How to Change Account on Apple Music Without Losing Your Entire Library

You're staring at your screen, wondering why your kid's Disney soundtracks are suddenly sabotaging your "Heavy Metal Friday" mix. It happens. Maybe you’re sharing an Apple ID and realize it’s a mistake, or perhaps you have a separate work account for that pristine, focus-only lo-fi chill. Whatever the reason, figuring out how to change account on Apple Music is one of those tasks that sounds like it should take two seconds but actually involves a few terrifying warnings about deleted downloads.

It's annoying. Apple deeply integrates your Music subscription with your iCloud identity. Switching isn't just a toggle switch inside the app; it’s a dance between your Media & Purchases settings and the Music app itself.

The Reality of Switching Apple IDs for Music

Most people think they can just swap accounts like they do on Netflix. You can't.

When you sign out of your Apple ID to switch to another, Apple Music does something pretty drastic: it wipes your downloaded songs. They aren't "deleted" from your library in the cloud, but the physical files on your phone disappear to prevent piracy. If you have 50GB of music saved for offline listening, be prepared to redownload every single bit of it once you sign into the new account.

Honestly, the process is a bit of a headache if you do it often. iOS is designed to be a "one person, one device" ecosystem. If you’re trying to share a subscription with a spouse or a roommate, you’re almost always better off using Apple Music Family Sharing instead of manually swapping accounts every day. But, if you're committed to the manual swap, here is how the plumbing works.

How to Change Account on Apple Music via iOS Settings

Forget the Music app for a second. The real control center for your subscription lives in your iPhone or iPad Settings. This is where you actually tell the hardware who is paying the bills.

First, open Settings. Tap your name at the very top. This is your Apple ID hub. You’ll see an option labeled Media & Purchases. This is the specific "sub-account" that handles your App Store buys and your Music subscription. Tap that, then hit Sign Out.

A prompt will pop up. It might look scary. It’ll tell you that your music and other media will be removed from the device. This is the "wipe" I mentioned earlier. Confirm it. Once you're signed out, tap Media & Purchases again. Now, select the option that says "Not [Your Name]?" and sign in with the secondary Apple ID credentials.

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Why does the app look empty now?

Don't panic. When you first log in to a different account, the Music app might look like a ghost town for a few minutes. It has to sync your library from Apple's servers. If you have a massive library with thousands of tracks, it takes time. Make sure "Sync Library" is toggled on in Settings > Music or you’ll be staring at a blank screen forever.

The Desktop Method: Swapping on Mac or PC

If you're on a Mac, the process feels a bit more "old school" because it’s handled directly within the Music app (formerly iTunes).

Go to the menu bar at the top of your screen. Click Account. From there, you just hit Sign Out. Once the screen clears, go back to the same menu and click Sign In. It’s arguably smoother on a Mac than on an iPhone because the OS doesn't feel the need to verify your entire biometric identity just to change a music profile.

Windows users? You're likely using the newer Apple Music app from the Microsoft Store or the aging iTunes. The logic is identical. Account menu -> Sign Out -> Sign In.

One weird quirk: If you have purchased music (like actual 99-cent singles from 2012) under different IDs, your computer can actually play music from both at the same time, provided the machine is "authorized" for both accounts. This is a vestige of the old DRM days that hasn't quite died yet.

What Happens to Your Playlists?

This is the big one. People ask this constantly: "Can I move my playlists when I change account on Apple Music?"

The short answer is: Not officially.

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Apple doesn't provide a "Transfer Everything to My New ID" button. If you switch from Account A to Account B, Account B starts with a clean slate. Your carefully curated "Gym Pump Up 2024" list stays with Account A.

However, there are workarounds. You can make your playlists "Public" on Account A, share the link to yourself via iMessage, and then open that link while signed into Account B. From there, you can "Add to Library." It’s a manual, tedious process, but it works for the stuff you really can’t live without.

Using Third-Party Transfer Tools

If you’re moving hundreds of playlists, don't do it manually. Tools like SongShift or TuneMyMusic are lifesavers. They basically "read" your library on one account and "re-create" it on another. It isn't perfect—sometimes they can't find the exact remix or a specific live version—but it beats spending a Saturday afternoon clicking "Add to Library" five hundred times.

Android Users Actually Have It Easier

It’s ironic, but the Apple Music app on Android is surprisingly flexible. Because it isn't baked into the core operating system like it is on iOS, you can often clear the app's cache and data to "reset" it without affecting your Google Play identity.

To change account on Apple Music on an Android device, open the app, tap the three dots in the top right, go to Account, and sign out. It’s snappy. You don't have to jump into the phone's main settings menu. It’s one of the few times where using an Apple service on a non-Apple device feels less restrictive.

Common Pitfalls and the 90-Day Lock

Here is the "gotcha" that catches everyone. Apple has a strictly enforced rule about "Associated Devices."

When you sign in to a new Apple ID and turn on features like Cloud Music Library or Automatic Downloads, that specific iPhone or Mac becomes "associated" with that Apple ID. You can only switch the associated ID once every 90 days for certain features.

If you try to flip-flop between two accounts every week to save money or share music, Apple will eventually grey out the sign-in option and tell you that you can't associate this device with a new ID for another 82 days. It’s a move designed to stop people from just logging into their friend's account, downloading 500 songs, and then logging back into their own.

Troubleshooting: When "Sign Out" is Greyed Out

Sometimes you go to Settings and your Apple ID is greyed out. You can't tap it. You can't sign out. You're stuck.

This usually happens because of Screen Time restrictions. If you (or a parent) have "Account Changes" set to "Don't Allow" under the Content & Privacy Restrictions, the "change account" path is effectively dead.

1. Go to Settings.
2. Tap Screen Time.
3. Go to Content & Privacy Restrictions.
4. Scroll down to Account Changes and set it to Allow.

Now you should be able to go back and swap your Apple Music identity without the phone blocking you.

Actionable Steps for a Smooth Transition

Changing your music identity doesn't have to be a mess. If you're ready to make the jump, follow this checklist to ensure you don't lose your mind or your music.

• Audit your offline music: Check how much storage your current library uses. If it’s 100GB, make sure you have a fast Wi-Fi connection ready for the redownload.
• Screenshots are your friend: Before signing out, screenshot your most important playlists. Metadata can be finicky, and having a visual record of your tracklists is a great safety net.
• Check your subscriptions: If you’re switching accounts to save money, ensure the new account’s billing method is updated. Apple Music will cut you off the second a payment fails.
• Use the "Public Playlist" trick: Set your must-have playlists to "Show on My Profile and in Search." Copy the links to a Note app. This makes re-adding them to your new account significantly faster.
• Verify Family Sharing: If your goal is just to let someone else listen, stop. Don't change accounts. Go to Settings > [Your Name] > Family Sharing and invite the other person. It’s much cleaner than swapping IDs.

By following these steps, you can navigate the shift without the usual headache of losing your favorite tracks or hitting a 90-day lockout.