If you recently deleted your songs in either Apple Music or iTunes, you can still restore them using iCloud. Although, it is worth noting that you can only restore music if you’ve already backed up your data to iCloud in the past.
It’s also important to know the location and type of your songs. If it is only an individual file on your phone, you may also be able to retrieve it using your iCloud backup. That being said, there are a couple of ways to regain access to your lost music.
Can You Restore Music from iCloud?
Here are multiple ways to restore music on your Apple devices using iCloud and other methods.
Restore Music via iCloud Backup
When migrating data to another phone or a new iPhone, you can restore all your backed-up contents while setting it up. Similarly, you can also backup Apple Music content along with other data on the QuickStart screen. This is helpful if you had recently deleted your songs on Apple Music.
In this solution, we’re going to wipe data from your phone and then launch the Apps & Data screen where you can restore data from previous backups.
Note: The following methods will involve erasing all your current content. So, we advise you proceed only after backing up your iPhone. You can even create multiple backup versions.
- Go to Settings and then General.
- Tap on Transfer or Reset iPhone.
- Select the Erase All Content and Settings option and proceed.
- Restart your iPhone and follow the on-screen options until you reach the Apps & Data page.
- Tap on the Restore from iCloud Backup option.
- Log in using your Apple ID and tap on Agree in the Terms and Conditions pop-up option.
- Select your preferred backup file that includes all your Apple Music content.
- Wait for the process to finish.
Restore Music on Mac Using Finder
If you’re on a Macbook, you can restore your iCloud backup containing Apple Music data using Finder. If you’re using macOS Mojave or older, you’ll need to use iTunes instead of Finder. Here are the steps to follow:
- Open Finder and connect your iPhone to your Mac using the lightning connector.
- Your Mac will ask you to select the Trust This Computer option on your iPhone.
- On the Finder app, click on your iPhone to select it.
- Once you can see your iPhone details, check the Backups section.
- Click on the Restore Backup option. You can choose from different backup versions. Make sure it includes all your Apple Music content.
- Then, click on Restore. If it also includes an encrypted backup, you’ll need to enter the password.
Meanwhile, you can use iTunes to restore iCloud backup on a Windows PC. Here’s what you’ll need to do:
- Connect your iPhone to your PC and then open iTunes.
- Click on the Device icon to select your iPhone.
- Click on Summary from the left sidebar. Doing so will open your iPhone details.
- From the Backups section, click on the Restore Backup section.
- Select the backup version of your choice and click on Restore.
Redownload Purchased Songs
Another easy way to restore your deleted songs is by simply downloading them again. This step, however, only works for songs that you had purchased in the past. Here’s how you can do it:
On iPhone or iPad
- Launch the iTunes Store app.
- Tap on the three-dotted option and then select the Purchased option.
- Select the Not this Device option to view the songs that aren’t on your device.
- Go to Music.
- Locate the song of your choice and select it.
- Tap on the cloud button with a downward-pointing arrow to download it.
On Mac
- Launch the Apple Music app.
- Check the menu bar and go to Account.
- Then, click on Purchased.
- Find the songs you like and select them.
- Click on the Download button.
On Windows
- Open the iTunes app.
- From the menu bar, click on Account and then Purchased.
- Select your desired songs and click on Download.
If you’re a part of Family Sharing, you can check a family member to view their music purchases either on your iPhone or Mac.
Sync Apple Music from Another Device
If you want to restore songs from Apple Music that is on another Apple device, like your Macbook, you can sync them. Here’s how to do it:
- Go to Settings and then go to Music.
- From the list of options, make sure to enable the option that says Sync Library. Doing so will automatically download all the songs from your Mac via iCloud on your iPhone.
- Go back to Apple Music and check if your songs have appeared.
Check if iCloud Music Library Is Off
Your music might be lost or not displaying because the related settings have changed or if you’ve turned off iCloud Music. Although this is an easy step, you can restore your hidden songs by enabling iCloud Music Library on all your devices. Here’s what you can do:
- Go to Settings.
- Tap on Music.
- Check and make sure the Show Apple Music option is enabled.
- In the Library section, turn on the option that says iCloud Music Library. If you’re not seeing this option, it means that you’ve not subscribed to Apple Music. You can check and log in to Apple Music using your correct credentials.
- After a few minutes, go back to Apple Music and check your library.
If you’re on a Mac, you can perform the same settings in this way:
- Go to iTunes.
- Click on Edit and then go to Preferences.
- Select the General tab and then tick the box for iCloud Music library.
- You can now go back and check your library.