songs, albums, and playlists to their iPhone or Android phone for offline listening within the Apple Music app. These downloads are managed by Apple Music and are not saved as regular audio files.
If you need Apple Music songs as local audio files on your phone, ViWizard Apple Music Converter provides another option. It converts and saves music in common formats such as MP3, WAV, FLAC, AIFF, M4A, and M4B, which you can then transfer to your iPhone or Android phone for local playback. Apple Music downloads are suitable for offline listening in the app, while local audio files are more suitable when you need to manage or transfer music outside Apple Music. Try ViWizard Apple Music Converter today!
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Adam Gorden, the digital media specialist at ViWizard, is dedicated to providing the best solutions for digital media management, including audio and video conversion, file optimization, and media workflow enhancements.
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