The simplest way: use iCloud Music Library
If you have an Apple Music subscription or iTunes Match, turn on iCloud Music Library in your iPhone settings and your iTunes songs will appear on your phone automatically. Go to Settings > Music > toggle on "Sync Library" (on newer iPhones) or "iCloud Music Library" (on older ones). Your songs upload to Apple's servers and download to your phone over Wi-Fi or cellular data.
This method works even if your computer and phone are in different rooms — you don't need to plug anything in. The trade-off is that you need an active subscription. If your subscription lapses, the songs stay on your phone for 30 days, then disappear.
If you don't have Apple Music or iTunes Match, this route won't work. Move to the next section instead.
Key Takeaways
- iCloud Music Library (part of Apple Music or iTunes Match) syncs your iTunes songs to your iPhone wirelessly and is the fastest method if you have a subscription.
- If you don't have a subscription, plug your iPhone into your computer and use the Finder (Mac) or iTunes (Windows) to sync songs manually.
- Manual sync requires you to select which playlists or songs to transfer each time, and your phone will only hold the songs you explicitly chose.
- Songs purchased from the iTunes Store download directly to your iPhone through the Music app without needing a computer.
Manual sync using a cable (no subscription needed)
Plug your iPhone into your computer with a USB cable. On a Mac running Catalina or later, open Finder and click your iPhone in the sidebar. On Windows or older Mac, open iTunes instead.
Click the Music tab (or Music section in iTunes). Check the box next to "Sync Music," then choose either "All songs and playlists" or "Selected playlists and artists." If you pick selected, check the boxes next to the playlists or artists you want on your phone. Click Apply or Sync at the bottom.
Your computer will copy those songs to your iPhone. The process takes longer the first time — anywhere from a few minutes to an hour depending on how many songs you're moving. After that, syncing again is faster because only new or changed songs transfer.
One important limitation: if you sync manually, your iPhone will only keep the songs you selected. If you later add a song to iTunes on your computer and don't re-sync, it won't appear on your phone. You have to repeat the sync step each time you want new music on your device.
Downloading songs you bought from iTunes
If you bought a song from the iTunes Store (not imported from a CD or downloaded elsewhere), you can download it directly to your iPhone without a computer. Open the Music app, tap the Library tab, find the song, tap the cloud icon next to it, and it downloads.
These purchased songs stay on your phone even if you never sync with a computer. They're tied to your Apple ID, so as long as you're signed in, they're yours to download again if you delete them.
Transferring songs from an old iPhone to a new one
If you're moving to a new iPhone and your old one still has music on it, the easiest path is iCloud Music Library — sign into your new phone with the same Apple ID, turn on Sync Library, and wait for your songs to download.
If you don't have a subscription and need to move songs manually, you'll need your old iPhone, your computer, and a cable. Connect the old phone to your computer, use Finder or iTunes to back it up, then connect the new phone and restore from that backup. This copies everything — music, photos, settings, apps — not just songs.
Why songs sometimes don't appear after syncing
If you synced but don't see your songs, check that you're looking in the right place. Open the Music app and tap Library at the bottom. Make sure you're not filtering by Downloaded Only — if that's on, you'll only see songs stored directly on your phone, not songs in iCloud.
If you used iCloud Music Library, songs may still be downloading. Check your Wi-Fi connection and give it a few minutes. If a song is grayed out, it means Apple couldn't match it to a version in its catalog (usually because it's very obscure or a bootleg recording). You can still listen to it on your computer, but iCloud Music Library can't sync it.
If you used manual sync and songs aren't there, the sync may not have completed. Plug in again and check the Finder or iTunes window — it should show a progress bar or a message saying sync is done.
Choosing between wireless and cable sync
Use iCloud Music Library if you have Apple Music or iTunes Match and want songs to sync automatically without plugging in. It's the least hands-on option and works across all your Apple devices at once.
Use manual cable sync if you don't have a subscription, want to control exactly which songs are on your phone, or have a large music library and want to save phone storage by keeping only your favorites on the device.
Use direct iTunes Store downloads if you only buy music from Apple and don't need to transfer songs from your computer at all.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I sync music from multiple computers to one iPhone?
No. If you connect your iPhone to a different computer and sync, it will erase the songs from the first computer and replace them with songs from the second. iCloud Music Library avoids this problem because it syncs from the cloud, not from a specific computer.
What happens to my songs if I turn off Sync Library?
Songs stay on your phone for 30 days after you turn it off. After that, they disappear unless you turn Sync Library back on or download them again through iTunes Store purchases.
Do I need Wi-Fi to sync music to my iPhone?
For iCloud Music Library, you need Wi-Fi or cellular data to download songs, though you can use either one. For manual cable sync, you don't need any internet — just plug in the cable and your computer handles the transfer.
Can I move songs from my iPhone back to iTunes on my computer?
Not directly through sync. If you bought them from iTunes Store, you can download them again on your computer. If you imported them from a CD or got them another way, you'd need third-party software to copy them back.