How to add songs to apple music on iphone

How to add songs to apple music on iphone

Apple Music has been available to the public for just about a month now, and so far the service looks like it will only continue to pick up steam as more non-streaming iPhone owners convert. But what do you do if you want to merge your current collection of indie hits, self-recorded tracks, and underground songs into Apple’s growing streaming archive?

Thankfully, the process of importing your own music into the Apple Music library is easy, and works both from the iTunes desktop client, and any music you have stored or recorded on your mobile iOS device.

Initial Setup

Initially when you join Apple Music, the service will automatically scan any local libraries you have to see if you have any music which is already available in the streaming archive.

How to add songs to apple music on iphone

If it doesn’t register any hits on the music you want to add, you can then begin the process of importing your own music into the iTunes/iCloud ecosystem of storage and playback.

Adding Songs

First, go into the iTunes Menu using the desktop client. Click the icon in the top right corner, and choose the “Add File to Library” option from the drop-down menu.

How to add songs to apple music on iphone

Find the song you want to add from your computer, and open it in iTunes.

How to add songs to apple music on iphone

Once the file is synced, you can either create a playlist with it including any music bought on your iTunes account or incorporate it into a library with your favorited and saved Apple Music tracks.

How to add songs to apple music on iphone

Format Restrictions and Rules

Prior to uploading, any songs that are encoded in the formats of WAV, ALAC, or AIFF will be transcoded to a separate temporary AAC 256 Kbps file locally, though the original files will remain intact. You’ll also need to be sure that throughout uploading, your iTunes iCloud Music Library is enabled so you don’t lose any tracks between your desktop, laptop, and mobile devices.

How to add songs to apple music on iphone

In this same set of restrictions, even specific MP3 files (as well as AAC) will have to meet a certain criteria before they are approved for Apple Music synchronization.

How to add songs to apple music on iphone

Once the music has been scanned and approved by the service, you’ll be able to create playlists that seamlessly.


After the song(s) are added to the iTunes iCloud Music Library, you’ll be able to access them from any iOS device of your choosing as long as the track itself is not DRM encrypted by a third party.

Image Credits: Apple iTunes, Wikimedia 1

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An Apple Music subscription lets you access your music files on multiple devices, but by default this only includes music purchased inside the app. Fortunately, the service comes with free cloud storage for any type of music files, and it's pretty straightforward to set this up if you have access to a computer.

You can also list your own musical creations in Apple Music.

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    Create a new library (optional). This method adds your entire music collection to Apple Music all at once. If you only care about a few songs, it's faster to create a separate library just for them:[3]

    • Quit iTunes
    • Hold down Shift and open it again.
    • Select Create library and choose a location that's easy to find again.

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    Add your music files to iTunes. To add one file to iTunes, choose File > Add File to Library in the top menu. To add a whole folder full of audio files, choose File > Add Folder to Library. You can also drag and drop files or folders directly into the iTunes window.[4]

    • If you bought the music on Windows Media Player, it might have DRM protection that prevents this from working.[5] Try converting it to an unprotected file first.

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    Back up your music files. Do this for all devices connected to your Apple ID, so you won't lose your music if something goes wrong.[6]

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    Sync your music files to the cloud. From the top menu, select Edit > Preferences. In the pop-up window, click the General tab, then select iCloud Music Library.[7]

    • If you don't see this option, double check that you're logged in to your Apple account inside iTunes.

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    Click OK and wait for your music to sync. If you have a large music collection or slow internet, this could take a long time. Once completed, you should be able to play your music on any device connected to your Apple ID.[8]

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    Go back to your old library. After the sync is done, if you created a new library earlier and want to return to your main one, just quit iTunes and reopen it while holding down Shift. Select Choose Library... and choose the file location of your old iTunes library. The default location is C:\Users\(your username)\Music\iTunes\iTunes Media\iTunes Library.[9]

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    Open iTunes or Music on your computer. This pre-installed application is called Music on Mac OS 11 Big Sur, and iTunes on Mac OS X.[10]

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    Create a new library (optional). Apple Music only lets you add a whole music library at once, not individual files. If you only care about adding a few songs, create a new library just for them:[11]

    • Quit iTunes (or Music)
    • Hold down Option, and open it again.
    • Select Create Library... and select an easy-to-find location for a new music library.

