How to Cancel Apple Music — The Complete Guide

Apple Music offers access to over 100 million songs with lossless audio quality. If you have decided it is time to cancel, the process is slightly different on each device. This guide covers every platform.

How to Cancel Apple Music on iPhone or iPad

1. Open the Settings app.
2. Tap your Apple ID at the top of the screen.
3. Tap Subscriptions.
4. Find Apple Music in the list and tap it.
5. Tap Cancel Subscription (or Cancel Free Trial if applicable).
6. Confirm the cancellation.

How to Cancel Apple Music on Mac

1. Open the Music app (or Apple TV app).
2. Click Account in the menu bar then Account Settings.
3. Scroll to the Subscriptions section and click Manage.
4. Find Apple Music and click Edit.
5. Click Cancel Subscription and confirm.

How to Cancel Apple Music on Windows or Android

1. Open iTunes on Windows, or the Apple Music app on Android.
2. Go to Account then View My Account (or subscription settings).
3. Scroll to Subscriptions and click Manage.
4. Click Cancel next to Apple Music.

Cancellation Methods Comparison

| Cancel Method | Difficulty | Time Required | Refund Policy | |---|---|---|---| | iPhone / iPad Settings | Easy | 2 minutes | No refund; access until billing period ends | | Mac Music App | Easy | 3 minutes | Same as iPhone | | iTunes (Windows) | Easy | 3 minutes | Same policy | | Android App | Easy | 3 minutes | Same policy | | Apple Support Chat | Easy | 5-10 minutes | May offer courtesy refund for recent charges |

What Happens After Canceling Apple Music

• You keep access until the current billing period ends.
• Downloaded songs for offline listening are removed from your device.
• Songs you added to your library from Apple Music become unavailable.
• Music you purchased from iTunes before subscribing remains yours.
• Your playlists are saved but songs from Apple Music within them become grayed out.

Best Apple Music Alternatives

• Spotify Premium — Superior playlist curation and social features. Better discovery algorithm for most users.
• YouTube Music — Comes with YouTube Premium for ad-free YouTube. Good for music video fans.
• Amazon Music Unlimited — Affordable for Prime members. Spatial audio and lossless quality included.
• Tidal — Best-in-class audio quality. Strong support for artists with higher royalty payments.
• Deezer — Global availability with 90 million tracks. Flow feature creates personalized radio.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will I lose my purchased music if I cancel Apple Music?

No. Songs purchased through iTunes are yours to keep regardless of your Apple Music subscription status. You only lose access to the streaming catalog.

Can I keep my playlists after canceling?

Your playlists remain in your account, but any songs that were from the Apple Music streaming catalog become unavailable. Songs you purchased or uploaded yourself remain playable.

Is there a free tier of Apple Music?

Apple Music does not have a free ad-supported tier like Spotify. However, Apple offers a generous free trial period (typically 1 month) for new subscribers.