Believe it or not, the iTunes Store is still alive. Even though streaming services like Apple Music, Spotify, and Tidal basically own the world now, some of us just want to actually own our files. There is a specific kind of comfort in knowing a song is sitting on your hard drive, safe from the whims of licensing agreements or subscription price hikes.
If you are wondering how do you purchase music on itunes, you might have noticed things look a little different than they did in 2010. Apple famously "killed" iTunes on the Mac several years ago, splitting it into Music, TV, and Podcasts. But don't panic. The "store" hasn't vanished; it just moved into a different room.
On a Mac, you open the Music app. On a PC, you actually still use the iTunes for Windows app (yeah, it still exists). On your iPhone, it’s a standalone app called the iTunes Store. It's a bit of a maze, honestly.
The Modern Way to Find the Buy Button
The biggest hurdle most people face is that Apple really wants you to subscribe to Apple Music. They hide the store like it's a family secret. If you open the Music app on a MacBook or an iMac, you’ll see "Listen Now," "Browse," and "Radio." Where is the store? Usually, it's hidden in the settings. You have to go to Music > Settings (or Preferences), click the General tab, and manually check a box that says "iTunes Store."
Suddenly, it appears in the sidebar. Magic.
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Once you’ve actually enabled the store, the process is pretty straightforward. You search for an artist—let's say you're looking for that new Charli xcx track or a classic Fleetwood Mac album—and you'll see a price tag next to the song or the album. Click the price. Apple will ask for your Touch ID or password. Once you confirm, the file downloads.
It's yours. Forever.
On an iPhone or iPad, look for the purple icon with the white star. That’s the iTunes Store app. It is entirely separate from the Music app where you listen to your tunes. This separation is actually kinda helpful because it prevents you from accidentally buying something you meant to just stream. You search, you tap the price, you authenticate with Face ID. Done.
Why Digital Ownership Still Matters in 2026
We’ve all seen it happen. You have a favorite playlist, and one morning, half the songs are greyed out. License expired. Artist pulled their discography. Label dispute. When you buy a song on iTunes, you are buying a 256kbps AAC file. While audiophiles might grumble that it isn't "Lossless" or "Hi-Res" like some streaming tiers, the reality is that an AAC file sounds great on almost any consumer hardware.
More importantly, these files are DRM-free.
This is a huge deal that people forget. Back in the early 2000s, Apple used "FairPlay" DRM, which meant you could only play your music on authorized Apple devices. Since 2009, iTunes Plus has been the standard. This means when you purchase music on iTunes, you can literally drag that file out of your library and put it on a thumb drive, a non-Apple MP3 player, or even a different computer. You bought it. You keep it.
Troubleshooting the "Download" Nightmare
Sometimes you buy the music, but it doesn't show up. It’s infuriating. Usually, this happens because of a sync error between your Apple ID and your device.
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If a song isn't appearing, check your "Purchased" tab. In the iTunes Store app on mobile, tap "More" in the bottom right, then tap "Purchased." You’ll see a list of everything you’ve ever bought. If there's a little cloud icon with an arrow pointing down next to a song, it means you own it, but it isn't currently taking up space on your phone. Tap that cloud.
Another weird quirk? Sometimes albums are "Partial Works." This happens a lot with classical music or movie soundtracks. You might think you're buying the whole thing, but a specific track is "Album Only," or worse, it’s not available for individual sale. Always double-check the total price at the top of the album page before you start clicking individual songs.
Money Matters: Gift Cards and Payment Methods
How do you pay? Most people just have a credit card linked to their Apple ID. But if you're trying to stick to a budget, or you're a parent trying to control a kid's spending, Apple Account Balance is the way to go.
You can buy those physical gift cards at the grocery store, or you can "Add Money to Account" directly in the App Store settings. This creates a buffer. When you buy a $1.29 song, it eats into that balance first before touching your bank account. It’s a solid way to avoid "subscription creep" where you realize you've spent $50 on random singles over a month.
Interestingly, the price of music hasn't changed much in twenty years. Most singles are still $0.69, $0.99, or $1.29. Albums usually hover around $9.99 to $14.99. Considering inflation, music is actually cheaper now than it was when the iPod first dropped.
Organizing Your Library Like a Pro
Once you start buying, don't just leave the files in a mess. The Music app allows you to edit "Metadata." This is the nerdy term for the artist name, year, genre, and album art.
Right-click a song and select "Get Info."
You can change the genre from "Alternative" to something more specific like "Shoegaze" or "Post-Punk." You can even add custom lyrics. Why do this? Because when you’re using Siri or searching your library later, clean metadata makes everything work better. There is nothing worse than having three different "Artist" entries for the same person because one has a typo or a stray space at the end.
Essential Steps for Successful Purchasing
- Enable the Store: On Mac, go to Settings > General and toggle the iTunes Store view.
- Check for DRM-Free: Ensure your downloads are in the "Purchased" folder as AAC files.
- Backup your files: Even though you can re-download from the cloud, hardware fails and accounts get locked. Copy your library to an external drive once a year.
- Use the Search Bar wisely: Sometimes searching for an "Artist - Song" gives better results than just the song title, especially for covers.
- Review your History: Go to your Apple ID settings to see a line-item receipt of every purchase to catch accidental clicks.
If you’ve followed these steps, your digital library should be a well-oiled machine. Buying music is a vote for the artist. While streaming pays fractions of a penny, a $1.29 purchase actually puts some real money in the pockets of the people making the art. Plus, you get to keep the music even if you decide to cancel all your subscriptions and go off the grid next month.
To ensure your library stays permanent, move your downloaded files to a dedicated folder on your computer that is backed up to a service like Backblaze or a physical Time Machine drive. This protects your investment against accidental deletion or Apple ID issues. Regularly check the "Available Downloads" section in the Account menu to see if any previous purchases didn't finish transferring during a spotty Wi-Fi session.