Not long ago, I was flipping through Apple Music, looking for some new tracks to freshen up my playlists. Pretty soon, I started seeing a little "E" next to a lot of songs. At first, I thought something was wrong with my settings — but nope, that's just how Apple Music shows explicit content. It means explicit content is enabled, and no filters are in place to block it yet.
The "E" means the song might have strong language or adult themes. If you've ever had a song drop some unexpected words during a family gathering or a drive with kids, you know why some people might want to block it.
Luckily, Apple Music makes it really easy to control what you hear. You can change your settings in just a few taps. Here's a quick guide to how explicit content works on Apple Music — and how to manage it across all your devices.

This post introduces what Apple Music family sharing is, and how to set up Apple Music family sharing on Mac, iOS and Android, as well as the solutions to fix Apple Music family sharing problems.
Part 1. How to Find Explicit Content on Apple Music

So, what exactly does "explicit content" mean on Apple Music? In simple terms, it's music with strong language or adult themes that might not be suitable for everyone — like kids. For parents, this can be a concern if their children are using Apple Music to explore music freely. The "E" label is Apple Music's way of alerting you that a song might include lyrics or themes you'd rather not hear, or that you might not want your kids to listen to.
Apple Music makes it easy to control explicit content. It has an Explicit Filter built into Apple's Settings, letting you decide whether explicit songs should play. When the filter is on, explicit content is allowed — meaning you'll hear the mature lyrics. Turn it off, and Apple Music will block explicit songs from your playlists and search results, replacing them with a "clean" version if available. Bonus tip: it covers not just music, but also music videos, podcasts, and news.
However, reports from Apple Music users suggest that the filter doesn't always work perfectly, and sometimes explicit content still appears in search results and browsing sections, despite content restrictions being in place. So, parents should still keep an eye on what their children are listening to. Occasionally, you might see a message saying, "This item can't be played because it contains explicit content." This just means the song is flagged as explicit, and your settings are preventing it from playing. Before changing that in Restrictions, take a moment to consider whether you really want that kind of content accessible on your device.
Part 2. Can You Turn Off Explicit Content on Apple Music Anytime?
Yes, you can easily turn off explicit content on Apple Music. If you want to block songs with strong language or adult themes, simply adjust the Explicit Filter in your settings. When you turn it off, Apple Music will replace explicit tracks with clean versions, if available.
To disable explicit content, open Settings on your iPhone or iPad, then tap Screen Time. Under Content & Privacy Restrictions, go to iTunes & App Store Purchases. From there, you'll find the option to restrict explicit content by toggling it off.
Keep in mind, if you've set up a Screen Time passcode, you'll need to enter it to make these changes. This ensures only you can adjust the settings, which is useful if you're a parent wanting to keep certain content blocked.
Part 3. How to Turn On/Off Apple Music Explicit on iPhone/iPad
You can manage explicit content directly from your iPhone or iPad through the Screen Time settings:
- On your iPhone or iPad, tap Settings and select Screen Time.
- If it's not turned on, follow the prompts to enable it and select This is My iPhone.
- Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions and turn it On.
- Under this section, tap Music, Podcasts & News.
- Tap Clean to restrict explicit content or Explicit to allow it.
- Set up a Screen Time passcode to prevent others from changing these settings.
- Your choices take effect right away, so you can close the Settings app.
Your Apple Music content is now filtered according to the settings you've applied on your iPhone or iPad.
Part 4. How to Turn On/Off Apple Music Explicit on Mac
To control explicit content on a Mac, use the Screen Time settings:
- Click the Apple menu in the top-left and select System Settings (or System Preferences).
- Select Screen Time from the sidebar and ensure it's turned On.
- Click Content & Privacy and switch Content & Privacy Restrictions to On.
- Under Store Content, find Music, Podcasts & News and choose Clean to block explicit content or Explicit to allow it.
- For added security, set a Screen Time passcode to prevent changes.
- The changes are saved automatically, so you can close the settings window.
Now your Mac is set to either filter out or include explicit music based on your preferences.
Part 5. How to Turn On/Off Apple Music Explicit on Windows PC
If you're using Apple Music on a Windows computer through the iTunes app, you can control explicit content this way:
- Launch iTunes on your Windows device.
- In the top menu, click Edit > Preferences.
- In the Preferences window, select the Restrictions tab.
- To block explicit music, check the box next to Restrict explicit content under Music.
- Click the padlock icon at the bottom-left to lock these restrictions with a password, if desired.
- Click OK to save your changes.
Now your Windows device will follow the explicit content settings you've selected for Apple Music.
Part 6. How to Turn On/Off Apple Music Explicit on Web Player
If you use Apple Music through a web browser, you can manage explicit content easily. Here's what to do:
- Open music.apple.com in your preferred browser.
- Click the Sign In button at the top-right and enter your Apple ID if not already signed in.
- Click your profile icon in the top-right corner and choose Settings from the dropdown.
- Look for Parental Controls towards the bottom of the settings page.
- Toggle Content Restrictions to On, and set up a passcode if prompted. This ensures others cannot change these settings.
- Under Music, choose Explicit to allow explicit songs or Clean to block them.
- The changes will apply automatically, and you can close the page.
With these steps, you can manage explicit content for Apple Music through the web!
Bonus: How to Download and Convert Apple Music Explicit Songs to MP3
Maybe you'd like to keep a backup on Google Drive, OneDrive, or even a USB drive, or simply listen to your favorite songs on devices that don't support the Apple Music app. Since Apple Music tracks, including explicit songs, are typically in AAC format and tied to your subscription, converting them to MP3 can be a great solution. Here's where ViWizard Apple Music Converter comes in.
ViWizard Apple Music Converter is a user-friendly tool that lets you convert Apple Music songs into common audio formats like MP3, WAV, AAC, FLAC, M4A, and M4B. This means you can download your entire Apple Music library, including explicit tracks, and save them as standard audio files.
ViWizard works by downloading and converting songs directly from your Apple Music library in iTunes. The process is simple - just select the tracks you want to convert, choose your preferred output format, and let ViWizard do the rest. After conversion, you can save the songs to a USB drive, upload them to cloud storage, or transfer them to any device for unlimited listening. ViWizard isn't just limited to Apple Music songs. It can also convert iTunes purchases, audiobooks, and Audible books, give it a shot!

A full-featured Apple Music converter that easily converts Apple Music songs, albums, playlists—including iCloud Music Library content, personalized recommendations, and curated playlists—into MP3, M4A, M4B, WAV, AIFF, and FLAC so you can keep your Apple Music forever or transfer it to any device without restrictions.
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