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    Add the audio files to your music library. You can drag and drop a file directly into your iTunes or Music window to import it. Or you can use the top menu: select File, then Add to Library or Import.[12]

    • You can select a folder to import all audio files inside that folder.
    • If this doesn't work, search your Mac for the folder called "Automatically add to iTunes". Drag the audio files into this folder, a few at a time.[13]

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    Create a backup of your music library. The next step is going to sync your music files to the cloud. It's a very good idea to have a backup first, just in case something goes wrong with the transfer.[14]

    • Do this for all devices connected to your Apple ID.

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    Sync your library to iCloud. A subscription to Apple Music includes access to cloud storage for your music. Sync your music library (including the files you just added) to iCloud so you can access it using Apple Music on any device:[15]

    • Mac OS 11 Big Sur: In the top menu, select Music > Preferences. Check the box next to Sync Library.
    • Mac OS X: In the top menu, select iTunes > Preferences. Check the box next to iCloud Music Library.

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    Click OK and wait for the sync. Once your music is done being uploaded to the cloud, you can play it from any device, as long as you're logged in with the same Apple ID.[16]

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    Return to your old library. If you made a new library earlier, you can return to your old library once the sync is done without affecting your Apple Music collection:

    • Quit iTunes (or Music).
    • Hold down the Option key, then open the app again.
    • Select Choose library... and browse your files to find the original iTunes library file. The default location is Users/(your username)/Music/iTunes/iTunes Media/iTunes Library.itl.

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    Prepare your songs' metadata. Your tracks might be finished, but don't forget the extra data Apple uses to make your songs easy to find. That metadata includes the composer and performer credits, song title, the language of the lyrics, and many other pieces of info. Using accurate and complete info will help your song get approved by Apple.

    • For Apple's full metadata guidelines, see https://help.apple.com/itc/musicstyleguide/en.lproj/static.html/

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    Sign up for a music distributor. This is your go-between that gets your music on the platform and collects royalties for you. There are many distributors and each offers different terms and extra services (like publicity and publishing deals), so take your time researching them.[17] If your main focus is Apple Music and iTunes, choose an Apple-preferred distributor from the list at https://artists.apple.com/partners.

    • Once you have a distributor, you'll use their service for the final steps of getting your music onto Apple's platform. If you're confused about the process, contact the distributor's customer support team.

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    Look into joining a performing rights organization. Your "PRO" collects royalties for you when your music is used commercially.[18] This isn't something you need right away, but look into it if you've signed to a publishing deal or if your music is getting popular.[19]

    • You can only be a member of one PRO at a time, so research their offers carefully. The largest PROs in the US are BMI, ASCAP, and SESAC. If you're in the UK, look into PRS for Music or PPL.

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  • Apple's syncing service doesn't always upload your file directly. If there's a matching item in Apple's database, it will play that instead. This means any metadata on your own tracks could disappear—so be careful and make a backup first if that's important to you.[20]

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  • On the default settings, iTunes or Music doesn't make a copy of an imported file—it creates a pointer to the file's location. Make sure you don't move any of your "imported" files until after they're synced to the cloud.[21]

    <b>Thanks! We’re glad this was helpful.</b><br />Looking for more fun ways to learn on wikiHow?<br />Learn about yourself with <a href='/Quizzes'><b>Quizzes</b></a> or try our brand new <a href='/Games/Train-Your-Brain'><b>Train Your Brain</b></a> word game.

  • After syncing, your library will automatically update to match any changes on your devices. Deleting a song on your phone will delete it on all synced devices.

    <b>Thanks! We’re glad this was helpful.</b><br />Looking for more fun ways to learn on wikiHow?<br />Learn about yourself with <a href='/Quizzes'><b>Quizzes</b></a> or try our brand new <a href='/Games/Train-Your-Brain'><b>Train Your Brain</b></a> word game.

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Is this article up to date?

How do I add music to Apple Music from iPhone?

How to Add MP3 to Apple Music on iPhone with iTunes.
Connect iPhone to computer via the USB cable..
Trust the computer..
When your iPhone is recognized by iTunes, click the Device tab..
Choose Music > Tick Sync Music > Choose your MP3 files > Click Apply..

How do I add my own music to Apple Music?

In the Music app on your Mac, choose File > Add To Library or File > Import. If you selected “Copy files to Music Media folder when adding to library” in Files preferences, you see File > Import. Locate a file or folder, then click Open. If you add a folder, all the files it contains are added to your library.

Why can't I add songs to Apple Music?

Restart the Apple Music app: Apps > Settings > Apps > Apple Music > Force Stop. Return to the Home Screen or application list, and reopen Apple Music. Clear the App cache: Apps > Settings> Apps > Apple Music > Storage > Clear Cache. Return to the Home Screen or application list, and reopen Apple Music.