Downloading music from Apple Music lets you listen offline, but finding where those downloads are stored isn't always straightforward. The location and accessibility depend on your device and whether you want to find songs in the Apple Music app or access music files on your computer.
Apple Music subscription downloads are managed by the app for offline playback and aren't necessarily available as regular audio files you can use elsewhere. On Mac and Windows, the media folder helps you locate accessible music files, but it may not contain subscription downloads. On iPhone, iPad, and Android, subscription downloads remain managed within the Apple Music app.
In this guide, you'll learn where Apple Music downloads are stored on different devices, how to find downloaded songs, and how to locate and manage music files on your computer. We'll also explain how to check or change the media folder location and free up storage space.
Part 1. Where Are Apple Music Downloads Stored on Your Device?
Imported music files are stored in your computer's media folder. On Mac, check the user's Music folder. On Windows, the default location is Home\Music\Apple Music for the Apple Music app or Music\iTunes\iTunes Media\Music for iTunes.
There are important limitations to understand. Subscription downloads are not the same as transferable audio files. They remain managed by the Apple system and cannot be freely copied or transferred. Imported and purchased music may have different access rules depending on the file and its usage rights.
If you need conventional audio files, ViWizard Apple Music Converter advertises conversion to MP3, WAV, FLAC, AIFF, M4A, and M4B. You can save the converted files on your computer and transfer them to other devices, subject to applicable rights and restrictions.
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.
1.1Where Are Apple Music Downloads Stored on a Windows PC?
Imported music files are stored in the Apple Music or iTunes media folder:
Apple Music:
iTunes:
01Open File Explorer.
02Navigate to the relevant folder under Music.
03Browse by artist or album to locate your tracks.
Subscription downloads may not appear as ordinary audio files. Check a song's information in Apple Music or iTunes to find its file location.
1.2Where Are Apple Music Downloads Stored on a Mac?
Imported music files are commonly stored in these locations:
Music app:
Older iTunes libraries:
01Open Finder.
02Navigate to the relevant folder under Music.
03Browse by artist or album.
If a song isn't there, check its file information in the Music app. Subscription downloads may not be accessible as ordinary files in Finder.
1.3Where Are Apple Music Downloads Stored on an iPhone or iPad?
Apple Music manages subscription downloads within the app rather than exposing them as ordinary audio files in the Files app.
01Open Apple Music.
02Go to Library and select Downloaded.
03Browse your downloaded songs, albums, or playlists.
To free up space, remove downloaded copies without necessarily deleting songs from your library.
1.4Where Are Apple Music Downloads Stored on Android?
Apple Music manages subscription downloads within the app. Private app directories aren't reliable locations for browsing or transferring tracks.
01Open Apple Music.
02Go to Library and select Downloaded, if available.
03Browse your downloaded songs, albums, or playlists.
Paths such as Android/data/com.apple.android.music/files/Media may be inaccessible or may not contain browsable audio files.
Pro Tip: Are Apple Music Downloads Stored in iCloud or on Your Device?
Apple Music uses cloud syncing to make your library available across supported devices signed in to the same Apple Account. Offline listening requires downloading songs to each device. As Apple explains, you can listen offline "if you download your music." Subscription downloads take up local storage but remain managed by Apple Music. Remove downloaded copies to free up space without necessarily removing songs from your synced library.
Part 2. How to Find Downloaded Apple Music Songs in the App
Before traveling or going somewhere without internet access, check that the Apple Music app has finished downloading the selected tracks. The "Downloaded" section lets you view downloaded music, while completed downloads are available for offline playback, subject to applicable access requirements.
2.1How to Find Downloaded Songs in Apple Music on a Windows PC
01Open the Apple Music app on your Windows PC.
02Click "Songs" in the sidebar under "Library."
03Click the "More" button (•••) next to the song list or the relevant music item, where available.
04Select "Show Only Downloaded Items" to filter your library to music downloaded to your PC.
05Browse the displayed songs, albums, and playlists to find the music you want to play offline.
2.2How to Find Downloaded Songs in Apple Music on a Mac
01Open the Music app on your Mac.
02Click "View" in the menu bar at the top of the screen.
03Select "Only Downloaded Music."
04Browse your library to find songs, albums, and playlists downloaded to your Mac for offline playback.
2.3How to Find Downloaded Songs in Apple Music on an iPhone or iPad
01Open the Music app on your iPhone or iPad.
02Tap "Library" at the bottom of the screen.
03Tap "Downloaded" to view music stored on your device.
04Browse your downloaded songs, albums, or playlists.
05Tap a song to play it offline.
2.4How to Find Downloaded Songs in Apple Music on Android
01Open the Apple Music app on your Android device.
02Tap "Library" at the bottom of the screen.
03Open "Downloaded Music" or the "Downloaded" section, depending on your app version.
04Browse your downloaded songs, albums, and playlists.
05Tap a song to play it offline.
Part 3. How to Find Apple Music Files in Your Computer's File System
Want to locate a specific Apple Music song downloaded to a computer instead of browsing the entire media folder? On Mac, Song > Get Info shows a song's file location, while File > Show in Finder helps you locate it. On Windows, More > Properties > File or Show in Explorer, when available, provides similar information.
These options are useful for locating imported music. If no local file is accessible, check whether the song has been downloaded and whether your Apple Music subscription is active.
3.1How to Find Apple Music Files in Windows File Explorer
3.1.1 Find a Song's File Location in Apple Music
01Open the Apple Music app on your Windows PC.
02Click Songs in the sidebar.
03Find the song you want to locate.
04Click the More button (•••) next to the song.
05Select Properties and open the File section.
06Check the Location field to view the path where the file is stored.
