How can I transfer music from my iPad to my iPhone? Do I need a desktop?

Au contraire, music IS included. Once you've purchased it it's stored in the iCloud( it requires one tap in settings).

Now, one can also sign up for these free services( for a limited time), download countless content for which they haven't technically payed (yet), and use the same method: store it in the iCloud and download it from there to the second, compatible device. It takes seconds to do it.

All of your purchases have links to those items in the iTunes & App Store in iTunes in the Cloud. That is how you are able to download past purchases. And just like iTunes in the Cloud for non-Apple Music people, iCloud Music Library only stores personal music (music not purchased that is also not in the iTunes store). Everything else is streaming live from the iTunes Store. It will save playlists as well if you create them:

When you first join Apple Music, we identify the songs in your personal music collection and compare them to the Apple Music catalog.

• Songs that you bought from the iTunes Store are automatically available in your Apple Music library as long as you use the same Apple ID with Apple Music that you used to buy the music.*
• If we have your version of a song in the Apple Music catalog, we make it instantly available to access on all of your devices for the duration of your membership.
• If we can't match certain songs in your collection to songs in the Apple Music catalog, we upload a copy of yours to iCloud Music Library so that you can play it on all of your devices.

The wording here is important. Only music that cannot be matched (i.e. music that has not been purchased from iTunes, and also is not in iTunes) is uploaded.

GB

Since we've woken this thread up here is the workaround for moving/copying content from one device to another when it isn't all stored in a backed up iTunes library as it ought to be: Recover your iTunes library from your iPod or iOS device.

tt2

Please pay attention to the date on the post - the one you are responding to was 4 1/2 years ago.

In addition, you don't "sync" iOS devices via iCloud. You can set up a new iOS device from an iCloud backup of an existing one, or you can download past purchases from iTunes in the Cloud, but you can't sync them.

GB

Links to iTunes purchases are a part of backups, so when you restore a device from a backup, it will find all of the purchases you had on your device when the backup was done, and will re-download that media.

Not sure what it is you are indicating is being prevented? A restore from a backup - whether on the device the backup was made on, or on a new device, will restore all media along with the other backed-up data.

Cheers,

GB

Media such as music only gets restored with a backup if it's done with iTunes, and the content in question lives on the computer where the restore is taking place. Otherwise it's not included due to copyright restrictions. Otherwise, what's to stop you from sharing your iTunes backup with me to share music. Its a restriction placed on Apple by the music labels.

That's what I meant: there is a way to transfer the content from one device to another, by using iCloud--downloading the content from there( where it's stored automatically) to the second device, and that includes content not purchased through iTunes, per se: whether you call that 'sync' or not it's not relevant.

As for the date, I'm aware of when it was posted by the OP, but it doesn't matter--someone might read all that in 2017 or even later on, because the question may be relevant even in the future. Just like I bumped into it 41/2 years after it was posted, someone else might bump into it in the near or distant future.

You're correct that iCloud can be used for transferring most of your data, but music unpurchased or not is not included. Purchased music can be easily redownloaded so I imagine it's left out to keep backups smaller. But music you didn't purchase, it's not verifiable you "own" it, therefore iCloud will not include it in a backup and neither will iTunes especially since your source for that music is a computer and it's easy enough to plug and sync again, and it helps keep backup size down.

That's what I meant: there is a way to transfer the content from one device to another, using the iCloud.

One can download the content stored in the iCloud ( which requires a simple tap) to the second device, including downloaded music not actually purchased( this requires an explanation).

Whether one calls that 'sync' or not it's not relevant.

I am aware of the date the OP has posted the question, but what matters is the question: just like I've bumped into this question 41/2 years after it was posted, someone else might bump into it 41/2 years from today, because the same question might be asked at a later time. The question is still relevant today, as it was 41/2 years ago.

That was implicit: one can subscribe to Apple Music, which is free for 90 days, and download , say, 1,000 songs, which can ( in this interval) be then transferred to another device.

