How to Keep Apple Music Songs Forever [3 Proven Ways]

Apple Music boasts a library of over 100 million songs, but they cannot be saved permanently due to DRM (Digital Rights Management) even if they are downloaded. So "How to keep Apple Music songs forever?" is likely a question you're eager to find an answer to.

Actually, it's quite simple, as long as you can break through Apple Music's DRM restrictions or if the songs you download to your device are in a common format like MP3. And since you're reading this, the search can be over. We've compiled three solutions to save Apple Music songs locally before canceling the subscription. Plus, we'll suggest the best places to store your songs permanently. Let's dive in!

Method 1. Save Apple Music Songs with Downloader

The best way to keep Apple Music songs permanently is to convert them with a third-party tool to common formats. Among all the tools on the market, TuneFab Apple Music Converter stands out for its versatility. This desktop program, intended for personal use, can remove DRM from Apple Music and convert tracks, albums, and playlists to MP3 and other formats. Once downloaded, these songs are no longer tied to your subscription and can be stored and played on multiple devices, including accounts that are not renewed.

Unlike Apple Music, TuneFab supports unlimited downloads. Even better, it's user-friendly. With an interface that resembles the Apple Music web player, you can save Apple Music forever with simple clicks or drag-and-drop actions — even if you're not tech-savvy!

Now let's take a look at how TuneFab Apple Music Converter works to help you cope with the confusion around how to keep Apple Music songs forever, even if you plan to cancel your subscription.

Step 1. Install TuneFab Apple Music Converter

Click the buttons below to install TuneFab Apple Music Converter first. Then log in to your Apple account in the embedded Apple Music web player.

Step 2. Select Songs to Download

Browse your collected library or search tracks, albums, or playlists using keywords. Then click the "add to the conversion list" button. Alternatively, drag them to the conversion list in the right sidebar.

Step 3. Configure the Output Formats

After the software automatically parses songs, the format is set to MP3 by default on the conversion interface. If you want to change, click the "MP3" dropdown menu and choose one. The "Apply to All" button will apply the format to all downloads. You can also adjust the bitrate and sample rate using the adjacent buttons.

Step 4. Convert Music for Forever Save

When all settings are ready, hit the "Convert All" in the bottom right corner. In just a few minutes, the download task will be completed.

Then go to "Finished", where the "File" icon will locate you in the destination folder. Now, it is easy to listen offline on your computer or transfer your Apple Music songs to your iPhone, iPad, MP3 player, or USB for permanent storage.

Method 2. Save Apple Music Songs Using Recorder

Besides converting Apple Music songs, screen recording is a good way to bypass DRM and solve the problem of how to keep Apple Music songs forever. The built-in tools on computers and phones can be used to record Apple Music songs, but they output in video format, not audio.

Therefore, FonePaw Audio Recorder is highly recommended here. As a workable solution, it can record any system sound and microphone separately or simultaneously according to your needs. It supports various compatible formats for computers and other devices, including MP3, WMA, AAC, and lossless formats like FLAC and WAV. Best of all, FonePaw can reduce noise to improve output quality and has an embedded toolbox to trim recordings. Here is how to screen record Apple Music.

Step 1. Install and launch FonwPaw Audio Recorder on your computer. Then select the "Audio Recorder" icon;

Step 2. Turn off the microphone sound and adjust the "System Sound" recording volume;

Step 3. Go to "Burger Menu" > "Preferences" in the upper right corner to do a sound check, ensuring the system sound will be recorded;

Step 4. Decide the format for output files by going to More "Settings" > "Output" > "Audio Format";

Step 5. Click the "REC" button to start recording and play an Apple Music song. When it's done, hit "Stop" and use the built-in editor to remove the excess part. 

Method 3. Purchase Apple Music Songs to Keep Them Forever

As noted, downloading songs to your device in a commonly used format is workable to solve the problem of how to keep Apple Music songs forever. And for this, the most straightforward way is purchasing music from the iTunes Store. Purchasing grants you full ownership of selected Apple Music songs in DRM-free AAC format, making them easy to store and transfer across devices. This way, you will be able to get unlimited Apple Music songs as you want.

Buy Apple Music on an iPhone or iPad

To purchase and keep Apple Music songs forever on an iPhone or iPad, simply use the iTunes Store app as follows:

Step 1. Open the iTunes Store app and select "Music" at the bottom;

Step 2. Locate the song or album you want to buy and tap the price next to it;

Step 3. Log in to your Apple Account and complete your purchase.

Buy Apple Music on a Computer

Windows now has a standalone Apple Music app, and the purchase process is the same as on the Mac version. Here's how to buy Apple Music songs on a MacBook:

Step 1. Launch Apple Music and find the song or album you want to save forever;

Step 2. Hit the "iTunes Store" button in the top right corner and click the price next to your selection;

Step 3. Purchase and keep Apple Music songs forever by signing in with your account.

How to Keep Apple Music Songs Forever (3 Options)

Now you have three methods to make Apple Music songs playable. However, whether you convert to MP3, record audio, or purchase music, you'll need one or more storage locations to guarantee that your songs aren't lost or accidentally deleted. In this case, here are three storage options for how to keep Apple Music songs forever.

Local Storage

1. Create a dedicated folder for Apple Music on your computer;

2. Set it as the default folder to save Apple Music songs permanently;

3. Alternatively, copy and paste the songs to the folder for permanent storage.

USB Flash Drive

1. Plug your USB drive into your computer and open it;

2. Drag and drop all your Apple Music downloads into the USB folder for forever storage.

Google Drive

1. Visit Google Drive using a browser and log in to your Google account;

2. Go to "New" > "File upload"("Folder upload") to upload Apple Music downloads;

3. Once complete, Apple Music songs will be securely stored on Google Drive for good.

FAQs About How to Keep Apple Music Songs Forever

How Long Does Apple Music Keep Your Songs?

Apple Music keeps all your songs during your subscription. But note that Apple Music won't remove your added or downloaded songs immediately when you unsubscribe. Instead, it will keep them until the end of the billing period. That is to say, you can still enjoy your Apple Music songs before the subscription period ends.

How to Keep Apple Music Songs Forever for Free?

Apple Music recording and online downloaders are both free for saving Apple Music songs in common formats. After that, you can store the downloads in different places mentioned in the article to avoid accidental loss. For example, you can transfer the songs to your USB drive or upload them onto Google Drive.

Conclusion

To wrap up, as long as you download Apple Music songs to common formats like MP3 or others, you can store them in various locations permanently. In this post, several methods are introduced to help you save Apple Music songs locally, including converting them into MP3 with TuneFab Apple Music Converter and recording them with a professional recorder. Later, you will be ready to transfer them to different locations for permanent preservation, such as a USB flash drive and Google Drive.