HT1689: iTunes Store: Frequently Asked Questions for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch

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Kwhite1

Q: how do i delete songs from my iTunes and have them also delete from my iPhone using iCloud

When i delete songs from my iTunes list the songs remain on my iPhone even though i have i Cloud

iPhone 4, iOS 6.0.1

Posted on Nov 14, 2012 4:23 PM

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Q: how do i delete songs from my iTunes and have them also delete from my iPhone using iCloud

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  • by sberman,

    sberman sberman Nov 14, 2012 4:34 PM in response to Kwhite1
    Level 8 (39,808 points)
    Nov 14, 2012 4:34 PM in response to Kwhite1

    Would you like to delete the song from iCloud as well as iTunes (and your iPhone)?

     

    If so, select the song in iTunes, click Option-Delete and check the box that says "Also delete from iCloud library".

  • by Kwhite1,

    Kwhite1 Kwhite1 Nov 14, 2012 8:32 PM in response to sberman
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 14, 2012 8:32 PM in response to sberman

    I have deleted the songs from iTunes and selected to remove them from iCloud already but they are still in my "music" app on my phone.  I tried deleting the songs using my phone by sliding left to right which used to work before upgrading to iOS 6

  • by sberman,

    sberman sberman Nov 14, 2012 10:10 PM in response to Kwhite1
    Level 8 (39,808 points)
    Nov 14, 2012 10:10 PM in response to Kwhite1

    The left to right method still works on my iPhone 5 running iOS 6.0.1 while in a list of songs.

     

    Are you using iTunes Match?  If so, is it set "On" on your iPhone?  Maybe turning it off would help.

  • by Kwhite1,

    Kwhite1 Kwhite1 Nov 14, 2012 10:36 PM in response to sberman
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 14, 2012 10:36 PM in response to sberman

    Left to right method works when iTunes Match is off but as soon as I turn it back on the songs I just deleted return to my song list. I want to be able to remove these songs from my iPhone iTunes and iCloud in one step. Is this even possible when match is turned on?

  • by sberman,

    sberman sberman Nov 14, 2012 10:38 PM in response to Kwhite1
    Level 8 (39,808 points)
    Nov 14, 2012 10:38 PM in response to Kwhite1

    I use iTunes Match and find it very useful.  I just paid for a second year.

     

    But ... I only use it on my computer.  I keep it turned off on my iPad and iPhone.

     

    That sounds like it would help you as well.

  • by Kwhite1,

    Kwhite1 Kwhite1 Nov 15, 2012 9:40 AM in response to sberman
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 15, 2012 9:40 AM in response to sberman

    The problem I have is that when I delete songs from my iTunes on my computer it doesn't automatically delete the songs from my iPhone.... With match turned on or off it doesn't make a difference

  • by sberman,

    sberman sberman Nov 15, 2012 1:17 PM in response to Kwhite1
    Level 8 (39,808 points)
    Nov 15, 2012 1:17 PM in response to Kwhite1

    From your last post, it sounds as if you're hoping to stream music to your iPhone (and your computer) from iCloud, so when you delete songs from iCloud, they will also be deleted from your iPhone.

     

    iTunes Match sort of does that, but not quite, as the songs you have played on an iOS device get stored there.

     

    Here's a snippet from the iTunes Match writeup located at:

    http://www.apple.com/itunes/itunes-match/

    Does iTunes Match stream or download songs?
    On a computer, any songs stored in iCloud will stream over the air when played, though you can download them at any time by clicking the iCloud download button. iOS devices will start playing tracks from iCloud as they download and will store them so that you can listen to them later even if you don’t have a network connection. Apple TV only streams songs.

  • by Kwhite1,

    Kwhite1 Kwhite1 Nov 15, 2012 5:01 PM in response to sberman
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 15, 2012 5:01 PM in response to sberman

    If I have iTunes Match set to off on my phone will it still automatically push downloaded songs from my phone to my computer? And if I delete songs off my phone will they automatically delete them off my computer using iCloud?

  • by sberman,

    sberman sberman Nov 15, 2012 6:26 PM in response to Kwhite1
    Level 8 (39,808 points)
    Nov 15, 2012 6:26 PM in response to Kwhite1

    If iTunes Match is off on your iPhone, then your iPhone stands alone as far as music is concerned.  The only time your computer could get involved is when you sync your iPhone to your computer.

     

    So the answer to both your questions above is "no".

  • by Kwhite1,

    Kwhite1 Kwhite1 Nov 15, 2012 7:20 PM in response to sberman
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 15, 2012 7:20 PM in response to sberman

    So there is no way to delete songs from iPhone, iTunes, and iCloud from one device. I thought that was the point of having iCloud and iTunes Match ....

  • by sberman,

    sberman sberman Nov 15, 2012 7:40 PM in response to Kwhite1
    Level 8 (39,808 points)
    Nov 15, 2012 7:40 PM in response to Kwhite1

    As the attached article describes, if your intent is to delete songs from one place and have them deleted everywhere, you can do that from your computer (as described in the article).  You cannot currently do that from an iPhone.

     

    http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4915

  • by sberman,Solvedanswer

    sberman sberman Nov 15, 2012 7:43 PM in response to Kwhite1
    Level 8 (39,808 points)
    Nov 15, 2012 7:43 PM in response to Kwhite1

    ... and, by the way, the reason I personally have iTunes Match is to get Apple's version of the music (which is occasionally better fidelity than I had previously).  Personally, even before iTunes Match, I relied on the sync process to keep my songs coordinated between my devices.

     

    I recognize this is my personal style preference, and I certainly respect that you have different preferences.

  • by Kwhite1,

    Kwhite1 Kwhite1 Nov 16, 2012 7:14 AM in response to sberman
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Nov 16, 2012 7:14 AM in response to sberman

    Sorry this didn't solve my problem. The problem I'm having is still that when I delete from my iTunes on my computer they remain on my phone even with sync wirelessly when connected to wifi is set to on. Is there another way to delete songs from I cloud only just to confirm they are gone from iTunes and iCloud ?  Do I need to sync via USB if I want my iPhone music to match the music in my iTunes?

  • by sberman,

    sberman sberman Nov 16, 2012 12:59 PM in response to Kwhite1
    Level 8 (39,808 points)
    Nov 16, 2012 12:59 PM in response to Kwhite1

    Make sure that your starting point has no music on your iPhone.  Before ever doing the process described in the HT4915 article, make sure your iPhone has iTunes Match turned on (Settings > Music > iTunes Match) and has no music stored on it.

     

    The way to see it has no music is Settings > General > Usage > Music, which should be a very small number.  If it is not, you can press "Edit" in the top right and delete it all that way.

     

    The idea is that afterwards, music will be downloaded to your iPhone from iCloud.

     

    Hope this helps!

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