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Having all your favorite albums and tracks on your iPhone is convenient, but it can also take up a lot of storage space. This leaves little room for other important files such as photos, videos, and games. But don’t worry, deleting music from your iPhone is a straightforward process. In this article, we’ll show you three easy methods to achieve this and still have access to your songs without storing them on your device.
Method 1: Delete One Album at a Time
If you want to delete one album at a time, follow these simple steps:
- Open the Music app and select the Library tab
- Choose Albums or Songs and locate the album or track you want to delete
- Force-press (or long-press) the music/album and select the trash can icon labeled ‘Remove from Library’ (in case of an album) or ‘Delete’ (for a single track)
- Confirm the deletion
Note that if you didn’t backup your music on iTunes on your Mac or in the cloud, you may lose the album or have to import it again to iTunes if you want to add it back to your phone. If you purchased the music from iTunes, you can download it again for free.
Method 2: Delete Music All at Once
If you have a lot of albums stored on your phone or you want to start afresh, deleting all your music at once is a quick way to get it done. Here’s what you need to do:
- Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage
- Scroll down to find the Music app and tap on it
- At the bottom of the screen, you’ll see your music library, sorted alphabetically by artist, with a number indicating how much space they occupy
- Tap on the ‘Edit’ button and small red circles will appear next to each artist, album, or song
- Choose to remove an artist’s entire output or delete everything by selecting ‘All Songs’
- Tap ‘Done’
Method 3: Delete Music with iTunes
If you don’t mind connecting your iPhone to a computer, using iTunes is another solution to delete your music. Here’s how:
- Connect your device to a Mac or PC and open iTunes
- Click the iPhone icon in the top left corner, then select Music under Settings in the left menu
- Make sure ‘Sync Music’ is checked and under ‘Selected playlists, artists, albums and genres,’ ensure that nothing is checked – no songs or genres
- Next to ‘Sync music’ at the top, there should be ‘0 songs’. Click ‘Apply’, and iTunes will remove all music from your iPhone, leaving it empty.
How to Access Your Deleted Music
If you want to access the music you deleted, you have several options:
- Any music you bought from the iTunes Store is always available for download again for free as long as you are using the same account
- iTunes Match allows you to access your entire music catalog for £ 21.99 / $ 24.99 per year in the cloud, so you don’t have to store it on your device. You can stream or selectively download content when you wish to listen.
- Apple Music provides an extensive collection of music and videos that can be streamed anytime for £ 9.99 / $ 9.99 a month, or £ 4.99 / $ 4.99 if you’re a student
- If you prefer, you can still use your Mac or PC as the central storage hub for your music library and connect your phone when you want to sync albums
FAQs
Can I delete music from my iPhone without losing it entirely?
Yes. You can delete your music from your iPhone, but as long as you have backed it up to iTunes or the cloud, you can re-download it for free.
What happens if I delete a track purchased from iTunes?
If you delete a track that you have previously purchased from iTunes, you can download it again for free as long as you use the same account.