3.1.2 Open a Downloaded Song's Folder in File Explorer
01Open the Apple Music app on your Windows PC.
02Click Songs in the sidebar.
03Find the song you want to locate.
04Click the More button (•••) next to the song.
05Choose Show in Explorer to navigate to the song's folder in File Explorer.
3.2How to Find Apple Music Files in Mac Finder
3.2.1 Find a Song's File Location in the Music App
01Open the Music app on your Mac.
02Click Songs in the sidebar.
03Find and select the song you want to locate.
04Click Song in the menu bar.
05Select Get Info.
06Open the File section in the information window.
07Check Location to view the song's file path.
3.2.2 Open a Downloaded Song's Folder in Finder
01Open the Music app on your Mac.
02Select the song you want to locate.
03Click File in the menu bar.
04Click Show in Finder to reveal the selected track in its containing folder.
Part 4. How to Find and Change the Apple Music Media Folder Location
Changing the Apple Music media folder can help when your computer is running out of space or you want to store music files on an external drive. On Mac and Windows, you can change this location in the app's file settings and choose whether newly added music is copied into the folder. These settings concern the media folder used by the desktop app.
However, changing the location itself does not necessarily move all music already stored on your device. Apple's documentation explains that newly imported items use the new location, while previously imported songs remain in their existing locations. Users who want to reorganize an existing music collection should therefore check where those files are stored before changing folders or moving files.
4.1How to Find and Change the Apple Music Media Folder on Windows
01Open the Apple Music or iTunes app on your Windows computer.
02In the top menu, go to Edit > Preferences (for iTunes) or open Settings from the sidebar menu (for Apple Music app).
03Click the Advanced tab (iTunes) or Files tab (Apple Music).
04Next to iTunes Media folder location (iTunes) or Media Folder Location (Apple Music), click Change.
05Browse your computer and select the folder where you want future downloads and imported music to be stored.
06Click OK or Save to confirm the new location.
4.2How to Find and Change the Apple Music Media Folder on Mac
01Open the Music app on your Mac.
02In the top menu bar, click Music > Settings (or Preferences on older macOS).
03Go to the Files tab.
04Click Change next to Media Location.
05Choose the folder where you want all future imported music and downloads to be saved.
06Confirm the selection and close the Settings window.
Part 5. How to Manage Apple Music Storage and Free Up Space
Downloaded music can take up significant storage over time. You should remove downloads from time to time to free up space and download them again later if offline access is required in places without internet access.
1. Check Apple Music Storage Usage
On iPhone or iPad, you can check how much space your downloaded music uses by going to Settings > General > iPhone Storage. Here, you can view your storage usage and remove downloads or other files to free up space.
2. Remove Downloaded Music Without Deleting It from Your Library
You can manage downloaded music by removing songs you no longer need. Before removing content, check whether you are selecting Remove Download or Delete from Library. Removing a download deletes the local copy from your device, while deleting a song from the library removes it from your collection and, when Sync Library is enabled, can affect your library on other devices.
3. Enable Optimize Storage for Apple Music
Optimize Storage can automatically remove downloaded music that you have not listened to in a while when your device is low on storage. Go to Settings > Apps > Music > Optimize Storage to turn it on. This reduces the need to review and remove downloads manually.
4. Turn Off Automatic Downloads in Apple Music
You can stop Apple Music from downloading songs automatically by turning off Automatic Downloads. Go to Settings > Apps > Music and disable this option. After that, only music you download manually will be saved to your device.
Part 6. How to Convert Apple Music Songs into Local Audio Files with ViWizard Apple Music Converter
The main benefit of Apple Music downloads is offline listening. Users can download music in advance and listen within the Apple Music app, although access to subscription music on each device depends on the applicable subscription and account requirements.
ViWizard Apple Music Converter is a tool for Windows and Mac users who want to download songs, albums, playlists, or artists from Apple Music. It allows Apple Music subscribers to save tracks as DRM-free files in formats such as MP3, WAV, FLAC, AIFF, M4A, or M4B, giving users conventional audio files that can be accessed and stored outside the Apple Music app.
You just need to sign in, select music, choose an output format, and convert the tracks. The resulting files are saved to a selected folder and can be located through Finder or File Explorer.
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 the Apple Music Converter for your computer (available for both Windows and Mac). After the installation finishes, open the app and log in with your Apple Music account. This will give you access to all your music, including playlists, albums, and songs.
Step 2: Select MP3 as the Output Format
Next, choose the format for your converted music files. For the best compatibility with most devices, including Samsung phones, MP3 is a great choice. Click the gear icon in the top-right corner to adjust settings like sample rate, bit rate, and audio channels. This step helps you balance sound quality with file size. Once you're happy with the settings, hit "OK" to save them.
Step 3: Add Music and Start Conversion
Browse your Apple Music library and pick the songs, albums, or playlists you want to convert. Click the "+" button to add the tracks to the conversion list. Once you've selected your music, click "Add to Conversion List". To start the conversion, click the "Convert" button. The process will take just a few minutes, depending on how many files you're converting and your computer's speed.
Step 4: Access Your Converted Music
Once the conversion is done, click the "History" button to view your converted files. To access the folder with your music, click the folder icon. From there, you can transfer the MP3 files to your desired device, like an Android phone or iPhone, and keep them forever.
Part 7. Conclusion
By now, you should know where Apple Music downloads are stored and how to manage them. Use Apple Music's built-in features for offline listening and storage management, or try ViWizard Apple Music Converter if you need conventional audio files instead of protected subscription downloads.
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Adam Gorden is always looking for new ways to explore music and videos. He likes trying different media tools and learning how to manage audio and video files with ease.
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