Disabling iCloud Music Library

In case anyone needs a solution to this problem: log out of your iTunes account in the Music app on the device and then plug in to your Mac. It should show up in iTunes as available for syncing again. I logged out of both iTunes and iCloud on the device to be safe.

Once music has been synced over from the Mac, you can re-enable iCloud/Apple music on the device to download additional music from the cloud.

Apple should not be making it this difficult to add music from computers. I routinely rip music from all kinds of sources to my Mac and want to add it to my device for on-the-go listening. iCloud is not a solution.

Help!

That's the thing... according to Apple, you can't use BOTH Finder and iCloud Music Library to sync. One or the other.

see >>> https://support.apple.com/en-ca/guide/mac-help/mchlbf6a1fab/mac

Keep in mind, you are not losing any music here. Instead of using a cable and Finder to sync your own Music, you use the iCloud Music Library.

All of the music in your Mac's library that you wish to sync using a cable will sync via the internet to your iCloud Music Library where you can play it on your devices.

Different path, same result. Also very convenient.

If you don't sync your library using Apple Music, all Apple music streams to your device. If you have data concerns, that may be an issue.

Did you also disable "Show Apple Music"

Thanks yet again.

It's what we do.

I will suggest there are no documented steps for this as it's not supposed to happen.

I am making an educated GUESS from here on...

DISCLAIMER : Be sure your own music tracks from CDs are backed up elsewhere before moving ahead. iTunes purchased music can be downloaded again.

On your Mac you use to sync, make sure Apple Music is off there. In retrospect, this may be enough.

In iTunes on the Mac, Preferences > General, . disable Show Apple Music Features and below it iCloud Music Library.

See if that impacts your phone.

If you want to move forward, deselect all Mac synced music and resync. This should remove all music on the phone placed there by iTunes and your Mac.

Now re-enable Apple Music on your Mac and your phone and be patient.

Apple Music will kick in, analyze your library, get an Apple Music copy of each of your tracks and upload it to the iCloud Music Library. When the dust clears, your phone should see your Mac's music library.

Here is Apple's high level guide to Apple Music. >>> https://support.apple.com/en-ca/music

I invite you to visit here again, going in to the dedicated Apple Music topic with any questions.

https://discussions.apple.com/community/music

Thank you very much for your helpful response, and I will try it.

But, why do we have to go through all of that? I’ve been handling my music on iPods and iPhones ever since iTunes first came out in the early 2000’s. Downloading from my computer has always been easy. Now it is a mystery, since iTunes has gone away. Isn’t there a simple intuitive way to do it now? Going through all you have suggested surely isn’t the Apple way. What have they done to screw this up, and how can we return it to the easy way in the past?

Here's the background that may help...if you knew all of this, my apologies.

I don't know exactly when, but at some point Apple made it a one-or-the-other choice for how music gets to your device. Use the iCloud Music Library or sync with iTunes. They did the same for photos. iCloud Photos or iTunes, not both.

As it seems you know, when you have synced by iTunes music on your device, when you turn on Apple Music, you get a one time option of merging the music.

How this relates to disabling iCloud Music Library, I am not sure but suspect it could be related. This could be Apple phasing out the concurrent syncing with iTunes and iCloud Music Library.

This gets me back to my original question: How do I turn off Cloud Music Library?

I don't see any instructions for this scenario. This leads me to believe that you may have to remove the Mac-synced music first, then disable the iCloud Music Library.

At that point you may be able to add music via your Mac and enable Apple Music after that.

As I suggested, you don't have to do both and likely shouldn't. Have you logged out and restarted your Mac in case it's something that simple?

On your Mac you use to sync, make sure Apple Music is off there. In retrospect, this may be enough.

I guess you mean the app has been quit (not open).

In iTunes on the Mac, Preferences > General, . disable Show Apple Music Features and below it iCloud Music Library.

But iTunes on a Mac no longer exists in latest versions (I am running Catalina macOS 10.15.5).

Here is Apple's high level guide to Apple Music. >>> https://support.apple.com/en-ca/music

Good info. But my conclusion after reading it is that they suggest exactly what I had finally decided to do: Download my Playlists one by one on the iPhone's Music app from the Cloud to the phone. Quick and easy to download and delete downloaded music Playist by Playlist, Album by Album, etc. as desired.

If I had decided to do this in the first place, I wouldn't have made this posting. Based on my previous years of iTunes experience I just thought it could all be done at once. This is OK. And I it has given me a good review of how to load my iPhone so I can listen to my music in my car using Apple CarPlay without needing wifi or cellular data.

Thanks for your help. Always learning.

I have this exact same question. My iPhone is now updated to iOS 13.5.1. I don't find anywhere in the Music preferences where I can do this. I notice the previous post was two days ago. Is there any new info on this.

I've downloaded music to my iPhone for years, but not since iTunes was abolished. Clearly this is related to that. Is there any concern about lost music, etc., if I can finally find out how to disable iCloud Music Library, do the download to my phone I want to do, and then re-enable iCloud Music Library?

Thanks for your good background on this. The thing is, I have always been able to download my music to my iPhone, since the phones first came out in 2007. One of the easiest things in the world to do. Simply plug it in to my computer, open iTunes, and download the selected music to my phone.

It has been a couple of years since I have done that, but now (as described above) I can't figure out how to do it. In following Apple's brief download instructions I keep running into "turn off iCloud Music Library." Yet, how do I do that? No instructions. And, of course, iTunes is gone now.

In my dotage I fully realize that I may have missed something, or am not doing something right, but I sure will appreciate it if someone will lead me to instructions on how to download my music from my iMac to my iPhone, as I was able to do for years up to now.

I can follow rhys61's kind instructions if I can find no other way, but it does seem like their should be an easier way

Help!

Thanks for your continued help. I apologize for being so obtuse.

When I tried the instructions in the link you provided, which I had tried before, when I hit the SYNC step up pops a notification that my iPhone "is using Cloud Music Library. . . . . . to sync music on this computer turn off the Cloud Music Library." This gets me back to my original question: How do I turn off Cloud Music Library?

Thanks again for your patience.

I've been an Apple user for nearly 30 years, and have had iPhones since 2007. Always was able to easily transfer downloaded music from my iMac to my iPhone. Until now.

Also never received a command on my computer such as "turn off Cloud Music Library" with no instructions anywhere about how to do it.

I will just selectively download Playlists to my iPhone one by one, as is easily understood. Although progress seems backward when I used to be able to do them all at one time, for 13 years. At least I won't spend more of my time on this fruitless exercise.

LACAllen and rhys61 , I do appreciate your kind help, but don't think I will spend any more time trying to figure this out. What has happened to Apple?

Not too disappointed yet. And thanks for your tenacity.

Regarding this below, I would like to try it. Seems like the best way. In all of my research so far on this issue, i don't believe I have seen the instructions for how to do this. I would like to try it if you will guide me to the instructions.

You have not acknowledged my point about using the iCloud Music Library instead of a cable to sync your music. Again, your choice to not update your processes. I have done both and not syncing with a cable is a welcome upgrade.

How do I do this? Or where will I find the instructions?

Thanks yet again.

Thanks for your logical approach to this. I can see how it will work easily.

I agree with you that Apple should not now make it so difficult to download one's entire music library. A procedure that has previously been easy to do throughout the iPhone's lifetime.