It is a weirdly common frustration. You open up the Music app on your iPhone, looking to finally own that one obscure indie track you’ve been streaming on repeat, and you realize the "Buy" button is nowhere to be found. It’s gone. Or at least, it feels gone. Most people think that once you subscribe to Apple Music, the ability to actually own your music vanishes into the subscription ether. That’s not true. You can still own your files. You just have to know where Apple hid the store.
If you’re trying to figure out how to purchase songs on Apple Music, you’ve probably noticed that Apple really, really wants you to just keep paying that monthly subscription fee. Subscription models are predictable revenue. Buying a song for $1.29 is a one-time transaction that Apple has spent the last five years de-emphasizing in their UI design. But for those of us who still value a permanent digital library—maybe because you’re a DJ, an audiophile, or just someone who doesn't trust the cloud—the iTunes Store is still alive. It’s just living inside a different app or a tucked-away tab.
The Great Disappearing Act: Finding the iTunes Store
Here is the thing. Apple Music is a streaming service. The iTunes Store is a marketplace. They are two different animals living in the same ecosystem. On an iPhone or iPad, you don't actually how to purchase songs on Apple Music through the main Music app interface in the way you might expect. Instead, you have to find the standalone iTunes Store app. It has that purple icon with the star. It looks a bit like a relic from 2012, but it’s the only way to get the job done on mobile.
When you open that purple app, you’re back in the familiar world of individual prices. You search for your artist, find the album, and tap the price tag. Once you authenticate with FaceID or your password, that song is yours. Forever. Or at least as long as Apple exists and your Apple Account remains in good standing.
But what if you’re on a Mac? That’s where it gets even more confusing. Since macOS Catalina, the iTunes app is dead. It was split into Music, Podcasts, and TV. To buy songs there, you have to go into the Music app settings (Cmd + Comma), go to the General tab, and physically check a box that says "iTunes Store." If you don't check that box, the store literally doesn't show up in your sidebar. Apple hides it by default. It's almost like they're daring you to find it.
Why Bother Buying When You Can Stream?
Some people think buying digital files is "boomer energy." They're wrong. There are legitimate, technical reasons why you should know how to purchase songs on Apple Music rather than just adding them to a library.
- Licensing Disappearing Acts: Have you ever noticed a song in your playlist suddenly turns grey and unplayable? That’s a licensing dispute. If you own the AAC file from the iTunes Store, that never happens. You have the file. It’s on your hard drive.
- Offline Reliability: Streaming is great until you’re in a dead zone or on a flight with spotty Wi-Fi. Downloads for offline streaming occasionally "expire" if the app hasn't checked in with the home server recently. A purchased file doesn't have a "heartbeat" requirement.
- The DJ Perspective: If you use software like Serato or Rekordbox, you can't just drag and drop a DRM-protected Apple Music streaming track into your deck. It won't work. You need the actual purchased file.
Honestly, the quality is another factor. While Apple Music offers Lossless and Hi-Res Lossless for streaming, the iTunes Store still primarily sells 256kbps AAC files. It sounds counter-intuitive, but for most people, that's the "gold standard" for a balance between file size and clarity. If you want true high-resolution files, you're better off looking at Bandcamp or Qobuz, but for the convenience of the Apple ecosystem, the iTunes Store is the path of least resistance.
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Step-by-Step: The Mobile Method
Let's get tactical. If you are holding your iPhone right now, here is the exact sequence. First, stop looking in the Music app. Close it. Find the iTunes Store app. If you deleted it to save space (which many people do), go to the App Store and redownload it.
Search for the track. Usually, the search results will show "Top Songs" and "Albums." Tap the price next to the song. It’s usually $0.99 or $1.29. Once the purchase clears, that song will automatically propagate into your Library in the main Music app. You’ll see it under the "Downloaded" section. If it doesn't show up, you might need to go to your Account settings and check "Purchases" to manually trigger the download. It's a bit clunky. It feels like 2015. But it works.
