I'm planning to erase my MacBook Air and reinstall macOS, but I no longer want to use Apple Music. If I open the Music app after reinstalling and sign in with my Apple account, will all of the music I previously purchased from the iTunes Store automatically reappear? I have around 5,000 songs and want them removed permanently. Deleting them currently seems temporary: the app offers options like hiding the purchase or moving the files to the Trash, but the songs keep coming back. How can I prevent the purchases from being downloaded or displayed again?
1 Answer
Yes. Music purchased from the iTunes Store is tied to your Apple account, not just the current Mac. After reinstalling, signing in and opening the Music app can make those purchases available again, and previously downloaded items may be restored through your library or cloud settings.
That’s what I’m trying to avoid. I’m no longer using Apple Music, and deleting the songs only seems to hide them or move the local files to the Trash before they return. I want the purchases gone from the Music app entirely.