Music

If you subscribe to Apple Music, you can add music you’ve saved and playlists you’ve created in third-party music services to your Apple Music library.

There’s some setup first, like iOS 18.4 or later and Sync Library turned on in Music settings. The transfer itself is provided by a third party, and once it’s done, you can review the transfer.

Here’s how to transfer music from other music services to Apple Music on iPhone.

Note: Transferring music to Apple Music is provided by a third party. Apple Music and transferring music from third-party music services aren’t available in all countries or regions.

Before you begin

Before you start a transfer, confirm that all of the following are true:

• You’re using iOS 18.4 or later and are signed in to your Apple Account.
• Sync Library is turned on in Settings to transfer music. Go to Settings > Apps > Music, then turn on Sync Library if it’s not already on.

Transfer music from third-party music services

1. Open the Music app on your iPhone.
2. Tap your profile.
3. Tap Transfer Music from Other Services.

   If you don’t see this option, you need to sign in to your Apple Account.

4. Select a music service. Sign in to the service.
5. Select what you want to transfer (all or selected items) and then tap Add to Library.

   Note: Depending on the third-party music service, you may be able to transfer all music or only certain items (for example, only playlists you’ve created).

6. When the transfer finishes, one of the following messages appears at the top of the screen:
   • Transfer Complete: The transfer finished successfully and you see a summary of the music that’s been added to your library. Tap OK.
   • Some Music Needs Review: The transfer finished, but some music wasn’t transferred. You can review and choose alternate versions, if available (for example, a live version of a song from the third-party music service wasn’t found in the Apple Music catalog, but a deluxe version was). See Review the transfer.

Review the transfer

During the transfer, music from the third-party music service is matched with the same music offered in the Apple Music catalog. (Nothing is removed from the other music service.)

A song, album, or music video from the third-party music service won’t always have a match in the Apple Music catalog. As you review matches, you can pick from the alternates provided or ignore suggestions.

1. On your iPhone, do one of the following:
   • Go to the Music app , then at the top of the Library tab, tap Review Now in the Some Music Needs Review message.
   • Go to Settings > Apps > Music, then tap Review Current Transfer.
2. In the Review Alternates screen, do any of the following for each of the items that need review:
   • Choose an alternate version: Select one of the items shown as a potential match with the original song from the third-party music service. To preview the song, tap the Play button on the album cover.
   • Don’t transfer the item: Tap Ignore [item] if you don’t want to transfer an alternate version into your Apple Music library. You can also tap Ignore All to finalize the transfer and start a new transfer.

   Music that doesn’t have alternate suggestions is listed in the Not Available section at the bottom of the Review Alternates screen.

3. Repeat step 2 until you’ve reviewed all the alternates for each item and tap Add [items] to Library.

Note: If you can’t review all your alternate matches in one session, tap Add [items] to Library to accept the matches you’ve selected so far. The initial transfer stays open for 30 days, so you can come back and complete it, but a new transfer can’t start until you finish reviewing all alternates in that one. And if Review Current Transfer shows up in Music settings, there’s music from an earlier transfer that you still need to review.

If you subscribe to Apple Music and someone invites you to collaborate on a playlist, you can join it from the link you received. Then you can add, remove, or reorder music in the collaborative playlist, react to songs with emoji, and invite others with a link.

Note: Apple Music isn’t available in all countries or regions.

1. On your iPhone, tap the link you received. Tap Join or Request to Join (if the owner of the collaborative playlist must approve you first).
2. Do any of the following:
   • Add a song, change the order of songs, or remove an item
   • React to a song with emoji
   • Invite others with a link: Tap Share Invite Link.

Note: You can share the link if you own the collaborative playlist, or if its owner hasn’t turned on Approve Collaborators.

Apple Music is an ad-free streaming music service that lets you play millions of songs and your music library. As a subscriber, you can listen any time, online or off, and create your own playlists, stream and download lossless and Dolby Atmos music, get personalized recommendations, follow artists, and more.

You can subscribe to Apple Music or to Apple One, which includes Apple Music and other services. You can also share Apple Music with family members, and change or cancel your subscription.

Note: Apple Music, Apple One, lossless, and Dolby Atmos aren’t available in all countries or regions.

