HT204939: Manage your Apple Music membership on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, or PC

Learn about Manage your Apple Music membership on your iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, or PC
bniesz

Q: Can I use Apple Music on a shared computer?

I use a studio Mac Pro that's shared with a few colleagues.  When I try to setup my Apple Music account in iTunes, an error message tells me that another user has already authorized an iTunes Match/Apple Music account.  Is there a way that I can use my Apple Music account on this computer?  Or do I need to switch back to Spotify, which allowed this without issue?

Posted on Feb 1, 2016 9:34 AM

Close

Q: Can I use Apple Music on a shared computer?

  • All replies
  • Helpful answers

  • by ryanofnod,

    ryanofnod ryanofnod Feb 1, 2016 10:09 AM in response to bniesz
    Level 1 (36 points)
    Feb 1, 2016 10:09 AM in response to bniesz

    Have you tried logging the other user out of iTunes?

  • by bniesz,

    bniesz bniesz Feb 1, 2016 12:39 PM in response to ryanofnod
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Feb 1, 2016 12:39 PM in response to ryanofnod

    The error message indicated that if the other user was logged out of iTunes, there would be a 90-day waiting period before he would be allows to re-login to iTunes on this machine.

  • by ryanofnod,

    ryanofnod ryanofnod Feb 1, 2016 4:12 PM in response to bniesz
    Level 1 (36 points)
    Feb 1, 2016 4:12 PM in response to bniesz

    Yeah that is a old iTunes issue, but I was hoping Apple Music wouldn't mind.

     

    Basically, iTunes is locked to one user per OSX user profile. So, if you are using one generic login then the first account that logs into iTunes is the only account that can use it unless you de-authorize and reauthorize the machine, which is basically what you are seeing. The easiest way around this is to give everyone using the shared machine their own OSX login, instead of using one generic login, then you each have your own instance of iTunes running. That would also keep others from messing up your Apple Music "For You" suggestions should you ever forget to log out and they start playing music you hate.

     

    If that can't be done, you could try an old trick using multiple iTunes libraries, but I haven't the slightest idea it that will work with Apple Music or not.

    How to use multiple Apple ID's with one computer and iTunes:

    http://www.imore.com/how-use-multiple-apple-ids-one-computer-and-itunes

  • by Tech198,

    Tech198 Tech198 Feb 4, 2016 1:43 AM in response to bniesz
    Level 1 (48 points)
    Apple Pay
    Feb 4, 2016 1:43 AM in response to bniesz

    You can use multiple Apple ID's...just not share Apple music across multiple Apple ID's on the same machine or different machines.

     

    for example, if i have 2 Apple ID's I use eon one Mac, i can log in fine using both,, but i can only use Apple music from one Apple id on that machine only otherwise u get the "transfer" 90-day lock in dialog..