Apple has long added SD card support with an update for its Android app. Being able to move your Apple Music library to external storage is an easy way to free up space on your device. Depending on the size of the SD card your Android supports, you could store most of your music library on it. This not only keeps your favorite songs accessible but also helps reduce streaming, saving data and improving overall device performance.
Moving Apple Music to an SD card is easy, but the best method depends on how you want to use it.
If you just want to give your downloads a new home while keeping them playable on your device, the built-in SD card option works well. But if your goal is to use the SD card as a backup or make your Apple Music downloads transferable to any device, the built-in feature isn't enough. In that case, a tool like ViWizard Apple Music Converter can help by converting your tracks into standard formats like MP3 for true portability.
Keep Apple Music songs forever by saving them in formats like MP3 to play anywhere.
Part 1. How to Download Apple Music Directly to an SD Card
If you're an Android user running low on internal storage, here's how to set an SD card as the download location for Apple Music instead of using your device's internal storage. You can change the download location anytime if you want to move music back to your device storage or SD card.
Update Apple Music in the Play Store.
Open Apple Music, slide out the menu, and tap Settings.
Just below the Download on Wi-Fi toggle, tap Download Location.
Select SD Card from the list of options.
Note: If you don't see this option, your device may not support expandable storage. In that case, storing Apple Music on an SD card won't be possible.
Accept the prompt when asked if you want to move all your current downloads, along with any future Apple Music, to the SD card.
Part 2. How to Move Existing Apple Music Downloads to an SD Card
If you've already downloaded songs in Apple Music before setting up an SD card, those existing downloads will stay on your device's internal storage. You can't move them manually and expect them to work because Apple Music uses DRM protection - these songs can only be played inside the Apple Music app.
Open Apple Music, slide out the menu, and tap Settings.
Tap Download Location under the Download on Wi-Fi toggle.
You'll see your existing downloads are still on Device Storage.
Go to Library > Downloaded, select the songs or albums you want to remove, and tap Remove Downloads.
Return to Download Location, select SD Card, and accept the prompt. Go back to your Library and redownload your music; all new downloads will now save to the SD card.
Part 3. How to Convert Apple Music to MP3 for SD Card Storage
If you want to move and save your favorite Apple Music tracks to an SD card, you can use ViWizard Apple Music Converter. It not only removes the complicated DRM but also converts and downloads Apple Music in flexible formats like MP3, M4A, FLAC, and more. Instead of being tied to a single device or app, your MP3 files can move freely across devices with an SD card. What once required time and effort can now be done in just a few clicks.
ViWizard Apple Music Converter is a dedicated desktop tool that streamlines the process for individual tracks or your entire music library. You select the songs to convert, choose the output format, organize files into folders as you like, and save everything directly to your SD card. Once the conversion is complete, all your Apple Music tracks are ready to play as local files.
Key Features of ViWizard Apple Music Converter
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- 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
Open ViWizard Apple Music Converter on your computer.
Sign in to your Apple Music account using the built-in web player.
Go to Settings > Conversions > Output format and choose MP3 as the output format. Adjust audio output and metadata options if desired.
Browse your library, select songs, albums, or playlists, and click the + button to add them.
Click Convert to save your tracks as MP3 files, ready to move to your SD card.
Part 4. How to Transfer Converted Apple Music Files to an SD Card
If you want to use your SD card on a new Android device, you can easily keep all your Apple Music files accessible as local music. Since your songs are already in a common format like MP3, they can be played on any device with a media player.
Insert your SD card into your computer's internal card reader or use an external adapter.
Open File Explorer on Windows or Finder on Mac.
Locate your converted Apple Music files.
Select the songs or albums, right-click and choose Copy, then open the SD card and Paste the files.
Right-click and select Eject on Windows, or drag the icon to the Trash/Eject on Mac.
Part 5. How to Use an SD Card with Apple Music on a New Device
After transferring your Apple Music files, you can use the SD card on a new Android device to keep your music fully accessible. Since the songs are in MP3 format, they will work on any media player.
Insert the SD card into your Android device using the slot or an external adapter.
Open any media player app on your device.
Navigate to the SD card storage and locate your Apple Music MP3 files.
Scan or add the SD card as a music folder in your media player.
Create playlists or folders if desired; your music is now portable and playable without the Apple Music app.
Conclusion
For Android users, the 2 methods to move Apple Music to SD card introduced above are available to use. For iOS users, you need to convert Apple Music to common formats such as MP3. After the conversion, you are allowed to play Apple Music anywhere you prefer, no matter which player or device it is. So the second method is a preferable one for both iOS and Android users. ViWizard Apple Music Converter is a brilliant tool that is worth its price. Just download the free trial version and have a try now.
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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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