Over time, your Apple Music library can become cluttered with music you no longer listen to. Deleting this unused music can help free up storage space on your device and give you a fresh start with your library. Here is a step-by-step guide to deleting your entire Apple Music library.
Table of Contents
On iPhone/iPad
Deleting your entire Apple Music library on iPhone or iPad only takes a few taps:
- Open the Settings app
- Scroll down and tap Music
- Tap Delete All next to Downloaded Music
- Confirm that you want to delete all of your downloaded Apple Music by tapping Delete All
And you’re done! This will remove all downloaded songs, albums, artists, and playlists from your Apple Music library while keeping your Apple Music subscription intact so you can re-download music later.
On Mac
You can also delete your entire Apple Music library on Mac:
- Open the Music app
- In the menu bar at the top of your screen, click Music
- Hover over Library and click Delete Library
- Confirm that you want to delete your entire music library
This will delete all downloaded and added content from your library across all of your devices. Don’t worry – your Apple Music subscription and preferences will stay the same.
Alternative Ways to Delete Music
If you don’t want to delete your entire Apple Music library, here are a couple alternative options:
Delete Downloaded Music Only
You can delete only your downloaded music (music saved for offline listening) instead of your entire library:
- On iPhone/iPad: Go to Settings > Music > Downloaded Music and tap “Delete All”
- On Mac: Go to Music > Preferences > Downloads and click “Delete All”
This removes all downloaded music while keeping your added songs, albums, artists and playlists in your library.
Delete Songs Individually
You can also delete individual songs, albums or artists instead of everything all at once:
- On iPhone/iPad:
- Tap the 3 dots next to a song/album/artist and tap Delete
- Confirm Delete from Library
- On Mac:
- Right click a song/album/artist and click Delete
- Confirm Delete from Library
This gives you more control to selectively remove music you no longer want.
Tips for Managing Your Apple Music Library
Here are some additional tips for keeping your Apple Music library organized after deleting old music:
- Use playlists to organize the music you listen to frequently
- Follow artists so you can stay updated on new releases
- Download music you listen to often for offline playback
- Delete old downloads periodically to save storage space
- Hide albums in your library instead of deleting to reduce clutter
- Re-add music you later want to listen to again
Taking advantage of playlists, downloads, and library management can help avoid needing to fully delete your library again down the road.
FAQs About Deleting Apple Music
Here are answers to some common questions about removing music from your Apple Music library:
Does deleting music remove it from my playlists?
Yes, deleting a song will remove it from any playlists it was added to. Playlists containing deleted songs will show a grayed out track title.
Can I re-download music I’ve deleted?
As long as you keep your Apple Music subscription, you can re-download any music you’ve previously deleted. It will be added back to your library as if it was never removed.
What happens if I cancel my Apple Music subscription?
If you cancel Apple Music, you will lose access to stream or download any music in the catalog. Any music you previously downloaded will remain on your devices until manually deleted.
Is there a way to delete my listening history?
There is no way to manually delete your Apple Music listening history. It will automatically clear as new songs overwrite your older listening data.
Will deleting music free up storage space?
Yes, deleting downloaded music that is saved for offline playback will free up storage space on your device. The amount depends on how many songs you had downloaded.
Summary
- You can delete your entire Apple Music library in just a few taps on iPhone, iPad or Mac. This removes all downloaded and added content.
- Alternative options include deleting only downloads or individual songs/albums/artists.
- Manage your library with playlists, artist follows, and downloads to avoid needing to delete everything again.
- Re-download any music you delete as long as you maintain an active Apple Music subscription.
Deleting all of your Apple Music content can be useful for clearing out old music and giving your library a fresh start. Just make sure to download your favorites again so you can keep listening.
