If you’re an Apple Music subscriber, you may have noticed that your music library has been automatically added to iCloud Music Library. This feature can be convenient, as it allows you to access your music from any of your Apple devices. However, if you don’t want to use iCloud Music Library, or if you’re running out of storage space, you can turn it off.
Turning off iCloud Music Library is a simple process. Just open the Music app on your Mac, click on the Music menu in the menu bar, and then select “Preferences.” In the “General” tab, you’ll see a checkbox labeled “iCloud Music Library.” Simply uncheck this box to turn off the feature. Once you’ve done this, your music library will no longer be stored in iCloud, and you’ll only be able to access it from the devices on which it’s stored.
If you’re not sure whether or not you want to turn off iCloud Music Library, you can try it out for a while and see how you like it. If you decide that you don’t want to use it, you can always turn it back on again. To do this, just open the Music app on your Mac, click on the Music menu in the menu bar, and then select “Preferences.” In the “General” tab, you’ll see a checkbox labeled “iCloud Music Library.” Simply check this box to turn the feature back on.
How to Access iCloud Music Library Settings
iCloud Music Library is a feature that allows you to store your music in the cloud and access it from any of your Apple devices. It’s a great way to keep your music collection organized and available wherever you go.
There are a few different ways to access the iCloud Music Library settings on your Mac.
Option 1: Through System Preferences
- Open System Preferences from the Apple menu.
- Click on the "Music" icon.
- Select the "General" tab.
- The "iCloud Music Library" section will be near the top of the window.
Option 2: Through the iTunes App
- Open the iTunes app on your Mac.
- Click on the "Music" menu in the menu bar.
- Select the "Preferences" option.
- Click on the "General" tab.
- The "iCloud Music Library" section will be near the top of the window.
Option 3: Through the Finder
- Open the Finder on your Mac.
- Click on the "Music" folder in the sidebar.
- Click on the "Music" menu in the menu bar.
- Select the "Preferences" option.
- Click on the "General" tab.
- The "iCloud Music Library" section will be near the top of the window.
Once you’ve accessed the iCloud Music Library settings, you can enable or disable the feature by clicking on the checkbox next to "iCloud Music Library." You can also choose to have your music library stored in the cloud or on your Mac.
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| Store in iCloud | Your music library will be stored in the cloud and available on all of your Apple devices. |
| Download to This Mac | Your music library will be downloaded to your Mac and stored locally. |
Unchecking the iCloud Music Library Option
To disable iCloud Music Library on your Mac, follow these steps:
1. Open Apple Music
Navigate to the Apple Music app on your Mac, either via the Dock, Applications folder, orSpotlight search.
2. Check or Uncheck the iCloud Music Library Option
In the Apple Music app, navigate to the “Music” menu in the menu bar at the top of the screen. From the dropdown menu, choose “Preferences.”
In the Preferences window, select the “General” tab.
Locate the “iCloud Music Library” option and uncheck the box next to it.
A confirmation dialog box will appear, asking you to confirm your choice. Click the “Turn Off iCloud Music Library” button.
Depending on your music library size and internet connection, the process of disabling iCloud Music Library may take some time.
Once the process is complete, your local music library on your Mac will no longer be synced with iCloud Music Library, and you will have full control over your local music files. However, any music you have added to your library from Apple Music will no longer be available.
Confirming the Action
Once you have decided to disable iCloud Music Library on your Mac, it’s essential to confirm your action to prevent any accidental data loss.
To confirm the action, you will be prompted to choose from the following options:
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| Keep Music: Delete Match Songs | This option will remove all matched songs from your Mac while keeping your other music, such as imported or purchased songs. |
| Delete All Songs and Playlists | This option will delete all songs, playlists, and other music-related data from your Mac. |
If you have a large library of matched songs, it’s recommended to choose the “Keep Music: Delete Match Songs” option to avoid losing your imported or purchased music. However, if you are certain that you want to remove all music data from your Mac, you can select the “Delete All Songs and Playlists” option.
Once you have made your selection, click the “Disable iCloud Music Library” button to proceed with the process. Your Mac will then begin to remove the iCloud Music Library from your computer, which may take some time depending on the size of your music library.
Disabling iCloud Music Library from the Music App Menu Bar
To disable iCloud Music Library via the Music app menu bar, follow these detailed steps:
1. Open the Music App
Click on the Music app icon in your dock or Applications folder to launch the program.
2. Access the Menu Bar
Click on the “Music” menu located in the top left corner of the screen.