Subscribe to Apple Music

1. Start the Music app on your iPhone.
2. Follow the onscreen instructions to subscribe to Apple Music.

If you don’t subscribe to Apple Music when you first open the Music app, you can subscribe later—go to Settings > Apps > Music, then tap Join Apple Music.

As a new subscriber, you can start a trial and cancel at any time. End your Apple Music subscription, though, and you can no longer stream Apple Music songs or play the Apple Music songs you downloaded.

Qualified students can purchase a student subscription at a discounted price.

Share Apple Music with family members

Subscribe to Apple Music, or to Apple One Family or Apple One Premier, and Family Sharing lets you share Apple Music with up to five other family members. Once your family is set up, its members don’t have to do anything. They’ll find Apple Music available the first time they open the Music app after your subscription starts.

When you already subscribe and then join a family group that has Apple Music, Apple One Family, or Apple One Premier, your subscription isn’t renewed on your next billing date. You use the group’s subscription instead. Join a family group that doesn’t subscribe, and the group uses yours.

Note: If you want to stop sharing Apple Music with a family group, either cancel the subscription, leave a Family Sharing group, or remove a member from the Family Sharing group.

Change or cancel your Apple Music subscription

1. Start the Music app on your iPhone.
2. Tap the My Account button or your profile picture.
3. Tap Your Name and tap Subscriptions. Then follow the onscreen instructions.

Apple Music subscribers can also use the Ambient Music widget to play music from a playlist.

Change the way music sounds in the Music app with EQ and Sound Check. You can choose an equalization (EQ) setting, or turn on Sound Check to normalize the volume level of your audio. Sound Check is handy when songs from different albums play at different volumes.

WARNING: For important information about avoiding hearing loss, see Important safety information.

1. Start the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Tap Apps and tap Music.
3. Tap one of the following:
   • EQ: Choose an equalization (EQ) setting.
   • Sound Check: Normalize the volume level of your audio.

In the iTunes Store app, you can review and download music purchased by you or other family members. You can also customize content restrictions for the iTunes Store in Settings.

Family Sharing adds another layer: the family organizer can approve purchases made by younger family members. You can also view your entire iTunes Store purchase history, and see the music family members bought, too.

Here’s how to manage your iTunes Store purchases and settings on iPhone.

Approve purchases with Family Sharing

If you’ve set up Family Sharing, the family organizer can review and approve purchases from other family members under a certain age.

View and download music purchased by you or family members

1. Start the iTunes Store app on your iPhone.
2. Tap Purchased.
3. If you set up Family Sharing, choose a family member to view their purchases.

Note: You can see purchases made by family members only if they choose to share their purchases.

4. Tap Music, find the item you want to download. Then tap the Download button.

View your entire iTunes Store purchase history

Your iTunes Store purchase history shows a chronological list of everything purchased with your Apple Account, including apps, songs, books, and other items.

Your purchase history lets you do any of the following:

• View when an order was billed to your account.
• View the date of a purchase.
• Resend email receipts.
• Report a problem with purchased content.

Set content restrictions

In Music, you can restrict your child’s access to explicit content, music videos, and music profiles.

When you purchase access to movies, TV shows, music, music videos, ebooks, audiobooks, or ringtones from Apple, you also have the option to permanently download these items to a compatible iPhone, iPad, Mac, or PC. Apple cannot revoke your downloaded content, and you can always access your downloaded content without an internet connection.

Use AutoMix or Crossfade to transition songs smoothly.

AutoMix transitions between songs like a DJ when you’re listening to music from the Apple Music catalog, and it selects the best transition, depending on the music. Crossfade fades in each song while the previous song is fading out. AutoMix is on by default, but you can turn it off, and albums and some genres skip transitions. Neither is available while Hi-Res Lossless is turned on, though.

Change how music transitions

1. Start the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Tap Apps and tap Music.
3. Tap Song Transitions, then choose an option.

Note: While Hi-Res Lossless is turned on, Automix and Crossfade aren’t available. To use them, select Lossless or another audio quality setting.

About AutoMix

With iOS 26 or later, AutoMix moves seamlessly between songs like a DJ when you listen to music from the Apple Music catalog. It automatically picks the best transition for the music. When it makes sense, AutoMix might trim silence at the beginning and end of a track, for example, or use a simple crossfade instead of a more complex transition.