I'm not sure, but it may work with other subscriptions as well, as at that particular moment one IS the owner of those songs( being a subscriber). The logic is the same, but I haven't tried it that way.

But the point was that you cannot transfer the content from one person's device to another's-- as was implied, for 'security' purposes--because it requires the same Apple ID, with which one device is registered with Apple. Being two different people, there are two different IDs, quite different from two different devices with the same ID, being the same person. The former scenario prevents, indeed, the transfer, while only the latter one allows it. Therefore, there is no security issue.

I'm sorry, but you are completely wrong. iCloud backups that are used to set up a phone will download all purchased media from iTunes in the Cloud. What prevents me from sharing my music with you is that I have to sign into MY iCloud account to restore from a backup. That associates your phone to my Apple ID, so YOU can't download past purchases, join Apple Music, join iTunes Match, join Family Sharing, or set up Automatic Downloads until 90 days have passed.

Please test your answers before giving them here. I have erased phones in order to test restoring from a backup (for other reasons) multiple times. I set up my new iPhone 7 Plus from my iPhone 5s backup. It has exactly the same media on it that my iPhone 5s had. All of the purchases downloaded after the rest of the backup was complete.

GB

brucefrompomona wrote:

Au contraire, music IS included. Once you've purchased it it's stored in the iCloud( it requires one tap in settings).

Now, one can also sign up for these free services( for a limited time), download countless content for which they haven't technically payed (yet), and use the same method: store it in the iCloud and download it from there to the second, compatible device. It takes seconds to do it.

Your music links are stored in both a backup as well as in iTunes in the Cloud (not iCloud). However, as has been stated, to get that music on a device that is signed into the same iTunes ID you can download past purchases via the iTunes Store app (the iCloud ID that is signed in is not relevant for obtaining your purchases this way). You can also set up a new phone from an iCloud bacup of another device, and that device will download any purchases that have links saved in the backup (which would be all of the purchases that were backed up (this method does require the same iCloud ID as the purchaser to be signed in in order to access the backup at all - once the links start downloading purchased media, if a purchased item was purchased by someone other than the person who is signed into the iTunes account, you will get a pop-up requiring you to supply the password for that other ID).

GB

brucefrompomona wrote:

That's what I meant: there is a way to transfer the content from one device to another, using the iCloud. You cannot transfer the content. You can restore it from a backup, or you can download it from iTunes in the Cloud, or you can turn on iCloud Music Library and use Apple Music

One can download the content stored in the iCloud ( which requires a simple tap) to the second device, including downloaded music not actually purchased( this requires an explanation). Not sure what you mean by this?

Whether one calls that 'sync' or not it's not relevant. It is completely relevant. Terms are important in this discipline, and carelessly throwing around inaccurate terms, as well as contradicting a post that is correct, creates problems for people trying to understand the different types of processes.

I am aware of the date the OP has posted the question, but what matters is the question: just like I've bumped into this question 41/2 years after it was posted, someone else might bump into it 41/2 years from today, because the same question might be asked at a later time. The question is still relevant today, as it was 41/2 years ago. Since you are referring to Apple Music, it is not relevant at all.

GB

There is no way to sync the iPad from the phone or from the phone to the iPad.

You can download the songs again in iTunes as long as you use the same Apple ID and as long as the feature is available wherever you live. Downloading past purchased content is not available for all content everywhere in the world.

You can check here to see if the feature is available where you live.

http://support.apple.com/kb/HT5085

Or you can simply go to iTunes on the iPad or the iPhone and tap on Purchased. If the songs are in there with the cloud icon next to them, start downloading them by tapping on the cloud icon.

If you purchased the music from iTunes simply open the iTunes app, click purchased at the bottom, then select 'not on this iPad' located near the top of the screen and proceed to download the songs. If the songs were not bought on iTunes you will need a computer, cloud storage, or an external hard drive that can wirelessly sync to your apple devices.