What happens when you delete your Apple Music account

Deleting your Apple Music account stops your subscription and removes access to all Apple Music content on your devices. Your subscription ends when ready, and you will not be charged again. If you paid for a multi-month plan upfront, you do not get a refund for unused time — that money is gone.

Your Apple ID itself does not disappear when you cancel Apple Music. You can still use that Apple ID to buy apps, access iCloud, or use other Apple services. Only the music subscription ends. If you want to remove your Apple ID entirely from your devices, that is a separate step.

Downloaded songs will remain on your devices but will stop playing once your subscription ends. Playlists you created stay visible, but you cannot play the songs in them without an active subscription or owning them outright.

Key Takeaways

  • You can cancel Apple Music through Settings on iPhone or iPad, or through your Apple ID account page on a computer.
  • Your subscription ends when ready when you cancel, and you will not be charged again, but refunds for prepaid time are not given.
  • Downloaded songs stop playing after cancellation, though the files remain on your device.
  • If you share a family plan, cancelling affects all family members, so check who else is using it before you proceed.

Cancelling through iPhone or iPad Settings

Open the Settings app and tap your name at the top of the screen. Select Subscriptions, then find Apple Music in the list. Tap it, then tap Cancel Subscription. You will see a confirmation screen asking why you are cancelling — this is optional feedback that Apple uses but does not affect the cancellation. Tap Confirm Cancellation to finish.

The subscription ends when ready. You will receive a confirmation email at the address tied to your Apple ID. If you do not see the confirmation email within a few minutes, check your spam folder or the email address associated with your Apple ID by going back to Settings, tapping your name, and selecting Name, Phone Numbers, Email.

Cancelling on a Mac or Windows computer

Go to appleid.apple.com in your web browser and sign in with your Apple ID and password. Click Media & Purchases on the left side, then click Subscriptions. Find Apple Music and click the edit button (pencil icon) next to it. Click Cancel Subscription, then confirm.

If you use a Mac, you can also open the Music app, go to Account in the menu bar, select View My Account, and scroll down to Subscriptions. The steps from there are the same as the web method.

What to do before you cancel

If you have playlists or music you want to keep, save them before your subscription ends. You can export playlists by opening the Music app, right-clicking a playlist, and selecting Export on a Mac, or by taking screenshots of the playlist on iPhone. Downloaded songs will remain on your device but will not play, so if you want to keep them, purchase them individually through iTunes or another service first.

Check whether you are on a family plan. If you are the organizer of a family subscription, cancelling stops Apple Music for everyone in the group. If you only want to remove yourself, ask the organizer to go to Settings > Family Sharing and remove you from the subscription instead.

If you are charged after cancelling

If you see a charge after you cancelled, check the date. Apple sometimes processes charges a day or two after the cancellation date appears. If the charge is more than a few days old, contact Apple Support through support.apple.com, select Apple Music, and choose Billing & Subscriptions. Have your confirmation email ready.

Apple will review the charge and may issue a refund if the cancellation did not process correctly. This usually takes three to five business days to appear in your account.

Removing Apple Music from your devices after cancelling

The Music app itself will remain on your iPhone, iPad, or Mac even after you cancel the subscription. You can delete it like any other app: on iPhone or iPad, press and hold the Music app icon, select Remove App, then Delete App. On a Mac, drag the Music app to the Trash, or right-click it and select Move to Trash.

If you want to keep the app but remove your Apple ID from it, open Music, go to Account (or Music > Preferences on Mac), and select Sign Out. This removes your account from the app but leaves the app itself on your device.

Restarting your subscription later

You can restart Apple Music at any time by going back to Settings > Subscriptions > Apple Music and tapping Resubscribe, or by opening the Music app and selecting Try It Free or Subscribe. If you cancelled recently, Apple sometimes offers a discount or a free trial period to return customers, though this is not may provide.

When you restart, your playlists and library history will be restored if you use the same Apple ID. Downloaded songs that you deleted will not return — you would need to read them again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I get a refund if I paid for a yearly plan?

Apple does not refund unused subscription time as a standard policy. However, if you cancel within 14 days of purchase, you may be able to request a refund through Apple Support. Contact them at support.apple.com with your receipt or order number.

What happens to my music library when I cancel?

Playlists you created remain in the app but cannot play without an active subscription. Downloaded songs stay on your device but will not play. Songs you purchased through iTunes will continue to play because you own them, not because of the subscription.

If I cancel, will my family members lose Apple Music too?

Only if you are the organizer of the family plan. If someone else pays for the family subscription, cancelling your personal account does not affect them. If you organize the plan, cancelling stops it for everyone in the group.

How long does it take for the cancellation to go through?

Cancellation is when ready. You lose access to Apple Music content right away, and you will receive a confirmation email within minutes. You will not be charged again after cancellation.

Can I cancel Apple Music without cancelling my Apple ID?

Yes. Cancelling Apple Music only ends the music subscription. Your Apple ID remains active and you can still use it for the App Store, iCloud, and other Apple services. Deleting your Apple ID entirely is a separate process.