Note: You won’t hear transitions with albums and some genres. AutoMix is on by default, though you can turn it off in the queue or in Settings.

Turn on Crossfade

You can set the Music app to fade in each song (gradually increase its volume) while the previous song is fading out—this is called crossfading.

1. Start the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Tap Apps and tap Music.
3. Tap Song Transitions, then turn it on.
4. Tap Crossfade. Drag the slider to choose the length of the crossfade.

You can use SharePlay while playing music on a HomePod, Apple TV 4K, or other third-party Bluetooth® speaker, and everyone can control the music with their iPhone.

Only the host needs to be an Apple Music subscriber. Everyone needs an iPhone with iOS 18 or later, an internet connection, and Bluetooth turned on, and participants can join SharePlay with the iPhone camera. And you can leave SharePlay whenever you want.

Before you begin

• The host must have an iPhone with iOS 18 or later and be an Apple Music subscriber.
• Participants must have an iPhone with iOS 18 or later, but don’t need to have an Apple Music subscription.
• Everyone must have an internet connection and Bluetooth turned on.
• Everyone must allow their contacts to discover them when playing music to a speaker—go to Settings > Apps > Music, then turn on Discoverable by Nearby Contacts if it isn’t on already.

Start SharePlay from Music on your iPhone

To play music together with SharePlay, you’ll start on your iPhone as the host.

1. Start the Music app on your iPhone.
2. While a song is playing, tap the MiniPlayer to open the Now Playing screen.
3. Tap the Playback Destination button and select a playback destination.

   The music starts playing to the device you selected.

4. Tap the MiniPlayer to open the Now Playing screen. Tap the SharePlay button.

   A QR code appears; tap the QR code to enlarge it.

5. To begin controlling the music, participants can scan the QR code on your iPhone.

Join SharePlay with the iPhone camera

1. Start the Camera app on your iPhone.
2. Point the camera at the QR code on an iPhone that’s already joined SharePlay.

   A button appears below the picture of the QR code.

3. Tap the button, then tap Connect.

   The host receives a notification and must tap the Checkmark button on their iPhone to allow you to join.

Quick tip: You only need to approve a participant to join SharePlay once. They’re automatically approved the next time they join.

Leave SharePlay

Tap the SharePlay button at the bottom of the Now Playing screen, then tap Leave or End.

After you create an Apple Music profile, you can find and follow friends to see what they’re listening to.

First, you allow Music to access your contacts, so you can choose which friends to share music with. Then you can follow friends, see what they’re listening to, and stop following them whenever you want, all from the My Account button.

Here’s how to see what friends are listening to in Music on iPhone.

Choose how to find friends

Music needs access to your contacts before you can pick the friends you share music with.

1. Open the Music app on your iPhone.
2. Tap the My Account button or your profile picture.
3. Do any of the following:
   • Allow Apple Music access to your contacts: Select the Contacts on Apple Music option so Apple Music can access your contacts and recommend new friends to you periodically.
   • Allow friends to find you by Apple Account: Select the Allow Finding by Apple Account option and friends who have your Apple Account information can see you as a recommended friend.

Follow friends

There are a few different ways to follow people:

• Add friends when you set up a profile.
• After you set up your profile, swipe to the bottom of the profile screen, tap Follow More Friends, then tap Follow next to those you want to follow.

  You can follow friends who are in your contacts list and who use Apple Music.

• On the profile screen, touch and hold a profile picture, then tap Follow.
• Tap Search, enter a friend’s name, tap it in the results, then tap Follow.

Note: You can only find friends who have an Apple Music profile using Search. Additionally, you must be 13 years or older to view Apple Music profiles. (Age restrictions vary by region.)

To see the people you’re following and those who follow you, open the profile screen, then swipe up.

A lock on a profile picture means you need to ask that person to follow them. Once your request is accepted, you’ll see their shared playlists and the music they’re listening to.

See what your friends are listening to

1. Open the Music app on your iPhone.
2. Tap Home and then do any of the following:
   • See what your friends are listening to: Scroll down to Friends Are Listening To and then tap an item to play it.
   • Listen to a mix of songs your friends are listening to: Swipe left on Made For You. Then tap Friends Mix.
   • See what a follower or person you follow is listening to: Tap the My Account button or your profile picture and tap Music Profile. Tap a person’s profile picture to see shared playlists and music they’re listening to. You also see their followers and the people they follow.

