How to Remove DRM from Apple Music (2024 Ultimate Guide)

By Justin SabrinaUpdated on November 08, 2024

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All Apple Music songs are DRM protected and that protection remains even if you have download them to computer for offline playback with iTunes, we can only access the Apple Music downloads on a few supported devices. Furthermore, once your subscription expires, you won't be able to stream any Apple Music tracks. Removing Apple Music DRM is the best way to keep Apple Music tracks forever and enjoy them freely.

CONTENTS

So, is there a way to remove DRM from Apple Music so that you can listen to Apple Music songs freely? Of course! If you are targeting Apple Music DRM removal free software, this article strives to provide you with everything you want to know, including a brief introduction of Apple Music DRM, and the solution to strip DRM from Apple Music losslessly.

To remove DRM from Apple Music, you can consider using a professional third-party Apple Music DRM removal tool. UkeySoft Apple Music Converter is a popular Apple Music DRM removal tool that I used and highly recommend with confidence for music lovers. Hopefully, it'll help you as much as it helped me for removing DRM from Apple Music and converting the DRM protected Apple Music as MP3 files.

Part 1: What is Apple Music FairPlay DRM Protection

What is FairPlay DRM? FairPlay, also known as Digital Rights Management (DRM), is Apple's proprietary encryption scheme used to encrypt iTunes content, including movies, TV shows, videos, music, e-books, etc. In fact, FairPlay DRM technology prevents users from directly using purchased iTunes content on any portable digital music player other than Apple devices.

The downloaded Apple Music songs are in M4P format and adopt FairPlay DRM protection, users can only play them on iTunes or authorized devices such as Apple TV, iPhone 11/XS/X/8/7/6S/6, iPad and iPod touch. If you want to play Apple Music tracks, playlists, albums on other music players, you need to ask a professional Apple Music DRM removal free software for help.

Where can you enjoy Apple Music?

Until now, Apple Music is avialable on Mac, PC, iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Android Phone, Apple Watch (Update from a paired iPhone.3), CarPlay, Apple TV (4th generation or later) and Sonos.

Platforms: macOS; iOS; tvOS; watchOS; Windows; Android

Know More About Apple Music DRM:

Apple Music covers more than 100 million songs for its subscribers. It provides you with a 3 month free trial service, and you are free to choose whether to renew after expiration. You will need to pay $9.99 per month for an individual or $14.99 per month for a family subscription of up to 6 people if you are a subscriber. If the service is valid, you are allowed to download Apple Music tracks for offline listening. However, you are unlikely to access all Apple music songs including downloaded music because the service is interrupted.

The Wikipedia says FairPlay is a digital rights management (DRM) technology developed by Apple Inc. It is built into the MP4 multimedia file format as an encrypted AAC audio layer, and is used by the company to protect copyrighted works sold through iTunes Store, allowing only authorized devices to play the content(Apple Music tracks, iTunes movies, TV shows, music videos, audiobooks, podcasts, etc.). However, the tracks you downloaded from the Apple Music catalog are DRM-protected in .m4p format, which means you can only play Apple Music on authorized devices. And it is impossible to transfer Apple Music songs to any MP3 players such as iPod shuffle, iPod nano, Sony Walkman, etc. Honestly, you cannot keep Apple Music forever unless you find a solution to completely bypass DRM from Apple Music.

Part 2: Why We Need to Remove DRM from Apple Music?

Situation 1: "I have subscribed Apple Music streaming service so that I can download the songs for offline listening through the "Make Available Offline" option. Now I want to transfer these songs to iPod nano for offline listening but failed. How can I  play Apple Music downloaded songs on iPod nano?"

Situation 2: "How to remove DRM from Apple Music files to keep all tracks forever?"

