How to Put Local Files to Apple Music

By Adam Gorden Updated on August 13, 2024

add music to apple music

Hello, I'm new to Apple Music and have some questions about what it has to offer. I have a large number of MP3 files that I would want to add to my Apple Music library. Is it possible to add local files to Apple Music? What are my choices in this situation?

– User from Reddit.

Apple Music is an excellent app for listening to music. The elegant and clear UI has won many users' praises. You can stream over 90 million songs, albums, and podcasts from Apple Music. Apple Music now also support Lossless Audio and Spatial Audio to improve the listening experience of users. And it's convenient for you to add your music files from local to Apple Music to build up your own music library.

To add local files to Apple Music, you may follow the guides below. Here we'll show you detailed steps to add audio to Apple Music. Before we start, if you are a Windows user, make sure you have downloaded iTunes on your desktop. To play local files with Apple Music on your phone, you need to subscribe to Apple Music. Then you can sync the library from the computer to your phone.

add music to apple music
How to Add a Song to Apple Music

Wanna know how to add music to your Apple Music library, even from your own music? Here's the complete tutorial. You'll learn how to add music to Apple Music, and, sync them to all your Apple devices.

Part 1. How to Put Local Files to Apple Music for PC/Mac

Your music collection is unique, and some of your favorite tracks might not be available on streaming platforms. Whether it's a rare find, a personal recording, or an old favorite, Apple Music allows you to add these local files directly to your library. By using the Apple Music app on your PC or Mac, you can easily upload compatible files, making them accessible across all your Apple devices. This way, your entire music collection is always with you, wherever you go.

What You Need:

  • Apple Music Subscription: Ensure you have an active subscription.
  • iCloud Music Library Enabled: Turn on iCloud Music Library in your settings to sync files across devices.
  • Supported File Formats: Use MP3, AAC, ALAC, AIFF, or WAV files.
  • Organized Music Files: Keep your local files neatly organized for easy access.

Uploading Local Files for Windows/Mac:

add folder to library itunes

  1. Open iTunes or Apple Music:
    • On Windows, launch iTunes. If it's not installed, download it from the Apple website.
    • On Mac, open the Apple Music app. If you're using an older macOS version, you might still be using iTunes, and the steps will be similar to those for Windows.
  2. In the app, click "File" in the menu bar.
  3. music app file

  4. Select either "Add File to Library" (for individual tracks) or "Add Folder to Library" (for an entire music folder).
  5. add music to music mac

  6. Browse your computer for the music files or folders you want to add, select them, and click "Open."
  7. The added files will appear in your library. You can create playlists or simply enjoy the tracks within your collection.

Part 2. How to Sync Local Files across Devices

After adding your local files to Apple Music, the next step is to sync them across all your Apple devices. Using iCloud Music Library, you can ensure that your entire music collection—including local files—is accessible wherever you go. This requires an Apple Music subscription and might necessitate additional iCloud storage, especially if your music library is large.

What You Need:

  • Apple Music Subscription: Required for iCloud Music Library syncing.
  • iCloud Storage: Additional storage may be necessary for large music libraries.
  • Organized Local Files: Ensure your files are correctly added to Apple Music.

Syncing Local Files across Devices:

  1. On your PC or Mac, open iTunes (Windows) or Apple Music (Mac), and go to "Preferences."
  2. Enable "iCloud Music Library" (Windows) or "Sync Library" (Mac). This allows your local files to be synced across devices.
  3. Upload or match local files:
    • If your local files match songs available in Apple Music, they'll be automatically added to your library.
    • For unmatched files, Apple Music will upload them to iCloud. This might take some time depending on the file size.
  4. On your iPhone/iPad, go to "Settings" > "Music" and turn on "Sync Library." Your local files will then be available on your mobile devices.
  5. ios settings music sync library

  6. Ensure "Sync Library" is enabled on all supportive devices where you want your music.

    mac music app sync library turn on

    Tip: If your music collection is large, consider purchasing additional iCloud storage. You can manage storage settings on your iPhone, iPad, or through iCloud preferences on your Mac.
  7. Once synced, your local files will be accessible across all your Apple devices, allowing you to enjoy your entire collection anywhere.

Part 3. How to Put Local Files to Apple Music for iOS

If you prefer to have your own music files on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod without needing an Apple Music subscription, you can manually sync these files using iTunes or Finder. This method is ideal for transferring personal music collections directly to your device.

What You Need:

  • iTunes or Finder: For syncing, use iTunes on Windows or macOS Mojave and earlier, or Finder on macOS Catalina and later.
  • Local Music Files: Ensure they are in a supported format (MP3, AAC, ALAC, AIFF, WAV).
  • iOS Device: An iPhone, iPad, or iPod.

