Hi there! I'm Adrian, a music enthusiast and tech aficionado with years of experience navigating the ins and outs of various music streaming platforms, including Apple Music. I've helped countless people understand their subscriptions and make the most of their listening experiences. So, you're wondering about what happens to your songs after Apple Music? Let's dive into that.

Here's the thing: with Apple Music, you don't actually "keep" the songs in the traditional sense of owning a physical copy or even a permanent digital download. Think of it more like having a backstage pass to a massive music library. As long as you're an active subscriber, you have unlimited access to stream and download songs, albums, and playlists from Apple Music's vast catalog.

Now, you might be thinking about all those songs you meticulously curated into playlists or downloaded for offline listening. What happens to them when your subscription lapses? Well, here's the catch: once your subscription ends, so does your access to stream or listen to any music associated with your Apple Music account.

That means all those carefully crafted playlists will go into a state of suspended animation, and those downloaded songs? They'll become unplayable until you renew your subscription. It's like the music takes a temporary break while it awaits your return.

Now, this doesn't mean you have to say goodbye to your music forever. As soon as you reactivate your Apple Music subscription, your music library will spring back to life. Your playlists will be there waiting, and you can resume enjoying your favorite tunes.

Here's a breakdown of what happens:

**When your Apple Music subscription is active:**

* Unlimited Streaming: Enjoy unlimited, on-demand access to millions of songs.
* Offline Downloads: Download songs, albums, or playlists for offline listening.
* Personalized Playlists: Create and customize playlists to your heart's content.
* Music Library Integration: Add songs to your personal library for easy access.

When your Apple Music subscription ends:

* Streaming Access Suspended: You can no longer stream any music from Apple Music.
* Offline Downloads Unavailable: Downloaded songs become unplayable.
* Playlists Inaccessible: Your playlists are still associated with your account but cannot be accessed.
* Music Library Remains: Your library of added songs remains, but they are not playable.

**When you reactivate your Apple Music subscription:**

* Music Access Restored: Streaming and offline listening become available again.
* Downloads Functional: Previously downloaded songs are playable.
* Playlists Accessible: You can access and edit your playlists.
* Music Library Active: Your library of songs is available for streaming and download.

The key takeaway is that Apple Music operates on a subscription model, granting access to music as long as your subscription is active. Think of it like renting a fantastic music collection—you get to enjoy it fully while you're subscribed, but you don't get to keep the physical records once your rental period ends.

Remember, if you have any music you absolutely want to "keep" permanently, purchasing those songs or albums digitally or on physical media is always an option! This ensures you own a copy independent of any streaming service.

I hope this clears up any confusion! If you have more questions or need further clarification, feel free to ask. Happy listening!
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As mentioned above, Apple Music streams are DRM-locked, which restricts you from listening to downloaded Apple Music tracks after canceling subscription. To keep your downloaded Apple Music songs forever on your iPhone, iPad, Mac or other devices, you should remove DRM from Apple Music songs.read more >>