The advantage of becoming an Apple Music subscriber is that you can listen to music offline where there is no internet connection or the signal is weak. However, after the free trial or subscription expires, the offline music you previously downloaded will not be available. This is because Apple Music is associated with DRM protection. The DRM restricts us from listening to protected tracks on non-Apple devices or players (including MP3 players, iPod nano/shuffle/classic, PS4, Xbox, smart TV, Windows Phone, Symbian Nokia phones, etc.). Well, all these problems can be resolved on the premise that you remove DRM from Apple Music songs. Once Apple Music DRM is removed, we immediately get many benefits:

1. You can play Apple Music on any unauthorized device once the DRM restriction is removed:
– Any version of Windows PC
– iPhone (including iPhone 4), iPad and Apple TV
– iPod Nano, iPod Shuffle and iPod Classic
- Amazon Kindle Fire, Nook, Kobo, etc.
– Xbox 360, Xbox One
- Chromecast and Chromecast audio
- Windows phones, including Lumia series
- BlackBerry OS device or Nokia (Symbian) device
– All MP3 players
– Any Mac PC from macOS 10.6 to 10.15
- All Apple Watch
– All iPod Touch versions including iPod Touch 4
– Android phones, tablets and TVs, such as Samsung, Huawei, LG, etc.
– Roku TV and various smart TVs
– Plex Media Server
– PSP, PSP Go, PS Vita, PS3, PS4, Sony Walkman
– Sandisk, Archos, Creative Zen, iRiver, etc.
– Any car audio system

2. All DRM-free Apple Music songs can be kept forever after you cancel your subscription.

3. Easily burn Apple Music to CD, DVD or Blu-ray for backup after performing Apple Music DRM removal operation.

4. Use Apple Music as background music of various video editor software (such as iMovie, Final Cut Pro, DVDStyler, Fimora, etc.).

5. Set Apple Music as ringtone for iPhone and Android.

6. Easily transfer Apple music tracks to SD cards, flash drive, USB hard drive, etc.

In short, if you successfully remove DRM from Apple Music, all downloaded content will not disappear even if the subscription ends. You can completely control any track of Apple Music and keep them forever.

Part 3: Best Apple Music DRM Removal

In order to make Apple Music playable on any device and MP3 player, or to keep Apple Music songs forever without subscription, the easiest workaround is to remove Apple Music DRM. You can make full use of this UkeySoft Apple Music Converter which is the best and most professional Apple Music DRM removal, it can help you remove DRM from Apple Music and convert Apple Music M4P songs to unprotected MP3 or other audio formats. In addition, you can change many audio settings from the options like Sample rate, channels, Bit rate, Codec, etc. and customize output audio file-name format including Title, Artist, Album, Disk ID and Track ID if you want.

It is the ultimate Audio DRM Removal free software and is suitable for bypassing DRM from Apple Music without losing any quality. With it, you can batch convert Apple Music songs to MP3, M4A, AAC, FLAC, WAV and AIFF format at up to 10X fast speed. More importantly, the program itself comes with a built-in Apple Music web player, you can download, convert and play music without installing iTuens or the Apple Music app. The UkeySoft Apple Music Converter free software brings 2 versions, one is a free trial and the other is a lifetime premium member. You are allowed to convert Apple Music songs for free, but it has a time limit, you can only convert the first 3 minutes of each song. For only $79.95, you will become a lifetime member with free lifetime upgrade rights, and only $14.95 for 1-Month subscription, you can access to full features for 1 month. Of course, you can convert unlimited Apple Music songs as long as your computer has enough storage space.

Key Features:

• Built-in Apple Music web player.
• Remove DRM from Apple Music tracks.
• Get rid of DRM copyright from iTunes purchases, audiobooks.
• Keep Apple Music forever after unsubscribing.
• Choose output format as MP3, M4A, AAC, FLAC, WAV, AIFF.
• Customize output quality, output folder, output file name if you like.
• Up to 16X conversion speed and keep 100% original audio quality.
• Metadata preserved to MP3, M4A output files.
• All ID3 tags will be kept after conversion.
• Built-in web player, no need to install iTunes/Apple Music app.
• Fully works well in Windows 11 and Mac 13.

Download the Apple Music Converter on your computer and get Apple Music songs with best quality:

Tips: UkeySoft Apple Music Converter is a home edition and it's for personal use only.

