Should you wish to keep your entire music streamlined across your devices like iPhone, iPad, Mac, “iCloud Music Library” is the way to go. But what if you have collected many non-iTunes or Apple Music songs and want to keep them separate? Well, you can choose to turn off iCloud Music Library to prevent your local music from syncing across the board.
Do note that you won’t have any problem in using Apple Music without iCloud Music Library both on your iPhone and Mac. But there are some obvious downsides like you won’t have access to the cloud-based copy of the Mac’s iTunes library. Besides, you can’t stream your computer’s uploaded tracks on your other devices. However, you will be allowed to access and stream the purchased iTunes content.
Sticky Note:
- Though iCloud Music Library works pretty well in letting you keep your tracks organized and in perfect sync. However, in some cases, it might replace high-quality audio files with lower quality iTunes Store copies. Besides, mismatched album artwork and wrong metadata are some of the errors that occasionally crop up
- Overall, you aren’t entirely on the receiving end, if you don’t use this service. One more thing the process of turning OFF/ON iCloud Music Library is same as before in iOS 13/12 and macOS Catalina/Mojave
How to Turn OFF iCloud Music Library in iOS 13 and iPadOS
Ensure that you are signed to the iCloud account using the same Apple ID, which you use for Apple Music.
Step #1. Launch Settings app on the iOS device → Tap on Music.
Step #2. Scroll down and check iCloud Music Library.
Step #4. Now you can either toggle iCloud Music Library ON or OFF.
Upon toggling ON, you will be asked to merge or replace the music available on your iPhone at present; upon toggling OFF, you will be warned that downloaded Apple Music songs can disappear.
Taking control of iCloud Music Library is just as straightforward on Mac.
How to Turn OFF/ON iCloud Music Library on Mac
Step #1. Launch iTunes on Mac.
Step #2. Click on iTunes button from the top Menu Bar → Now click on Preferences.
Step #3. Click on the General tab.
Step #4. Here, you can check or uncheck the box of iCloud Music Library.
That’s it! If you ever want to use this feature again, follow all the steps demonstrated above and then turn it on in the end.
Wrapping up…
Personally, I’ve always loved using this music syncing feature as it makes super convenient to manage tracks. But then again, it all boils down to your specific need and taste. With the opt-out option in the offing, you have complete control over it. And that’s really good from a user’s perspective.
Have a quick look at the below posts as well:
Given a chance, what’s the one thing you would add to iCloud Music Library? Shoot your feedback with us in the comment section.
The founder of iGeeksBlog, Dhvanesh, is an Apple aficionado, who cannot stand even a slight innuendo about Apple products. He dons the cap of editor-in-chief to make sure that articles match the quality standard before they are published.