I have >20,000 songs in my iTunes library, including >>500 purchased. I change the songs available on my iPhone regularly. Is there a simple way to make all purchased songs available off-line without downloading them now? If possible, I would also like different music on my iPhone and iPad.
null-OTHER, Windows 10, Dell XPS Laptop
How do you add content to your device? If you use iTunes Match or Apple Music you can either sync with one or more playlists on your library and update content over a USB connection, or you can use the iCloud Music Library and update over Wi-Fi. If you don't have iTunes Match or Apple Music, or you are happy not using iCloud Music Library on the device, then sync over USB and include all of your purchases. If they are not in your library already then they will need to be downloaded. Indeed that should always be so as rights holders can remove content from the store without notice, in which case your ability to download on demand vanishes. See Backup your iTunes for Windows library with SyncToy for a recommended approach to backing up.
tt2
Ah, at one time there was a simple option in iTunes and on wireless capable devices to include your undownloaded purchase history in the listings so it could be streamed or downloaded on demand, or hide them so you could ignore them and focus only on what you had decided to put in that library or device. Now in iTunes there are separate option in the view menus for Music, Movies, TV Shows etc, and on a device there is a separate subsection of the library called Downloaded Music which you can drill down into to avoid anything that is in the cloud. The only other option is to hide past purchases. See Hide and unhide iTunes Store, App Store, or iBooks Store purchases - Apple Support for details.
As for your devices it should be easy enough to set things up so that each syncs with a different selection of playlists.
tt2
All purchases have been downloaded to my computer (which is new).
Currently, iTunes is used to selected songs / albums / bands / playlists to be sync'ed to my iPhone. There is a distinct and different set of preferences for my iPad, which is used very differently.
When my computer is sync'ed to my iPhone, no purchased songs are available without WiFi. Definitely don't want to download all purchased songs to my iPhone. Does this mean I have to subscribe to Apple Music. I dont want or need to pay for that. Didnt have to do that before! What a pain!
Not sure I'm explaining my problem.
* I have a purchased album on my computer, all songs downloaded (no cloud symbol). There are many other downloaded songs on my computer but i don't want to transfer them to my iPhone.
* When my iPhone is attached to my computer with a cord, I "check" that album in iTunes as one to sync with my iPhone, and then sync. The songs on that album appear on my iPhone but are only playable when i am attached to WiFi
* How can I make the songs playable on my iPhone when there is no WiFi?
With the device connected to iTunes select it where it appears next to the media selection control, then select the Music playlist on the device. Look for the album that you think should be syncing to the device. Do the tracks show in grey with dotted circles? If so you'll need to apply the advice I've set out in Re: Sync problems with iTunes.
tt2
I dont want to avoid purchases. I want to transfer purchased and downloaded songs to my iPhone so they can be played without WiFi. Used to be straightforward
It still is straightforward. See Sync your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch with iTunes on your computer using USB - Apple Support. Make sure to include the purchases of interest in the selection of content that will be synced.
If that is what you're already doing, but the content on the device after syncing doesn't match your selections see Re: Sync problems with iTunes.
tt2
Using iTunes without WiFi
