2 best ways to convert Apple Music to MP3

Apple Music songs are DRM protected and you can't convert them to MP3 with Music/iTunes app or other music converter tools. There is an professional Apple Music to MP3 Converter app called Ondesoft Apple Music Converter . It allows you to download any Apple Music songs in MP3 format for offline listening without limitations. You can download as many music, playlists, and albums as you want.

Apple Music is a streaming service that allows you to listen to over 100 million songs at $10.99 per month(with 1 month free trial for new subscribers). Subscribers can download their favorite tracks and play them offline. However, the downloaded songs can only be played within iTunes and Apple Music app. Is there a method to convert Apple Music to MP3 in order to retain access to Apple Music indefinitely or to transfer the tracks to alternate devices, such as an MP3 player?

Absolutely yes. This tutorial will show you how to convert Apple Music songs to MP3 on Mac and Windows.

apple music devices

Contents

What kinds of Apple Music songs do you want to convert?
Option 1 Convert unprotected songs to MP3 with Music/iTunes
Option 2 Convert Protected Apple Music Songs to MP3 with Ondesoft Apple Music Converter

What kinds of Apple Music songs do you want to convert?

Your music library can include songs from Apple Music and iTunes Match (if you subscribe), your other devices, CDs, the iTunes Store, or other sources. If you subscribe to Apple Music or iTunes Match, you can access your entire music library on all your devices when you’re signed in with the same Apple ID and connected to the internet.

For DRM-free songs, such as songs you ripped from CD or purchased from iTunes Store, you can easily convert them to MP3 with Apple Music app on your Mac or iTunes for Windows on your PC.

However, to convert songs from Apple Music catalog to MP3, you will need the professional Apple Music Converter - Ondesoft Apple Music Converter, since songs from Apple Music subscription are DRM protected. After converting Apple Music songs to MP3 and save them on your Mac/Windows, you can get Apple Music for free.

To confirm whether the songs you want to convert are DRM protected, you can sort all song by Kind.

Open Music app on your Mac and click Songs under Library on the left side. Click View in the menu bar - Show View Options.

Apple Music kind

Check Kind in the bottom.

Apple Music kind

Now you will see the format of all songs.

Apple Music AAC audio file means the song is from Apple Music catalog and DRM protected.
MPEG audio file is in mp3 format, DRM-free.
Purchased AAC audio file is purchased from iTunes Store in M4A format, DRM-free.
AAC audio file is in M4A format, DRM-free.

Apple Music kind

To convert DRM-free music to MP3, just use the Music or iTunes app. You may probably have bought a lot of music like many others over the years on like iTunes or ported from CDs purchased in stores back in the day. These songs are DRM-free and you can easily convert them to MP3 with Music or iTunes app's MP3 Encoder.

To convert DRM-protected Apple Music songs to MP3, you will need professional Apple Music Converter.

Part 1. Convert unprotected songs to MP3 with Music/iTunes

From macOS Catalina, your iTunes media library is now available in the Apple Music app, Apple TV app, Apple Books app, and Apple Podcasts app. The Apple Music app is where you can find all of your music, including music that you imported in to iTunes, purchased from the iTunes Store, and playlists and smart playlists that you created in iTunes. And if you subscribe to Apple Music, you can stream and download millions of songs, and access your entire music library across all of your devices. To convert unprotected songs to MP3, you can simply use Music or iTunes app.

How to convert songs to MP3 with the Apple Music app or iTunes for Windows

On your Mac

Open the Apple Music app.
In the menu bar, choose Music > Preferences.
Click the Files tab, then click Import Settings.

Click the menu next to Import Using, then choose MP3 Encoder.

Click OK.
Select the songs in your library that you want to convert.
Choose File > Convert, then Create MP3 Version. New song files appear in your library next to the original files.

On your PC

If you have a PC, you can continue to use iTunes for Windows to manage your media library.

Open iTunes for Windows.
In the menu bar, choose Edit > Preferences.
Click the General tab, then click Import Settings.
Click the menu next to Import Using, then choose MP3 Encoder.
Click OK.
Select the songs in your library that you want to convert.
Choose File > Convert, then Create MP3 Version.

Part 2. Convert Protected Apple Music Songs to MP3

However, songs from Apple Music catalog can't be converted to MP3 using above method. That's because Apple Music songs you downloaded are in DRM-protected format and can only be played with the Music app. You can't transfer them to other device to play them with other music player. Besides, once your Apple Music membership expired, you cannot listen to the songs even they have been downloaded. Therefore, to keep them always accessible, using a music converter to convert Apple Music to MP3 is a perfect solution. Here we will recommend Ondesoft Apple Music Converter.

Option 1 Soundloaders - Currently not work

Soundloaders Apple Music Downloader is a desktop application for Mac or Windows to download your favorites songs from Apple Music. It doesn't support downloading albums or playlists, you can only use it to download single songs. However, currently it doesn't work.

Apple Music Converter

Pros: Free

Cons: Only download Apple Music single songs.

Option 2 Ondesoft Apple Music Converter

What is Ondesoft Apple Music Converter

Ondesoft Apple Music Converter is a very helpful tool when it comes to downloading Apple Music songs, albums and playlists to MP3, M4A, etc. on computer with all ID3 tags. This app can help you to have the songs downloaded to your system forever. So you won't have to worry about when your Apple Music subscription will expire.

Ondesoft Apple Music Converter Features

• Ondesoft Apple Music Converter can be used both in Windows and Mac irrespective of the type of operating system. So you just have to choose the right version and you can simply use the software for your regular downloading work.

• Ondesoft Apple Music Converter can download Apple Music songs to 256kbps M4A, 320kbps MP3 and lossless music quality in FLAC/WAV/AIFF. So if you want to download Apple Music songs with high quality then this downloader can help you out with that.

• You can rename the downloaded Apple Music songs as per your preference whenever you will use Ondesoft Apple Music Converter for downloading songs from Apple Music. It will help you to rename songs with any combination of Title, Artist, Album, Track Number and Playlist Index.

• In case you want to archive songs with album or artist then also Pazu Downloader can help you out with that. You can set Ondesoft Apple Music Converter to organize songs by Album, Artist, Album/Artist or Artist/Album.

• Features built-in Apple Music web player, you don’t need to install Music app to download songs.

Steps to convert Apple Music to MP3

1. Download and Launch Apple Music Converter

Download, install and launch Ondesoft Apple Music Converter on your Mac or Windows.

2. Sign in your Apple Music account

Click the Sign in button and enter your Apple ID.

3. Change output format(optional)

The default output format is lossless M4A. Ondesoft Apple Music Converter also supports converting Apple Music to MP3, AAC, FLAC, WAV and AIFF. You can also customize output file name with any combination of title, artist, album, playlist index and track ID.

4. Select Apple Music songs

Follow the on-screen instructions to choose the playlist or album you want to convert.

Click Add songs.

5. Start downloading Apple Music

By default, all songs in the playlist/album will be checked. If there are songs you don't want to convert, please uncheck the box. Then click Convert button to start downloading songs to the format you choose.

After conversion, click below folder icon to quickly locate the downloaded songs. Now you have downloaded Apple Music songs to MP3. You can play them anywhere you want even after cancelling Apple Music subscription.