A thorough guide to how to play Apple Music songs offline (2025 Latest Free)

Apple Music is a popular music streaming service worldwide, offering unlimited access to a huge selection of music on its app. Responding to user requests for music downloads and offline playback, such as listening to Apple Music on airplanes without Wi-Fi or saving on data charges, the app offers a feature for users to download songs and play them offline. However, this feature has limitations, such as only being able to play music within the app and being unable to play offline music after canceling your subscription.

In this article, we'll explain how to play songs offline using the Apple Music app and some important points to note. We'll also show you how to bypass official limitations and play songs offline even if you cancel your Apple Music subscription. If you want unlimited offline playback of Apple Music songs, be sure to read to the end.

What is Apple Music offline playback?

Offline playback of Apple Music means downloading songs using the Apple Music app and playing them offline without connecting to a network such as data communication or Wi-Fi.

Benefits of Playing Apple Music Offline

Save on communication costs: If you don't have a Wi-Fi connection, streaming Apple Music songs will consume data and can cost you a lot of money over long periods of time. By playing music offline, you can enjoy music comfortably without worrying about data usage.

Prevent interruptions to your music playback: When streaming Apple Music, playback may be interrupted in places with unstable network environments, such as on a train. By downloading Apple Music songs and playing them offline, you can enjoy smooth music listening without being affected by network conditions.

Use in an environment where no internet connection is required: Even if you need to use airplane mode, such as when boarding an airplane, you can play your favorite songs without an internet connection by downloading them to your smartphone in advance.

Method 1: Play songs offline using the Apple Music app (members only, restrictions apply)

If you subscribe to Apple Music, you can download music and play it offline. Below are the specific steps to play songs offline using the Apple Music app on your smartphone or computer.

How to Play Apple Music Offline on iPhone and Android

step 1Launch Apple Music on your phone and open your favorite album or playlist.

Step 2When viewing the contents of an album or playlist, tap the + in the top right corner of the screen to add it to your library.

Step 3After adding it to your library, tap the download button in the top right corner of the screen to download all the songs in the album or playlist.

Step 4If you want to download only some songs and not all of them, tap the "..." button next to the song title and select "Download" to download only the songs you want.

Step 5You can find your downloaded songs in the Downloaded section of your Apple Music Library for offline playback.

How to Play Apple Music Offline on Mac/Windows

You can download songs to your computer using the Apple Music app or iTunes. Below we'll show you how to download songs to your Mac or Windows computer using Apple Music's official features.

step 1Launch the Apple Music app or iTunes, and click the "+" button of the song, album, or playlist you want to play offline to add it to your library. After adding it to your library, the "+" will turn into a cloud icon.

Step 2, click the cloud icon to download Apple Music songs.

Step 3Once the download is complete, the cloud icon next to the song will disappear and you can play the downloaded song offline.

Before using Apple Music's official features, there are a few things to keep in mind. While it's easy to play songs offline using the Apple Music app, downloaded songs are DRM-protected, meaning they are only temporarily stored within the app and cannot be played on other devices or players, cannot be edited, and are subject to limitations on their use beyond playback. Furthermore, if you cancel your subscription, saved Apple Music songs will no longer be available for offline playback. Furthermore, if a song is no longer available on Apple Music, downloaded content will also be grayed out and unplayable.

If you want to enjoy Apple Music's official offline playback feature freely without restrictions on playback location, usage, storage period, etc., please see below.Apple Music to MP3 Converter"StreamByte for MusicPlease consider using ".

Method 2: Permanently save Apple Music songs for offline playback

"StreamByte for Music" allows you to listen to songs from Apple Music.Remove DRM protectionYou can then convert the converted Apple Music songs to common formats like MP3, M4A, and FLAC and download them to your computer. The converted Apple Music songs can be permanently saved locally with their original audio quality. Because the downloaded Apple Music songs are DRM-free, you can transfer them to any device, including smartphones and tablets, or external music players for offline playback, even after canceling your subscription. Downloaded songs can also be used as background music for videos, alarm sounds, and more, without any restrictions.