Part 4: Tutorial: How to Remove DRM from Apple Music

Here we'll show you how to get DRM-free version of Apple Music songs for personal usage with a powerful DRM removal software on Mac.

Step 1. Launch UkeySoft Apple Music Converter
Launch UkeySoft Apple Music Converter on your computer, you will need to login by clicking on the "Sign in" button at the top right corner.

Step 2. Choose MP3 as Output Format
Click on the "Gear" icon to set up output format, you can choose MP3, M4A, AAC, FLAC, WAV, AIFF, the Auto is defaulted as M4A. The best format to choose is MP3, since MP3 is the universal format that is compatible with most devices. You can also customize other parameters such as output quality, output folder, etc.

Step 3. Select Apple Music Tracks
Search and browse a track, playlist or album tht you want to download and convert to MP3, click the "Add" icon to add songs to the converting list, you can add as many as you like since it supports batch converting. All the songs will be selected in the playlist by default. Unselect the ones you don't want in the checkbox.

Step 4. Remove DRM from Apple Music
Click "Convert" button to start removing DRM from Apple Music songs.

When the converting is done, you will can get DRM-free version of Apple Music by clicking on "History" button shown as a clock icon at the top right.

Part 5: How Does UkeySoft Apple Music Converter Remove DRM from Apple Music?

There is no tool that can really remove DRM from Apple Music. Some apps claim to unlock DRM from Apple Music, which is impossible. However, we can record Apple Music songs in other ways. After rigorous testing, we found that UkeySoft Apple Music Converter effectively converts Apple Music into common audio formats, which can almost meet the needs of all devices. During the conversion process, iTunes will play Apple Music songs in the background (mute), and then the converter will record and convert Apple Music tracks to MP3, WAV, M4A, AAC, AU, AIFF format files , And retain 100% sound quality. Unlike other recorders, UkeySoft Apple Music Converter can read and download song ID tags and metadata information, and then save the metadata to the corresponding output MP3 and M4A audio files. If you want to convert iTunes audiobooks, you will be surprised that the original chapter information is also complete.

Currently, the UkeySoft Apple Music Converter is updated to 7.0.3 version. The latest version fixes some bugs, and the whole conversion process is smoother. After conversion, it will show how many Apple Music songs were successfully converted and how many failed.

Pros:

Remove DRM from Apple Music
Ukeysoft Apple Music Converter is a professional DRM removal free tool for removing DRM protection from Apple Music, iTunes M4P music, iTunes audiobooks, Audible audiobook, etc.

Support Multiple Output Formats
There are up to 10 different audio output formats available, including MP3, WAV, M4A, AAC, AU, AIFF. In other words, you can listen to DRM-free Apple music songs on various devices.

Support Batch Conversion and 16X Speed
More user-friendly, the application allows you to convert songs in batch, you can add any number of songs at once, after clicking the "Convert" button, all songs will be converted to MP3 files at 10X faster speed.

Play Apple Music on Any Device
After removing DRM protection from Apple Music, you will no longer be restricted to transfer the songs to other non-Apple devices. You can transfer converted songs to any device for offline playback. You can even burn Apple Music to CD with iTunes or Windows Media Player easily.

Part 6. How to Remove DRM from Apple Music via iTunes Match?

iTunes Match is a paid service ($25/year) offered by Apple that allows you to store your music library in iCloud. This service is separate from an Apple Music subscription and is based on an annual fee. The purchased Apple Music songs before 2009 are DRM protected. In such case, you can use iTunes Match to get rid of DRM on purchased Apple Music songs.

Step 1. First, subscribe to iTunes Match on your computer or iOS device via the iTunes or Apple Music app.

Step 2. Then, iTunes Match will automatically start scanning and matching your library to songs in the iTunes Store, just wait a while.

Step 3. Once the matching process is complete, For matched songs, delete the original copy from your library first.

Step 4. Then, download the matched song from iCloud, which will be the DRM-free version in 256 kbps AAC format.

