It's notoriously difficult to manage files between different Apple devices or between Apple devices and computers.
If your music library is full of music that you have purchased through iTunes Store, you can easily download the music on any of your devices using your Apple ID - if this is you, check out Part 1 of this guide.
However, if your music library contains music which was not purchased through iTunes (music ripped from CDs, for example), you'll need some help to transfer it between your devices. Check out the methods in Part 2 to learn how to transfer your music from iPhone to iPhone, or Part 3 if you don't want to use iTunes syncing!
Quick jump to any of the music transfer methods reviewed:
- Part 1: Transfer music purchased through iTunes Store only
- Part 2: Transfer music which was NOT purchased through iTunes
- Part 3: Transfer music from iPhone to iPhone without iTunes
3. Transfer Music from iPhone to iPhone with Waveform Music Player
4. Transfer Spotify, Apple Music and other music streaming services
5. Sharing music directly from within the iPhone Music app [debunked]
6. Share music with Dropbox, Google Drive, Email... [solution]
Part 1: Transferring music purchased through iTunes Store
Download purchased music on iPhone using iTunes Store
You can access your iTunes purchases at any time on any device using your Apple ID.
As such, you can download your purchased music on your new iPhone right from within your iTunes Store app. Here's how it's done...
- Make sure that you are signed into the iPhone with your Apple ID.
- Open the iTunes Store app on your iPhone.
- Tap More (3 dots icon) > Purchased.
- Tap Music then select the music you want to download.
- Tap the cloud icon next to the music you want to download, or tap "Download All" to download all the music in the list.
- Your downloaded music will appear in your iPhone Music app!
As mentioned, this method will only allow you to transfer your music purchased through iTunes. To transfer the rest of your music, skip to Part 2.
Part 2: Transfer music which was NOT purchased through iTunes
Transfer all iPhone music to a new iPhone with TouchCopy
So, getting access to music purchased through iTunes is easy. But how do you transfer music from other sources from iPhone to iPhone?
If your iPhone is full of music ripped from CDs or downloaded from sources other than from iTunes Store, you'll need the help of a professional tool like TouchCopy to transfer the music to your new iPhone.
TouchCopy is a popular program for PC and Mac which allows you to access and copy data from your iPhone to your computer.
This is perfect for us because you can transfer ALL your music from your iPhone to your computer, and then transfer it to your new iPhone. Let's see how it's done...
- Download and install TouchCopy on your Mac or PC.
- Launch TouchCopy and connect your iPhone using your USB cable.
- Click Music.
- Select the music you want to transfer, then click "Copy to iTunes" (or "Copy to Music" if you are using macOS Catalina or higher).
- Once the transfer is complete, close TouchCopy and open iTunes (or the Finder app on macOS Catalina and higher).
No need to sync!
Don't have iTunes, or don't want to risk losing data by syncing? If you are using a Windows computer, you can use the free Waveform Music Player instead. With Waveform, you can copy music from your PC to your iPhone without syncing!
- Select your device.
- Click Music, then tick "Sync Music" (This will replace any music already on your new iPhone with the music that you sync - so ensure that all your music is in your Music library before syncing to avoid losing any music).
- Click Apply, then Sync to start the transfer.
You can transfer up to 100 music tracks completely free by downloading the TouchCopy demo below. If you like it and want more, you can purchase a license to unlock the full version.
Download TouchCopy for PC
Download TouchCopy for Mac
See TouchCopy in action!
Part 3: Transfer music from iPhone to iPhone without iTunes
Transfer Music from iPhone to iPhone with Waveform Music Player
Waveform Music Player is a fantastic alternative to iTunes.
Not only can you play music from your PC and your connected iPhone, but you can easily copy music between the two devices, without the risk of losing data via syncing.
Let's see how to use Waveform to transfer music from one iPhone to another...
- On your Windows PC or laptop, get Waveform from the Microsoft Store.
- Launch Waveform from your start menu.
- Connect the iPhone containing your music with your computer via your USB cable.
- Select your iPhone from the menu on the left of Waveform to access your iPhone's music.
- Select the music you wish to copy from iPhone to PC (ctrl-click or shift-click to select multiple tracks/albums).
- Click "Copy to PC" and choose where on your PC you'd like to save your music.
- Once the copy is complete, disconnect your first iPhone and connect the second one.
- This time, in the "This PC" section, select all the music from your computer that you want to copy to your iPhone.
- Click "Copy to {your iPhone's name}".
Your selected music will be copied to your iPhone, where you can access it in the Music app!
More info on Waveform >Download Waveform Music Player free:
Transfer your music streaming service to your new iPhone
If you prefer to stream your music using a subscription service, rather than downloading the tracks to our iPhone, you'll want to access your subscription on your new iPhone.
This method is for users of Apple Music, Spotify, Deezer, Google Play Music and other similar music streaming services.
- In order to access your music, you'll first need to download the app on your new iPhone (you can skip this step if you have an Apple Music subscription, as the Apple Music app is installed on your iPhone by default).
You can download and install apps like Spotify, Deezer, Google Play Music and YouTube Music from the App Store on your iPhone. - Once installed, launch the app and sign in using your existing account details used on your previous iPhone.
- After signing in, you'll be able to access the music in your account!
Sharing music directly from within the iPhone Music app [debunked]
Many guides claim that you can transfer your iPhone music using methods like AirDrop.
It's easy to see why they would claim this, as you can long tap on a song on your iPhone > Share Song... and you are presented with options like sharing with AirDrop, Messages, Mail, Dropbox...
However, it is not possible to transfer music from iPhone to iPhone using these share methods.
Using one of these share methods will simply share a link for the selected music on the Apple Music website. This is great for suggesting cool new tunes for your friends to listen to, but not for transferring the files between your devices.
The reason for this is due to the protection of copyright on the music. Enabling the sharing of music with people who do not have a license for it would violate copyright protection. As such, Apple only provides the ability to transfer music that you have purchased. This is policed by ensuring that the same Apple ID is used.
You can see this in practice in method 1: You must be signed in with the Apple ID used to purchase the music in order to access and download it through the iTunes Store.
Share music with Dropbox, Google Drive and more... [solution]
If you need to transfer music which was not purchased through iTunes Store, and you do not want to sync the music using iTunes, there is a way!
Although you can't share the music directly from the iPhone Music app, you can transfer your music from iPhone to iPhone without iTunes:
- Transfer your music from iPhone to computer using TouchCopy.
- Upload your music from your computer to your Dropbox or Google Drive account (you can drag and drop the music from your computer, as seen in the screenshot below).
- On your new iPhone, download the relevant app (Dropbox / Google Drive) from the App Store if you haven't already.
- Sign into the app using your account details.
- Listen to your music through the app on your iPhone.
The only downside to this method is that you can't move your music from the Dropbox or Google Drive app into your Music app. To do this, you'll need to use iTunes as seen in method 2.
Takeaways
There you go! You now have all you need to be able to transfer your music from iPhone to iPhone.
Transfer your iTunes purchases by downloading them from iTunes Store on your new iPhone.
Beware of advice in other guides - you can't transfer music from iPhone to iPhone by sharing through the Music app.
For the best and most efficient way to transfer music which was not purchased through iTunes, you'll need to use a helper app like Waveform or TouchCopy.
Transferring and managing ringtones on iPhone can require slightly different steps. Check out our full guide on how to transfer iPhone ringtones!
Publisher:Wide Angle Software