3. Uncheck iCloud Music Library
In the drop-down menu, select the option “Preferences.” In the preferences window, navigate to the “General” tab. Locate the checkbox labeled “iCloud Music Library” and uncheck it to disable the feature.
4. Confirm Disabling
A pop-up window will appear, prompting you to confirm your decision. Verify that you wish to disable iCloud Music Library by clicking the “Disable iCloud Music Library” button. This will remove your music from iCloud and make it available only on your local device.
Using the System Preferences Method
This method uses the System Preferences app to disable iCloud Music Library on your Mac.
1. Open System Preferences
Click on the Apple menu in the top-left corner of the screen and select “System Preferences.”
2. Navigate to Apple ID
In the System Preferences window, click on the “Apple ID” icon.
3. Select iCloud
In the sidebar of the Apple ID window, click on “iCloud” to view iCloud settings.
4. Uncheck Music Library
In the iCloud settings, find the “Music Library” option and uncheck the box next to it. A confirmation dialog will appear.
5. Confirm Disabling iCloud Music Library
In the confirmation dialog, click on the “Turn Off” button to disable iCloud Music Library. This process may take a few minutes to complete, depending on the size of your music library.
| Music Library | |
|---|---|
| Enabled | Music is stored in iCloud and available on all your devices. |
| Disabled | Music is stored locally on your Mac and is not available on other devices. |
Navigating to the iCloud Section
1. Open System Preferences
Click on the Apple icon in the top-left corner of your screen, then select "System Preferences."
2. Click on "Apple ID"
In the System Preferences window, click on the "Apple ID" icon.
3. Select "iCloud"
In the Apple ID window, select "iCloud" from the sidebar on the left.
4. Deselect "Music"
In the iCloud section, uncheck the box next to "Music" to turn off iCloud Music Library.
5. Confirm Your Choice
A confirmation window will appear. Click on "Turn Off" to confirm that you want to disable iCloud Music Library.
6. Syncing Music Options
| Option | Description |
|---|---|
| Keep Music | Keeps all of your music on your Mac, even if it’s not in your iCloud Music Library. |
| Remove Downloads | Removes all of your downloaded iCloud Music Library songs from your Mac. |
| Copy to Mac | Copies all of your iCloud Music Library songs to your Mac. Your Mac will become the primary storage location for your music. |
Unchecking the Music Option
To turn off iCloud Music Library on Mac by unchecking the Music option, follow these steps:
- Open the Music app on your Mac.
- Click on the “Music” menu in the menu bar.
- Select “Preferences.”.
- Click on the “General” tab.
- Uncheck the box next to “iCloud Music Library.”.
- Click on the “OK” button.
- Your iCloud Music Library will now be turned off.
Additional Information
When you turn off iCloud Music Library, all of your music will be removed from your Mac’s hard drive. If you want to keep your music, you can create a local library by clicking on the “File” menu and selecting “New Library.”.
You can also choose to keep your iCloud Music Library turned on but disable it for certain devices. To do this, follow these steps:
| Device | Instructions |
|---|---|
| iPhone or iPad | Open the Settings app and tap on “Music.” Then, turn off the “iCloud Music Library” toggle switch. |
| Apple TV | Open the Settings app and select “Accounts.” Then, select your Apple ID and turn off the “iCloud Music Library” toggle switch. |
| Windows PC | Open the iTunes app and click on the “Edit” menu. Then, select “Preferences” and click on the “General” tab. Uncheck the box next to “iCloud Music Library” and click on the “OK” button. |
Deactivating iCloud Music Library in the Apple Music App
1. Launch the Apple Music App: Open the Apple Music app on your Mac by clicking on its icon in the Dock or searching for it using Spotlight.
2. Open the Menu Bar: Click on the “Music” menu located in the Menu Bar at the top of the screen.
3. Select Preferences: Choose the “Preferences” option from the drop-down menu that appears.
4. Disable iCloud Music Library: In the preferences window, navigate to the “General” tab. Locate the “iCloud Music Library” option and uncheck the box next to it to deactivate it.
5. Confirm Deactivation: A confirmation prompt will appear, asking you to confirm the deactivation of iCloud Music Library. Click on the “Turn Off” button to proceed.
6. Choose Option for Downloaded Songs: You will be given the option to keep the songs you have downloaded for offline listening or remove them from your Mac. Select the desired option and click “OK”.