Thereafter, you can keep your unprotected songs after your subscription expires.

Extra Tip: How to Remove DRM from iTunes M4V Movies

Movies, videos and TV shows purchased from the iTunes Store are also protected by DRM. This is especially unfair for iTunes rental, as the rented iTunes movie will be unavailable after 24 hours once you start watching. If you want to get rid of the restriction of iTunes rental, you'd better remove DRM from iTunes videos and convert M4V to DRM-free MP4, so iTunes Video DRM removal software - UkeySoft iTunes M4V Converter come out. It aims to legally remove DRM from iTunes purchases and rentals, and convert iTunes M4V movies and TV shows to MP4, MOV, AVI, etc., at up to 30X speed. After conversion, you can keep AC3 5.1 audio tracks and all multi-language subtitles.

This is a trick to keep iTunes movies playable forever. After removing DRM from iTunes movies, you can watch it on any MP4 compatible devices, such as iPhone, iPad, Android phones and tablets, any smart TV, Xbox 360, PS4, BlackBerry phones, Nokia (Symbian) phones and any smart phones Cell phone.

If you are interested, here is a complete tutorial for converting iTunes videos to MP4: How to Remove iTunes DRM & Convert M4V to MP4

FAQs About Removing DRM from Apple Music

Q1: Is It Legal to Remove DRM from Apple Music?
Some people may ask "Is it legal to remove DRM from Apple Music?" "How to remove DRM from Apple Music legally?" In fact, it is illegal to unlock DRM from Apple Music in some countries/regions. However, if you only use the song for personal entertainment, it is legal. You can transfer DRM-free Apple music to MP3 portable devices to play when you are running, traveling, doing yoga or driving a car. Freeing DRM from Apple Music will help us better enjoy our favorite Apple Music songs without any restrictions. Therefore, an Apple Music DRM removal tool is a secret weapon.

Q2: How do I remove DRM protection from Apple Music for free?
In fact, there are very few free DRM removal tools on the market. Some claim to help you crack Apple Music DRM for free, but are actually just an audio recorder with 1:1 slow speed and lossy quality.

Q3: What app removes DRM from Apple Music?
You can consider using some third-party Apple Music converter software. Most of them enable you to remove DRM protection from Apple Music and save them as plain audios on a Windows or Mac.

Q4: How do I unprotected a song on Apple Music?
Typically, Apple Music doesn't allow to crack DRM. It uses DRM technology to protect song copyright and regulate usage. To strip DRM from Apple Music, a third-party DRM cracker is necessary.

Q5: Is there a true lossless DRM removal for Apple Music?
Of course. UkeySoft Apple Music Converter is famous for its lossless output audio quality when removing DRM from Apple Music tracks. You will get DRM-free Apple Music songs with original quality, but saved in common audio formats.

Q6: How to remove DRM protection from purchased AAC music files?
iTunes has been selling DRM-free music since April 2009. If you have DRM-protected iTunes music, you need to use a professional iTunes Music converter to break DRM. The older version of UkeySoft Apple Music Converter is also a powerful iTunes DRM Removal. It can strip DRM from iTunes library and convert them into unprotected formats, including iTunes music, Apple Music, iTunes audiobooks, music videos, Audible audiobooks, etc.

Final Words

Apple Music songs are protected by DRM protection. If you want to enjoy Apple Music on unauthorized devices like iPod nano, iPod shuffle, Sony Walkman, PS4, you need to delete the DRM. Above, we've introduced Apple Music DRM (FairPlay), and guide you how to remove DRM from Apple Music tracks. The best tool is using the UkeySoft Apple Music Converter. It can also convert Apple Music songs to unprotected audio formats, making streaming Apple Music songs DRM-free on all kinds of devices and players with ease. You can give it a try!

Justin Sabrina

Justin Sabrina has always had great enthusiasm for writing, programming and web development. He likes writing about software and technology, his works are featured on some tech blogs or forums like Tom's Hardware, CNET, etc.

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