Buying on a Desktop (Windows and Mac)
Windows users actually have it slightly easier in a weird way, though that's changing. For years, the old iTunes for Windows was the go-to. Now, Apple has released the "Apple Music" app for Windows. Much like the Mac version, you often have to go into the settings to "Show iTunes Store."
On a Mac, it's a bit more elegant once you've enabled the store in the sidebar. You click the search bar, and you'll see a toggle between "Your Library," "Apple Music," and "iTunes Store." Make sure "iTunes Store" is selected. If you don't see that toggle, you haven't enabled it in the preferences yet.
A Quick Note on "Complete My Album"
One of the coolest features of the iTunes Store that people forget about is the "Complete My Album" credit. If you bought two singles from an album months ago, Apple will discount the price of the full album by the amount you already spent. It makes the transition from "casual listener" to "collector" a lot cheaper. You can find this in the "Quick Links" section of the store.
The Common Pitfalls
Don't confuse "Download" with "Purchase." This is the biggest mistake people make. When you hit the little cloud icon or the "Download" button inside the Apple Music streaming interface, you are not buying the song. You are simply caching a DRM-protected file for offline use. If you cancel your $10.99/month subscription, that file becomes a useless brick. It won't play.
True purchasing involves a financial transaction per track. You get a receipt in your email. If you didn't get a receipt, you didn't buy it.
Also, be aware of "Apple Music Voice." If you were on that (now defunct) or the "Student" plan, sometimes the store interface looks a bit different. Regardless of your plan, the price for a song is universal. There are no "discounts" on purchases just because you are a subscriber. You're paying for the right to own the bits and bytes.
The Ethics of the Buy Button
There is also the artist's side of this. We all know streaming payouts are... well, they're tiny. Fractions of a cent. When you figure out how to purchase songs on Apple Music, you are putting more money in the artist's pocket than thousands of streams would. For independent artists, a $1.29 sale is a big deal.
That said, if you really want to support an artist, most experts—including folks like Damon Krukowski who have written extensively on digital music economics—will tell you to go to Bandcamp first. But if you’re already locked into the Apple ecosystem and want your library to be seamless, buying through the iTunes Store is the next best thing. It’s convenient. It’s integrated. It just works with your Apple Watch and your CarPlay.
Technical Troubleshooting
Sometimes, the "Buy" button is greyed out. This usually happens for one of three reasons:
- You already own the song (check your hidden purchases).
- The song is "Album Only" (common with soundtracks or 20-minute prog-rock epics).
- There is a billing issue with your Apple ID.
If you’re seeing "Purchased" but the song isn't in your library, don't panic. Go to your Account settings, find "Hidden Purchases," and see if it accidentally got swiped away. It happens more often than you'd think, especially if you have "Family Sharing" enabled.
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Final Actionable Steps
To get your digital collection started or to fill the gaps in your library, follow this checklist:
- Audit your "Must-Haves": Identify the albums you absolutely cannot live without if your internet goes down.
- Enable the Store on Mac: Open Music > Settings > General > Check "iTunes Store."
- Locate the iTunes Store App on iPhone: Move it out of the App Library and onto your home screen if you plan on using it frequently.
- Check your Apple Balance: Use those leftover gift cards. They apply to store purchases before hitting your credit card.
- Backup your files: Once you buy and download the songs on a Mac or PC, back them up to an external drive. The whole point of buying is ownership—make sure you actually have a copy of the file outside of Apple’s cloud.
Owning music in a streaming world feels a bit like a rebellion, but it’s a practical one. It ensures that your favorite records stay your favorite records, regardless of what happens to licensing deals or monthly subscription prices. Find the store, click the price, and take back control of your library.
Next Steps for Your Library
Now that you know how to find the store, your next move should be checking your "Hidden Purchases" to see if there are songs you bought years ago that haven't moved over to your new devices. After that, consider setting up a local backup on your computer so those 256kbps AAC files are safe even if you decide to leave the Apple ecosystem entirely.