​​ ​

The Apple Support Community will permanently close on November 20, 2026. Starting today, the site will no longer accept new posts and is available in a read-only state.


You can continue to find trusted guidance and support on the official Apple Support site. 


We want to thank the community members who have contributed their time and expertise to help others with their Apple products.


Music Transfer

I bought a new ipad and all of my music didn't transfer. How can I transfer all my music?

iPad, iPadOS 15

Posted on Jun 8, 2022 9:08 PM

Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Jun 9, 2022 1:09 AM

Most, but not all, data can be directly copied/transferred to a new device.


Any Music/Media content, transferred from your PC/Mac using iTunes (or Finder on later Mac computers) - or “Paid” material downloaded from Apples iTunes Service - must again be downloaded to your iPad.


The reason for this intentional limitation, deliberately imposed by Apple, is to protect Copyright. In the case of iPadOS/iOS, Digital Rights Management (DRM) prevents direct copying of copyright material between devices is inhibited. This is intended to prevent the creation of illegal copies of potentially copyright material.


The iTunes Application on your PC/Mac maintains an authorised copy your media - whether this material is loaded from a CD, or downloaded from the Apple iTunes Service - and media derived from this library can be transferred to your iThings.


Use iTunes to sync your iPhone, iPad, or iPod with your computer - Apple Support

Download and use iTunes for Windows – Apple Support

Update to the latest version of iTunes – Apple Support



2 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Jun 9, 2022 1:09 AM in response to lorifromclermont

Most, but not all, data can be directly copied/transferred to a new device.


Any Music/Media content, transferred from your PC/Mac using iTunes (or Finder on later Mac computers) - or “Paid” material downloaded from Apples iTunes Service - must again be downloaded to your iPad.


The reason for this intentional limitation, deliberately imposed by Apple, is to protect Copyright. In the case of iPadOS/iOS, Digital Rights Management (DRM) prevents direct copying of copyright material between devices is inhibited. This is intended to prevent the creation of illegal copies of potentially copyright material.


The iTunes Application on your PC/Mac maintains an authorised copy your media - whether this material is loaded from a CD, or downloaded from the Apple iTunes Service - and media derived from this library can be transferred to your iThings.


Use iTunes to sync your iPhone, iPad, or iPod with your computer - Apple Support

Download and use iTunes for Windows – Apple Support

Update to the latest version of iTunes – Apple Support



This thread has been closed by the system or the community team. You may vote for any posts you find helpful, or search the Community for additional answers.

Music Transfer

Welcome to Apple Support Community
A forum where Apple customers help each other with their products. Get started with your Apple Account.