User level: Level 1 (4 points)I cancelled my apple music subscription because I was paying for that and Apple TV. I don't know why I can't access the music that I already downloaded - and paid for with my subscription. What is going on?
Posted on Sep 21, 2026 9:52 AM
User level: Level 9 (55,707 points)Sep 21, 2026 6:32 PM in response to kefdesigns2002
Apple Music subscription music is rental music – and that includes offline listening copies. Once your subscription expires, all of the offline listening copies will either stop working or be deleted.
How to cancel Apple Music - Apple Support
"After your subscription to Apple Music expires, you'll no longer be able to play songs from the Apple Music catalog. Any playlists added from the Apple Music catalog or created using music from the Apple Music catalog will also no longer be available. If you use Sync Library, it will turn off when your subscription expires. Any music and playlists you had on your device before you subscribed to Apple Music will still be available."
If you have music that you purchased on CD, and imported to your computer, or music that you purchased from the iTunes Store, canceling a subscription should not (theoretically) affect your original copies of it. But "Sync Library" copies may stop working or be deleted.
User level: Level 9 (55,707 points)Sep 21, 2026 7:09 PM in response to kefdesigns2002
What you are paying for with an Apple Music subscription is the right to play just about any music you want to play from a nearly unlimited (100+ million song) catalog. Ad-free, in any order – but only for so long as you subscribe.
When you purchase music (on a CD, or from the iTunes Store), there's no ongoing subscription fee, but you're only getting one particular album, song, or box set.
E.g., here's an album that I imported from one of my CDs.
A search shows that the Apple Music subscription catalog contains a similar album. (I am a subscriber, so if I hit "Play", the Music application would play entire songs.)
I can also go to the iTunes Store, where an electronic version of the album is for sale for $12.99 USD. (Note the "$12.99 Buy" button under the album art thumbnail.)
Originally posted at discussions.apple.com/thread/256362067