Syncing Local Files for Windows:

  1. Open iTunes on your Windows PC and connect your iOS device with a USB cable.
  2. Click on the device icon in the upper-left corner of iTunes.
  3. Click "Music" in the sidebar.
  4. Check "Sync Music" and choose either "Entire music library" or "Selected playlists, artists, albums, and genres."
  5. sync entire music library to iphone

  6. If your local files are not in iTunes, add them by going to "File" > "Add File to Library" or "Add Folder to Library."
  7. Click "Apply" or "Sync" to start transferring your music files to your iOS device.
  8. Open the "Music" app on your iOS device to find and play your synced local files.

Syncing Local Files for Mac:

  1. Open Finder on your Mac and connect your iOS device with a USB cable.
  2. Select your device from the sidebar under "Locations."
  3. sync music mac

  4. Go to the "Music" tab and check "Sync music onto [your device]."
  5. Choose to sync "Entire music library" or "Selected artists, albums, genres, and playlists."
  6. Add local files to your Apple Music library if needed by going to "File" > "Add to Library."
  7. Click "Apply" to start syncing your music files to your iOS device.
  8. Open the "Music" app on your iOS device to find and play your synced local files.

Part 4. How to Put Local Files to Apple Music for Android

Apple Music on Android focuses on streaming its extensive catalog and doesn't support local file playback. To listen to your own music files, you'll need to store them on your device and use a different music player app, like Poweramp, VLC Media Player, or similar. Here's how you can use Poweramp to play your local music files.

Playing Local Files with Poweramp for Android:

poweramp settings library import music folder

  1. Download and install Poweramp from the Google Play Store.
  2. Launch the Poweramp app on your Android device.
  3. In Poweramp, go to "Settings" and then "Library."
  4. Select "Music Folders" and navigate to the folder containing your local music files.
  5. Choose the folder and tap "Select Folders" to add it to Poweramp.
  6. Go to the Poweramp library and locate the folder you added.
  7. Tap on a track to start playing it.

Part 5. How to Convert Apple Music to MP3

If you need to convert your music library to commonly used formats that aren't supported by the iTunes app, you will need a third-party software tool called ViWizard Apple Music Converter. Additionally, if you've lost the original file on your computer but kept it in the iTunes music library, you can use ViWizard Audio Converter to redownload it as local files. After downloading music from your library to a compatible format with your media player, you can transfer the files to your devices and play them offline.

Best Apple Music Converter - ViWizard Audio Converter

Added with the DRM-removal function, ViWizard Apple Music Converter is designed for iTunes users to convert and download various content types to commonly used formats such as MP3, M4A, M4B, WAV, AAC, and FLAC. In addition to converting and downloading local files you add to the iTunes app, Apple Music, iTunes music, podcasts, audiobooks, and Audible audiobooks are supported by ViWizard. When extracting music from iTunes, ViWizard will keep the lossless audio quality and full ID3 tags with the downloaded music. After conversion, you can put the files on any device you want with no limits.

audio converter

Key Features of ViWizard Audio Converter

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* Security verified. 5, 481,347 people have downloaded it.

  • Converts protected iTunes, Apple Music songs, and radio shows into MP3, M4A, AAC, FLAC, and other common formats.
  • Boosts conversion speed up to 30X faster with high output quality preserved.
  • Remove the protection of all songs from your iTunes Library for playback anywhere.

Step 1 Import Apple Music for the Conversion

add apple music songs

To install the ViWizard Apple Music Converter on your PC or Mac, click the link above. Then, just launch the software and select the Music Note button to import the downloaded Apple tracks from your Apple Music library. Another option is to drag the downloaded Apple tracks from their folder on your PC and place them into ViWizard.

Step 2 Adjust Audio Parameters with the Converter

set output settings

Once all of your target files have been properly imported, click the Format button in the lower-left corner to select an output format from MP3, AAC, FLAC, WAV, M4A, or M4B. We recommend using MP3 as the output format. Click the OK button to save all of your selections.

Step 3 Remove the Restriction of Apple Music

convert apple music to mp3

Finally, after all of your options are in place, simply hit the Convert button, and ViWizard will begin the conversion while unlocking the DRM limitation. When the procedure is completed, you will be able to discover all Apple Music tracks in MP3 format. To check, simply click the Converted button.

Conclusion:

After reading the article, now you may know how to put local files to Apple Music. You may import local files to Apple Music or iTunes on your computer first, then you can sync the files to your phone. To play Apple Music in other places, you can use ViWizard Audio Converter to download Apple Music in MP3 or other formats you want.

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