How To Download YouTube Songs To Apple Music

To download YouTube songs to Apple Music, you need to convert the YouTube audio into an MP3 file on your computer, then import that file directly into your Apple Music library for offline listening. This process lets you keep songs that aren't available on streaming services or that you want to own permanently without a YouTube Music subscription, and it's generally considered legal for personal use.

Step 1: Find the YouTube song you want

Navigate to YouTube and locate the song you want to download. Use the search bar to find the exact version you prefer, whether it's the official audio, a live performance, or a rare remix. Once you've found it, copy the URL from the address bar at the top of your browser. This URL is what you'll use in the next step to extract the audio.

Step 2: Convert the YouTube song to MP3

Paste the copied URL into a reputable YouTube-to-MP3 converter. Select MP3 as the output format, then start the conversion. After the process finishes, download the converted MP3 file to your computer. This file is now ready to be added to your Apple Music library.

Step 3: Import the MP3 into Apple Music

Importing the MP3 file depends on whether you use a Mac or a Windows PC. On a Mac, open the Music app, then choose File > Add To Library or File > Import, locate your MP3 file, and click Open. On a Windows PC, open the Apple Music app (or iTunes), select the Sidebar Actions button (or the File menu in iTunes), choose Import (or Add File to Library/Add Folder to Library), locate your file, and select Open. You can also drag and drop the MP3 file directly from Finder (Mac) or File Explorer (Windows) into the Music or iTunes app window. After importing, verify the song's metadata, title, artist, album, to make sure it's correct for easy searching later.

Step 4: Enable Sync Library for cross-device access

To make your imported songs appear on your iPhone, iPad, and other devices, turn on Sync Library in Apple Music settings. On a Mac, go to Music > Settings > General and check the Sync Library box. On Windows, open Apple Music > Settings and enable Sync Library. This requires an active Apple Music subscription and the same Apple ID on all devices. Once enabled, the MP3 files you imported will sync across your devices automatically.

Step 5: Play your YouTube songs in Apple Music

Open the Apple Music app on any device, go to the Library tab, and select Songs. You'll see your imported tracks listed there. Tap or click a song to play it. You can also create playlists or download the songs for offline listening by tapping the download icon next to each track. Now you can enjoy your YouTube songs anywhere, even without an internet connection.

Alternative: Transfer YouTube Music playlists without downloading files

If you don't want to convert individual files, services like SongShift, Tune My Music, or Soundiiz can transfer playlists from YouTube Music to Apple Music. These services match songs already available in Apple Music's catalog and add them to your library. However, they only transfer tracks that exist in Apple Music's database, user-uploaded songs, unreleased content, or rare recordings from YouTube will not be moved. To download iTunes to iPhone, you can use the standard iTunes sync process for local files. If you need to download music from YouTube to iTunes, the MP3 conversion method above is the direct way. For those wondering how to download an Apple Music song to files, that requires a separate process within the Apple Music app. And if you want to add songs to Spotify from YouTube, a similar conversion and import method applies, but Spotify's import process differs from Apple Music's.

Why YouTube Music Premium downloads won't work

YouTube Music Premium lets you download songs for offline listening, but those downloads are encrypted and locked to the YouTube Music app. You cannot transfer them to Apple Music or any other app. The files are not standard MP3s, and no converter can extract them for use elsewhere. The only way to get YouTube audio into Apple Music is through the manual conversion and import steps described above.