Stop following friends

If you no longer want to see what a friend is listening to, you can stop following them.

1. Open the Music app on your iPhone.
2. Tap the My Account button or your profile picture.
3. Tap Music Profile and touch and hold the profile picture of a person you follow. Tap Unfollow.

When you subscribe to Apple Music, you can browse new and noteworthy music, music videos, playlists, and more.

In New, you can browse featured songs and videos, listen to one of the many playlists created by music experts, or look through the albums listed below New Releases. And it’s not just new releases. On any Artist page, you can see upcoming concerts.

Here’s how to find new music with Apple Music on iPhone.

Discover new releases, featured music, and more

1. Open the Music app on your iPhone.
2. Tap New to find new music and then do any of the following:
   • Explore featured music: Swipe through featured songs and videos at the top of the screen.
   • Browse playlists created by music experts: Tap one of the many playlists created by music experts.
   • Explore new music: Tap a song below the Latest Songs heading or swipe through the albums listed below New Releases.
   • See upcoming concerts: Go to any Artist page to see upcoming concerts. Scroll down to see details under All Upcoming Concerts. To view all upcoming concerts and update your location in the Concerts Hub, tap the Search tab and then tap Concerts.

     Note: Concerts isn’t available in China.

   • See what’s hot: Tap a song below the Trending Songs heading. Swipe left to see more songs.
   • Listen to the top songs from around the world: Tap one of the Daily Top 100 playlists. These playlists reflect the day’s most popular songs in countries across the globe.
   • Listen to songs from upcoming albums: Tap an album below Coming Soon and tap an available song to play it.
   • Watch music videos: Tap Music Videos and then tap a featured music video or playlist of music videos.
   • Play the day’s most popular songs: Tap Charts and tap a song, playlist, album, or music video to play it. Tap All Genres at the top of the screen to see the top songs and music videos in a genre you choose.
   • Browse your favorite genres: Tap Browse by Genre, choose a genre, and then tap a featured playlist, song, album, artist, or radio station to enjoy music handpicked by music experts.
   • Play music that matches your mood: Tap Moods and Activities and tap a playlist such as Feel Good, Romance, or Party.

Note: Swipe left on the album art for more music, or tap the Forward button next to a section’s name — New Releases, for example — to see everything in that section.

Discover your most-played music of the year

If you’ve subscribed to Apple Music for a year and played enough music to be eligible, Apple Music creates a Replay personal chart for that year that ranks the songs you’ve played the most.

1. Open the Music app on your iPhone.
2. Tap Home, swipe down to Replay: Your Top Music, and tap an option (for example, a year).

Throughout the year, you can also see all your insights on your iPhone or at the Apple Music Replay website.

Discover music you’ve never played before

Apple Music uses your listening history and taste profile to recommend music you may like that you’ve never played before.

Siri: Ask Siri something like, “Play my Discovery Station.”

1. Open the Music app on your iPhone.
2. Tap Home, then swipe down to Stations for You.
3. Tap Discovery Station.

Turn on or off new music notifications

1. Open the Music app on your iPhone.
2. Tap the My Account button or your profile picture.
3. Tap Notifications, then turn on (or off) New Music.

With Music Haptics, you can experience music on iPhone with taps, textures, and refined vibrations that are synchronized with a song’s audio. It’s one switch in Accessibility settings, and you can start or stop Music Haptics as a song plays from Control Center.

Note: Music Haptics is available with supported iPhone models for millions of songs in Apple Music, Music Classical, Shazam, and compatible third-party apps when your iPhone is connected to Wi-Fi or cellular.

1. Open Settings, tap Accessibility, and then tap Music Haptics.
2. Turn Music Haptics on.

   To start or stop Music Haptics as a song plays, open Control Center, tap the audio card, then tap the Music Haptics icon. If you see the Music Haptics unavailable icon, Music Haptics isn’t available for the song.

3. Doing any of the following to customize haptics:
   • Customize: Select Full Mix to play haptics to match the rhythm, beat, and energy of the song. Select Vocals Only to play haptics for vocals or vocal-like melodies.
   • Intensity: Select Light, Medium, or Strong haptic feedback.

Quick tip: The click of a button or another shortcut can control Music Haptics, too.