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To free iPhone storage without removing a song from your library, choose Remove Download. To remove the song from your library, choose Delete from Library. The second action can also remove it from your other devices when Sync Library is on.
Choose what you want to remove
| Action | What it removes | What remains |
|---|---|---|
| Remove Download | The song’s downloaded copy on this iPhone | The library entry remains. Apple Music catalog songs need an internet connection to play after their download is removed. |
| Delete from Library | The song from your music library, including playlists | If Sync Library is on, the deletion also applies to your other devices. |
Apple’s instructions cover Apple Music and music purchased from the iTunes Store. Removing a download is not the same as deleting a purchase entitlement. Apple Music availability varies by country or region. Apple Support: Delete music in the Apple Music app
How to remove a downloaded song but keep it in your library
- Open the Apple Music app.
- Touch and hold the song or album.
- Tap Remove, then Remove Download.
The local copy is removed from the iPhone you’re using, but the library entry stays. If it is a song from the Apple Music catalog, you can play it only while connected to the internet until you download it again.
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How to delete a song from your library
- In Apple Music, touch and hold the song or album.
- Tap Remove, then Delete from Library.
This removes the music from your library, including playlists. When Sync Library is enabled, it also removes the music from your other devices. Choose this option only if you mean to remove the library item, not just its downloaded copy.
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How to remove multiple or all downloaded songs
Use iPhone Settings to clear downloads in bulk while managing the library separately:
- Open Settings and go to Apps > Music > Downloaded Music.
- Tap Edit.
- Tap the delete control beside All Songs or beside an artist to remove that artist’s downloads.
Apple also documents turning off Sync Library under Settings > Apps > Music as a way to remove all Apple Music songs from the iPhone. Menu wording can change with iOS updates, so follow the labels displayed on your device. See Apple’s iOS 27 guide to adding music to iPhone and listening offline.
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Why a song may still appear or return
The song is still listed after you remove it
That is expected if you chose Remove Download: the downloaded copy is gone, but the library entry remains. An Apple Music catalog song in this state needs an internet connection to play.
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The song comes back after syncing with a computer
Music manually synced from a computer may reappear the next time you sync the iPhone with that computer. Removing the downloaded copy on the phone does not necessarily remove the computer-synced music from the next sync.
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Which option should you use?
- Choose Remove Download to clear the iPhone copy while keeping the song in your library.
- Choose Delete from Library to remove the library item; check whether Sync Library is on if you use other devices.
- Use Settings > Apps > Music > Downloaded Music to remove downloads for selected artists or all songs at once.
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