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How do I get an mp3 music album on my MacBookPro, onto my new iphone 16? (not possible anymore?)

I've been out of the iPhone game for awhile. Had an iphone 10 until today bought the iPhone 16 Pro. I had downloaded an album of music from a third party website and the songs are on my desktop. I want to put them on my iPhone. I put them in iTunes. I connect my iphone to my MacBookPro. The songs are there. Yet cannot figure out how to get them on my phone. I do have Apple Music, and someone had said if songs are outside of AM (as in, they don't exist on apple music) then you can't get them onto your phone unless you pay some service to do it. Like, wtf? Is there no way I can do this very simple action anymore?


iPhone 16 Pro

Posted on Sep 20, 2024 6:19 PM

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10 replies

Sep 21, 2024 11:47 PM in response to gregorcollins

Hi,

Apple music is the subscription service and uses iCloud music library to sync music across all devices. Music app is not Apple Music but the app on your computer that contains your music.

You don’t need a subscription to sync the music on your computer - see Use the Finder to sync your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch with your Mac – Apple Support (UK).



Sep 22, 2024 7:42 AM in response to gregorcollins

gregorcollins wrote:

i appreciate ur note but nothing is clear and cut and dry like you say. you say keep sync library turned off - on phone or computer???


I believe that whether you wanted it turned ON, or turned OFF, you would want to set it the same way in both places.


Use Sync Library with your Apple Music subscription - Apple Support

Access your music library on all your devices - Apple Support


the note keeps showing: turn off cloud library


I believe that Apple is using the terms "iCloud Music Library" and "Sync Library" to mean much the same thing. "iCloud Music Library" is the feature/service and "Sync Library" controls whether you use it.


iMore - Everything you need to know about iCloud Music Library

Sep 22, 2024 3:17 AM in response to gregorcollins

gregorcollins wrote:

thx - my point was that i HAVE apple music, and heard that if you HAVE apple music, you are no longer allowed, for free, to transfer third party music files, files that do not exist in Apple music, to your phone. could have been bogus info but that's what i heard from an apple employee. will still try what you suggested, thx


There are several ways to transfer music (from your own CDs, the iTunes Store, etc.) to your phone:

  • "Manual" synchronization using iTunes (in the old days) or Music + Finder (now)
  • iTunes Match (subscription service)
  • Sync Library feature of Apple Music (subscription service)


It probably is a good idea to use only one method at a time, and the software may well enforce that.


I have an Apple Music subscription, but I intentionally keep "Sync Library" turned off, and manually synchronize music from one of my Macs to my iPhone. One unfortunate consequence of keeping "Sync Library" disabled is that I cannot download off-line listening copies of Apple Music subscription songs.

How do I get an mp3 music album on my MacBookPro, onto my new iphone 16? (not possible anymore?)

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