7. Remove iCloud Music Library from Menu Bar: Once the deactivation process is complete, you can remove the iCloud Music Library option from the Menu Bar by clicking on the “View” menu and unchecking “Show iCloud Music Library in Menu Bar”.
8. Additional Considerations: Deactivating iCloud Music Library will remove all songs stored in the cloud from your Mac. However, you can still access your music library online through the Apple Music website or iTunes. Additionally, any songs you have added to your library from Apple Music will be removed and any playlists created with these songs will be cleared. If you wish to keep these songs and playlists, it’s recommended to manually download them to your Mac before deactivating iCloud Music Library.
| Action | Result |
|---|---|
|
Disable iCloud Music Library |
Removes cloud-stored songs from your Mac. |
|
Keep downloaded songs |
Retains songs you have downloaded for offline listening. |
|
Remove downloaded songs |
Deletes all downloaded songs from your Mac. |
|
Remove iCloud Music Library from Menu Bar |
Hides the iCloud Music Library option from the Menu Bar. |
Opening the Preferences Panel
1. Open the Music app on your Mac.
2. Click the Music menu in the menu bar.
3. Select Preferences.
4. Click the General tab.
5. Uncheck the “iCloud Music Library” checkbox.
6. Click the OK button.
7. Your iCloud Music Library will now be turned off.
Disabling iCloud Music Library via the System Preferences
1. Click on the Apple menu in the menu bar.
2. Select System Preferences.
3. Click on the Apple ID icon.
4. Select iCloud.
5. Uncheck the “Music Library” checkbox.
6. Click the Apply button.
7. Your iCloud Music Library will now be turned off.
Disabling iCloud Music Library via the Terminal
1. Open the Terminal app on your Mac.
2. Enter the following command:
defaults write com.apple.Music CloudMusicLibraryEnabled -bool false3. Press Enter.
4. Your iCloud Music Library will now be turned off.
| Method | Steps |
|---|---|
| Preferences Panel | 6 |
| System Preferences | 6 |
| Terminal | 4 |
Toggling the iCloud Music Library Switch
Disabling the iCloud Music Library switch on your Mac allows you to disconnect your computer from Apple’s cloud-based music storage and streaming service. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to do it:
- Open the Music app on your Mac.
- Click on the “Music” menu in the menu bar at the top of the screen.
- Select “Preferences” from the drop-down menu.
- Go to the “General” tab in the Preferences window.
- Uncheck the “iCloud Music Library” checkbox.
- Click on the “OK” button to save your changes.
- You will be prompted to confirm that you want to turn off iCloud Music Library. Click on the “Turn Off” button.
- Your iCloud Music Library will now be disconnected from your Mac.
- Any songs that were previously downloaded to your Mac from the iCloud Music Library will remain on your computer.
- However, you will no longer be able to access any music that is stored in the iCloud Music Library unless you reconnect your Mac to the service.
| Step | Action |
| 1 | Open the Music app. |
| 2 | Click on the “Music” menu. |
| 3 | Select “Preferences”. |
| 4 | Go to the “General” tab. |
| 5 | Uncheck the “iCloud Music Library” checkbox. |
| 6 | Click on the “OK” button. |
| 7 | Confirm that you want to turn off iCloud Music Library. |
| 8 | Click on the “Turn Off” button. |
| 9 | iCloud Music Library will be disconnected from your Mac. |
| 10 | Previously downloaded songs from the iCloud Music Library will remain on your computer. |
How To Turn Off ICloud Music Library On Mac
If you no longer wish to use iCloud Music Library on your Mac, you can turn it off in just a few steps.
- Open the Music app on your Mac.
- Click on the Music menu in the menu bar at the top of the screen.
- Select “Preferences” from the drop-down menu.
- Click on the “General” tab in the Preferences window.
- Uncheck the box next to “iCloud Music Library”.
- Click on the “OK” button to save your changes.
People Also Ask
How do I turn off iCloud Music Library on my iPhone or iPad?
To turn off iCloud Music Library on your iPhone or iPad, open the Settings app, tap on “Music”, and then toggle the switch next to “iCloud Music Library” to the off position.
What happens when I turn off iCloud Music Library?
When you turn off iCloud Music Library, all of the music that you have added to your library from Apple Music will be removed from your device. Any music that you have purchased from the iTunes Store will remain on your device.
Can I still listen to music on my Mac if I turn off iCloud Music Library?
Yes, you can still listen to music on your Mac if you turn off iCloud Music Library. However, you will only be able to listen to music that you have purchased from the iTunes Store or that you have added to your library from other sources.