In addition, this software has a built-in web player that supports Apple Music, and it also has functions for batch downloading and editing/retaining ID3 tag information, allowing for efficient music management. StreamByte for Music offers a free trial of all its features, so please download it and take advantage of it.

Steps to download Apple Music songs for offline playback using StreamByte for Music

step 1Launch "StreamByte for Music" and log in, then select Apple Music on the main screen.

Step 2Log in to Apple Music with your Apple ID and search for the song, album, or playlist you want to play offline.

Step 3Once you find the Apple Music songs you want to play offline, click the "Add" button to add them to the conversion list.

Step 4On the conversion list screen, you can set the output format, bit rate, sampling rate, etc. of Apple Music songs. You can also freely specify the directory to save the songs at the bottom left.

Step 5Once the settings are complete, click "Convert All" at the bottom right to start downloading Apple Music songs. You can see the download progress on the screen.

Step 6Once the download is complete, you can view the downloaded Apple Music songs in the "Converted" tab. Click the folder icon next to each song to open the output folder, from which you can directly select the music files for offline playback.

Above, "StreamByte for Music"Convert Apple Music songs to MP3We've introduced how to download and play music offline. This software allows you to easily remove DRM protection from Apple Music and permanently save it locally as a universal audio file. Saved Apple Music music has no playback restrictions and can be played offline anytime, anywhere, regardless of whether you have a subscription. StreamByte for Music offers a free trial, so please give it a try.

Comparison of StreamByte for Music and Apple Music official features

DRM Removal: Apple Music's official download function cannot remove DRM protection, so downloaded songs have playback restrictions. "StreamByte for Music" can remove DRM from Apple Music songs and convert them to common formats such as MP3 and AAC, allowing you to play downloaded songs offline without restrictions.

Free offline playback: A paid subscription is required to use the offline playback feature of the Apple Music app. Apple Music songs downloaded with "StreamByte for Music" are stored locally, so you can play them offline for free even after canceling your subscription.

Device/Player Restrictions: Songs downloaded from Apple Music are DRM-protected and can only be played within the official app. Apple Music files converted with "StreamByte for Music" are DRM-free, so they can be freely transferred between devices and played on external players.

Apple Music offline playback FAQ

Why can't I play Apple Music songs offline?

Due to DRM protection, songs downloaded from Apple Music can only be played within the Apple Music app. Offline playback is not possible on media players other than the official app. Additionally, a continuous Apple Music subscription is required, and if you cancel your subscription, you will no longer be able to listen to downloaded songs offline. Furthermore, offline playback of songs is also not possible if the downloaded Apple Music music file is corrupted or if your network connection is unstable.

Can I play Apple Music offline during my free trial?

Yes, offline playback is possible even during the Apple Music free trial period. During the free trial period, you can use all the features, including unlimited music listening, just like a paid member. Please note that once the free trial period ends, downloaded Apple Music songs will no longer be playable. If you want to continue offline playback after the free trial period ends, you will need to purchase a subscription.

What are the benefits of permanently saving Apple Music songs and then playing them offline?

Compared to Apple Music's official offline playback feature, there are several advantages to permanently saving songs locally for offline playback. First, locally saved Apple Music songs are DRM-free, meaning you're not restricted to offline playback on any device or player, allowing you to freely enjoy downloaded music anytime, anywhere. Also, while the official offline playback feature is only available to paid subscribers, permanently saved Apple Music songs can be played offline for free without the need for a continuing subscription.

summary

Although the Apple Music app has offline functionality, it has some drawbacks, such as the need to purchase a subscription, device restrictions, usage restrictions, and storage time limits. To avoid these limitations, you need to remove DRM from Apple Music songs and store them locally in advance.

"StreamByte for Music" can be used to remove DRM protection,Download Apple Music songs to your computer- Permanent storage is possible. Saved Apple Music songs can be played offline on any device or player without device restrictions. What's more, offline playback can be continued even after canceling your subscription. If you're having trouble with the limitations of Apple Music's official features, download "StreamByte for Music" for free now and try out the unlimited offline playback feature.