Restore Your Apple Music Library After Subscription Ends

Part 1: Why My Apple Music Is Not Being Recovered?

Many users have reported renewing their Apple Music subscription only to find their entire library missing. Playlists, albums, and saved songs seem to have vanished, with no clear explanation from Apple. Some users recall previous instances where their library was restored after resubscribing, but now, the content appears to be permanently gone.

One user's case is all too familiar:

"I had a library of numerous albums on Apple Music but I unsubscribed for some time. I resubscribed tonight with the same AppleID but the albums I saved have disappeared. I had done this before (unsubscribing and resubscribing) and then I had the access to all my previous library. But this time, all seems to have erased."

Apple Music operates as a subscription-based service, meaning users don't actually own their music. When a subscription expires, access to saved content is revoked, and unless a backup exists, there's no way to 100% guarantee recovery. Even those who resubscribe shortly after cancellation often find their libraries wiped clean.

Apple Support's response to frustrated users is typically blunt:

"My apologies for the inconvenience but once Apple Music subscription gets cancelled, all your music and playlists from the Apple Music catalog also get removed. No option to have those recovered. You will need to manually rebuild your playlists and download songs."

While this policy remains firm, some users have found ways to minimize the impact. Keeping a separate record of favorite artists, albums, and playlists before canceling a subscription can make rebuilding easier later. Additionally, enabling iCloud Music Library ensures that personal uploads and purchases remain accessible.

That is to say, for those currently facing this issue, there may still be hope. In the next sections, we'll explore different methods to recover a lost Apple Music library and offer steps to prevent this from happening again.

Part 2: How to Restore My Online Apple Music Library

If your Apple Music library and playlists have disappeared after missing a payment, your access to the service—and the music you've built up with your Apple ID—has been restricted due to an unpaid balance. To regain access, you'll need to restore your Apple Music library and reactivate your subscription.

Method 1: Enable Sync Library (iCloud Music Library)

One of the first things to check is whether Sync Library is enabled. This feature allows your Apple Music library and playlists to be stored in iCloud and synced across all your devices using the same Apple ID.

How to Renew Your Apple Music Subscription:

1. Open the Apple Music app on your iPhone or iPad.
2. Tap the Profile icon in the upper-right corner.
3. Tap any available subscription button, such as "Get 1 Month for $10.99".
4. Choose the plan you want to renew (Individual, Family, Student, or Voice).
5. Tap "Subscribe" and follow the on-screen instructions. If prompted, update your payment method.
6. Once renewed, restart the Apple Music app and your device.
7. After restarting, open the Apple Music app and check if your library has been restored.

How to Sync Your Apple Music Library:

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
2. Scroll down and tap Music.
3. Toggle on "Sync Library" under the LIBRARY section.
4. Ensure "Show Apple Music" is also enabled under the APPLE MUSIC section.
5. Wait for the syncing process to complete, then check your Apple Music app to see if your library has returned.

Method 2: Restore Purchases

If you've previously purchased music through the iTunes Store, you can redownload your purchased songs and albums without repurchasing them. Unlike Apple Music's streaming library, purchased music is permanently linked to your Apple ID.

How to Restore Purchased Music:

1. Open the iTunes Store app on your iPhone or iPad.
2. Tap on your Profile icon in the upper-right corner.
3. Select "Purchased", then choose "Music".
4. Browse through your past purchases and tap the Download button next to the songs or albums you want to restore.
5. Once downloaded, these tracks will appear in your Apple Music library.

Alternatively:

• For iPhone/iPad:
  • Go to Settings > tap your name > iTunes & App Store > tap your Apple ID > View Apple ID > Purchase History > Restore Purchases.
• For Mac:
  • Open the Music app > Account > Purchased > Restore Purchases.

Method 3: Rebuild Your Apple Music Library

If your Apple Music library is lost after resubscribing, you might still have some data stored within Apple's system. This includes your Loved songs, listening history, and previous preferences—elements that can help you reconstruct your library.

How to Use Smart Playlists to Rebuild Your Library:

Apple Music's Smart Playlists can help automatically regroup songs based on specific criteria, such as Loved songs, most-played tracks, or recently added music. This method allows you to recover parts of your lost library without manually searching for every song.

How to Create a Smart Playlist:

1. Open the Apple Music app on your Mac or iTunes on your PC.
2. Go to File > New > Smart Playlist.



3. Set the criteria for the playlist. You can use filters like:

   

   • Loved status (Songs you previously marked as "Loved" may still be recognized).
   • Play count (Find your most-played songs).
   • Recently added (Recreate a library based on your last listening habits).
4. Click OK to save the playlist.
5. If you previously had playlists based on play history, create Smart Playlists with similar rules to recreate those lists.
6. Once complete, check your sidebar for the newly created Smart Playlists.

Workaround: Request a Restore from Apple

Apple allows users in certain regions to request a copy of their personal Apple ID data through the Apple Privacy website. While this won't directly restore your Apple Music library, it may contain information about your previous music history, which can help with rebuilding your collection.

How to Request a Copy of Your Apple Music Data:

1. Visit the Apple Privacy website (privacy.apple.com).
2. Sign in with your Apple ID associated with Apple Music.
3. Select "Request a copy of your data".



4. Choose the data categories you want to include—make sure to check "Apple Media Services Information".



5. Scroll down and click "Continue".
6. Select a maximum file size, then review your request.
7. Click "Complete Request" to submit.
8. Apple will process your request and send you a downloadable file containing details of your Apple Music history.

