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How to turn off your iCloud music library
One of the nice perks of Apple Music is that you can sync your purchased music and settings — such as playlists, listening stats, and more — to your other Apple devices. This is done through iCloud, and provided you have enough iCloud space, the whole process of syncing your iCloud music library is seamless and straightforward. But what if you want to turn it off? It’s easy to do, but be aware that you won’t be able to sync your music, playlists, and other music app settings anymore.
QUICK ANSWER
To turn off your iCloud music library on macOS, do the following:
- Go to the Apple Music app.
- On the top menu bar, click Music-->Preferences.
- In the preferences box, deselect Sync Library, and click OK to save.
On an iOS device:
- Go to Settings.
- Tap Music
- Find Sync Library and toggle the feature off.
JUMP TO KEY SECTIONS
How to turn off your iCloud music library on iOS
To turn off your iCloud music library on an iOS device, you need to go into the device settings. Scroll down till you find Music, and tap on it.
Scroll down again until you see the option Sync Library. It should be toggled on (green). To switch the feature off, tap the toggle so it goes grey.
How to turn off your iCloud music library on macOS
To turn off your iCloud music library on macOS, go to your Music app. Point your mouse cursor at the top bar and select Music–>Preferences.
In the Preferences box, click the General tab. The first option will say Sync Library, followed by your iCloud email address. It should be selected already, so to switch the feature off, untick the box. Click OK to save your changes.
FAQs
No. The iCloud music library and Apple Music are related but not the same thing. The iCloud music library is a feature of Apple’s iCloud service that allows you to store your music collection in the cloud and access it from all your Apple devices. Apple Music is a music streaming service that provides access to a vast catalog of music, curated playlists, and personalized recommendations.
However, the iCloud music library is integrated with Apple Music, so if you subscribe to the latter, your library will be automatically updated with any songs you add or playlists you create in Apple Music.