Is there a way to disable song downloading over cellular, like you can do in Spotify app? I still want to stream over cellular, just not allow music to be downloaded for offline use.
I have a playlist that is available for offline listening and whenever I add a song to it, it automatically downloads the song even over cellular network.
iPhone 6, iOS 8.4
No I don't think you can do that in this 1st version of the app. Perhaps it's best you stick with spotify for now, if that is needed, otherwise you will have to remember to download them when you get home. Any downloaded songs show a grey icon in the upper right corner which has image of a small iPhone, so you will have to download any that have not got that showing.
Perhaps give Apple your feedback and then the feature may appear in a future version of the app. It is still very early days.
The option to turn this off is in settings/iTunes & App Store turn off the 'use mobile data' switch.
This functionality appears to have been added in iOS 10. There is now a separate control for using cellular for downloading. I tested and it preventing downloading but not streaming on cellular.
It doesn't download unless you select 'make available offline'... At least that is supposed to be what should be happening or are you getting mixed up with the music in your iCloud via iTunes Match or items already stored on your device?
You can see what is on your device by going to 'my music'then go to Artists/Albums (etc.) menu top centre of the screen... and at the bottom of that menu, turn on 'Music Available Offline' - this will show you what you have stored on the device .. But if you just play any song/album in Apple Music, it does not automatically download it ... It is streamed!
to download any album or song the 'make available offline' option is in the (...) menu next to that particular album or song.
Does that help?
I understand it works as you explained. There is one scenario that is not handled good it seems, which Spotify does. If you have a playlist that you make available offline it means that all songs added to that playlist are downloaded to your device. Now if I listening to a Apple Music radio while I am on cellular and I stumble upon a song that I like, I add it to one of my existing playlists. If said playlist happens to be available offline the song is automatically downloaded. I would like to set up the app, to download music only when on WiFi. So for example if I add a few songs to the said playlist while on the road it then downloads them once I get home where I have WiFi available. That is how Spotify does it and it is great for reducing cellular data usage.
I hear you loud and clear effingo. I'm having the exact same issue and it's the one thing that's keeping me from using Apple music over spotify.
Until this changes in sticking with spotify. Sorry Apple.
If you do that, then you cannot stream music over cellular.
How to disable song download over cellular