Part 3. How to Restore My Local Apple Music Library

If your locally stored Apple Music library is missing or inaccessible, you can restore it using several methods depending on whether your music was uploaded to Apple Music, backed up externally, or still stored on your computer.

Method 1: Restore Apple Music Uploads

One of the first things to check is whether Sync Library is enabled. This feature ensures your uploaded songs are stored in iCloud and synced across all your devices signed in with the same Apple ID. Once enabled, your uploaded songs should reappear on all your devices. If they don't, ensure you're signed into the correct Apple ID and give it time to sync.

How to Enable Sync Library:

• On Windows:
  1. Open iTunes.
  2. In the menu bar, go to Edit > Preferences.
  3. Under the General tab, check iCloud Music Library.
  4. Click OK to save changes.
• On Mac:
  1. Open the Music app.
  2. In the menu bar, go to Music > Preferences.
  3. Under the General tab, check Sync Library.
  4. Click OK to confirm.

Method 2: Restore from a Backup

If you've backed up your music library before, restoring it from the backup will recover your playlists, play counts, and metadata. This method restores your library to its state at the time of the last backup, including ratings, playlists, and track information.

How to Restore Your Music Library from a Backup:

1. Locate your backup on an external drive or cloud storage.
2. Close the Music app (or iTunes on Windows).
3. Navigate to your computer's Music folder:
   • Mac: ~/Music/Music
   • Windows: C:\Users\[Your Username]\Music\iTunes
4. Find and replace the current Music (or iTunes) folder with the backup copy.
5. Hold down the Option key (Mac) or Shift key (Windows) while launching the Music app or iTunes.
6. When prompted, select Choose Library.
7. Navigate to the restored Music Library.musiclibrary file and open it.

Workaround: Manually Add Songs Back

If your music files are still on your computer but missing from your library, you can manually re-add them. While this method requires a bit more effort, it ensures your locally stored music is restored to your library.

1. Open iTunes (Windows) or Music (Mac).
2. Right-click a missing track and select Show in Windows Explorer (Windows) or Show in Finder (Mac).
3. If the file is missing, search your computer's Music folder or specific artist/album directories.
4. Drag and drop recovered music files into the Music app or iTunes.
5. Alternatively, use File > Add to Library to select and import multiple files at once.

Part 4: How to Backup My Apple Music Library

Backing up your Apple Music library is a smart way to protect your curated playlists and favorite songs. You can use services like TuneMyMusic or Soundiiz to export your library to a CSV file, which ensures you have a detailed record of your music collection. Alternatively, you can choose ViWizard to download your entire Apple Music library to keep forever.

Method 1: Export Apple Music to CSV

1. Open your web browser and go to the Apple Music to file page on TuneMyMusic.
2. Click "Let's start."



3. Select Apple Music and click "Load from Apple Music account." Sign in with your Apple ID and allow the necessary permissions, including "Sync Library."



4. Choose "Playlists" based on what you want to back up.
5. Click "Export to file" and select CSV as the format.



6. Review your selections, then click "Transfer" and save the file to your computer.



7. Open the CSV file to ensure all your music details are included.

Method 2: Convert Apple Music Library Entirely

Apple indeed provides various options for users to back up their Apple Music library like iCloud. However, backing up your Apple Music library using an Apple Music downloader is highly recommended as it allows you to store your music library to your device locally, or an external hard drive. You can do this by downloading your entire Apple Music library with ViWizard Apple Music Converter on your computer. All your music, podcasts, audiobooks, and the local files you uploaded to your Apple Music library can be included.

ViWizard Apple Music Converter is an all-in-one conversion tool designed for Apple Music users to download various types of contents in their music library. To make the downloaded music transferrable and compatible with a device or platform, users can set the output format as MP3, M4A, M4B, WAV, AAC, or FLAC. For better music management on a device, ViWizard also download and embed the metadata, including title, artist, album, genre, and more. Moreover, it ensures a positive listening experience with keeping the lossless audio.

Key Features of ViWizard Audio Converter

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• Convert songs, albums, and playlists from Apple Music to MP3
• Remove DRM protection from Apple Music, iTunes, and Audible
• Save the converted audios with the original quality and ID3 tags
• Support the conversion of up to 100 audio formats to others

Step 1Sign in to Your Apple Music Account

Launch the ViWizard Apple Music Converter and log in using your Apple ID. This grants you access to your Apple Music library, enabling you to choose and convert your favorite songs, albums, or playlists into formats compatible with your Tesla's media system.

Step 2Adjust Output Settings

Navigate to the settings by clicking the hamburger menu in the top-right corner and selecting Preferences. Choose your preferred output format, such as MP3, which works well with the Tesla Media Player. You can also fine-tune other settings like sample rate, bit rate, and audio channels. Once you're satisfied with your settings, click OK to save them.

Step 3Add Music to the Conversion Queue

In the ViWizard Web Player, search for the music you want to back up. Browse your library or paste a playlist or album URL into the address bar. Once you've found the desired songs, click "Add Music" to add them to the conversion list.

Step 4Begin the Conversion Process

After your music is added to the list, click "Convert" to start the download and conversion. ViWizard will download and convert your Apple Music tracks into MP3 (or your selected format). Once the process is finished, your converted music will be saved in the designated output folder. To locate your files, click the History button and use the "Open Folder" icon to access your converted songs.

Conclusion

Congratulations! You've successfully reclaimed your precious Apple Music library once again. Remember that in this ever-changing digital landscape, safeguarding your music library is crucial. Take advantage of ViWizard Apple Music Converter's features like downloading your music to make a permanent backup of your Apple Music library across all your devices.