[4 Methods] Step-by-Step Guide to Convert Apple Music to MP3 in 2024
Table of Contents
While Apple Music boasts a massive library of high-quality songs exceeding 100 million, a hurdle exists for those who love variety in their listening experience. Songs downloaded from the service use unique formats that restrict playback to Apple devices and prevent users from enjoying their music collection on other platforms.
Because of the special coded system of Apple, users are not allowed to play these downloaded songs in MPEG-4, AAC or ALAC format with other players than iTunes. This post is provided to solve such a problem and guide you through 4 different but effective ways to convert music from Apple Music to MP3. Read on to unleash the full power of Apple Music and enjoy your favorite rhythm on any device you prefer.
Method 1: Conversion with Official iTunes
Can Apple Music Convert to MP3? It's possible if you have iTunes. To do this, you need to install iTunes on your Windows PC or Mac firstly. Then follow the steps:
- Launch the Apple Music app;
- Head to Music > Preferences;
- Find the Import Settings section;
- Choose the format you want your songs in (MP3, AAC, etc.);
- Left-click the songs in your library;
- Head to File > Convert to convert the song to MP3;
- New songs in MP3 format will be next to the original ones.
- Launch the iTunes for Windows;
- Head to Edit > Preferences;
- Find the Import Settings section in the General tab;
- Choose the format you want your songs in (MP3, AAC, etc.);
- Left-click the songs in your library;
- Head to File > Convert to convert the song to MP3;
- New songs in MP3 format will be next to the original ones.
But when you use the conversion service officially provided by Apple Music, there are several points that you should pay attention to:
- Limited Songs: Songs you bought before a certain date are protected in AAC that can't be converted;
- Only Purchased Songs from the iTunes Store can be converted: You are not allowed to convert music that you lease with the Apple Music subscription.
Namely, you can only export a part of music to MP3 with the official service. It's only possible to download music that you've purchased from iTunes to MP3 for unlimited offline listening because of the copyright policies.
So how to convert Apple Music to MP3 if you want to unleash the full power of your Apple Music subscription and enjoy your faves offline on any device? A safe and reliable third-party tool is required. This post will introduce 3 of the best Apple Music converters in the following part.
Method 2: SoundMate Apple Music Converter
If you want to download music from Apple Music to MP3 with your subscription but without iTunes, you can use SoundMate Apple Music Converter, a safe and reliable music converter.
Tool Recommended: SoundMate Apple Music Converter
SoundMate Apple Music Converter is a powerful and versatile tool that aims to download songs from Apple Music and save them in compatible formats, such as MP3, WAV, M4A, and other formats like FLAC and OPUS. With just one click, you can convert your faves in any format as you prefer.
To ensure the best offline listening experience, SoundMate applies advanced tech to preserve the original quality when downloading and converting songs. What's more, With SoundMate, you can download all songs from a whole playlist or album with one click.
SoundMate can get the ID3 tags, metadata and lyrics together with the songs you download, making it easier to arrange your collection from Apple Music. You can now have a shot of SoundMate free trial in advance to download 3 of your favorite songs and save them in the format as you prefer without costing a penny.
Step-by-Step Guide
Follow these 4 steps to understand how to get Apple Music convert to MP3 with SoundMate:
Step 1: Choose the Output Format in Advance
Download and launch SoundMate. Click the hamburger menu at the upper right corner and enter Settings > Vip Services > Apple Music Settings > Format, to choose the output format that you prefer to download in. Save the settings bu clicking "OK".
Step 2: Find Apple Music from SoundMate
Find Apple Music from Home. Click it to enter the official site of APPLE Music with the built-in browser.
Step 3: Play the Music and Download!
Login to your own Apple Music account, and then you can play a song, album, or playlist and click the download button on the bottom right. In the prompt as the following picture shows, set your download options and click "Download Now".
Step 4: Find the downloaded Songs
The real-time download process can be checked in "Downloading" section, while all downloaded songs are shown in "Downloaded". Click the file icon to open the local folder automatically.
If you want to download music from other platforms to MP3, such as Spotify, it's recommended to check other products produced by SoundMate. For real music enthusiasts, SoundMate also prepares an all-in-one converter called SoundMate One, which can help download songs from 10+ music services and convert them into various formats.
Other 2 Online Downloaders to Download Apple Music to MP3
Applemusicmp3 and Apple Music Downloader are the other 2 popular Apple Music to MP3 converters online. As free online music converters, they can help you export Apple music to MP3 easily at no cost.
Method 3: Applemusicmp3
You can navigate to applemusicmp3 through aaplmusicdownloader .com. To download Apple Music to MP3, you need to copy the URL of the album you want to download from the browser, and then paste the URL to the search bar of applemusicmp3.
After the analysis for several seconds, you'll be led to another page to choose to download the ZIP of the album or generate a download link for a single song from the album. Select the audio quality from 64 Kbps to 320 Kbps then the download will begin automatically. But remember, the ZIP only includes the first 2 songs from the album, and it will cost you nearly 2 minutes to download it (based on hands-on test).
Method 4: Apple Music Downloader
Apple Music MP3 Downloader is also an Apple Music to MP3 converter free. Just like what you do with Apple musicmp3, you need to copy the link of the album or songs you want to download and paste it to the online tool, too. After the analysis, you can download Apple music to MP3 by clicking "Get Download" in a pop-up window.
But it should be noted that Apple Music MP3 Downloader doesn't support batch download, and you can not select the download quality here. Sometimes, the analysis will fail. If this happens, you need to paste the link again and click the "Start" button for the second analysis. Based on our test, it may take you 10 to 15 seconds to download a single.
Which Tool Should I Choose?
After introducing the official way to convert Apple Music to MP3 and the 2 useful tools to download songs from Apple Music in MP3 format, we believe that there will be no more questions like "How to download MP3 from Apple Music?". But since 3 tools are involved, how to choose the right one? Check the following table to pick the most suitable one for yourself:
| Downloaders | Output Format | Download Speed | Download Quality | Batch Download | Lyrics & ID3 Tags | Metadata saving |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SoundMate | MP3/M4A/WAV/FLAC/OPUS | 5X speed with GPU Acceleration tech | 320Kbps/FLAC 1900Kbps | ✔ | ✔ | ✔ |
| Applemusicmp3 | MP3 | Built-in downloader of your browser | 64Kbps-320Kbps | ✔ | ✘ | ✘ |
| Apple Music Downloader | MP3 | Built-in downloader of your browser | unkown | ✘ | ✘ | ✘ |
Conclusion
How to download MP3 from Apple Music? To answer the question, this post introduces the official method to convert purchased songs with iTunes, and 3 useful tools to help download Apple Music to MP3. If you want to download a whole Apple Music playlist to MP3, it's recommended to use SoundMate Apple Music Converter. When exporting Apple Music to MP3 format, it's important to be aware of copyright restrictions. Consider these methods for playing your favorite songs from Apple Music on any device, and remember to prioritize tools with clear user interfaces and better performance based on your requirements.
