Canceling your Apple subscriptions can get confusing fast, especially when media purchases are involved. As an electronics expert, I regularly get questions about what happens to bought movies, TV shows, and music if you deactivate Apple services.
Here’s a detailed look at how cancellation affects your Apple content libraries, along with tips to avoid losing access.
Apple TV+: Just Original Content Removed
Let‘s start with Apple TV+, the subscription streaming service for $6.99/month offering exclusive Apple-produced media. This includes acclaimed original shows like Ted Lasso, SEE, and The Morning Show, along with Apple Originals movies, documentaries, and more.
If you cancel Apple TV+, you lose access to stream any of this original content. However, it does not affect purchases made separately through Apple‘s digital stores.
According to Apple’s support site, movies, TV shows, apps, and music you acquired through iTunes or the Apple TV app stay yours permanently regardless of your TV+ subscription status.
Media Purchases Remain Intact
Any movies, episodes, apps or music you bought through Apple remains in your library to re-download. This media is tied to your Apple ID, not your TV+ membership.
For example, if you bought seasons of Cobra Kai via Apple TV, you can continue watching them even if you drop your Apple TV+ subscription. The same applies for any movies purchased or redeemed through iTunes codes. Media stays yours unless you specifically request a refund.
Apple does not delete or remove access to any purchased content when you cancel recurring services like TV+ or Apple Music. So your existing library is safe.
What About Rented Movies?
Rented movies or TV shows through Apple TV work differently than purchases. If you begin watching a rental, you typically have 48 hours to finish it before the rental expires.
So if you cancel Apple TV+ midway through a rental period, the content may become unavailable if time runs out. Always complete rentals before cancellation.
Purchased movies have no such restrictions – you can download and watch them indefinitely.
Cancelling Apple Music: Downloads Are Removed
Now let‘s discuss Apple Music, the streaming and download subscription service for accessing over 90 million songs.
This one gets tricky – when you cancel Apple Music, downloaded songs from their catalog will no longer play. You immediately lose access to any playlists or music added from Apple‘s library once your membership ends.
However, songs purchased separately through iTunes remain yours forever, even without an Apple Music membership.
Keep Purchased Music, Lose Apple Music Downloads
According to Apple discussions forums, downloaded Apple Music tracks are removed from your devices when you cancel. But music bought via iTunes stays in your account.
So if you downloaded Taylor Swift‘s latest album via your Apple Music subscription, that will disappear after cancellation. But if you purchased the mp3s for Swift‘s last album on iTunes, you keep full access.
This gives Apple extra incentive to get subscribers purchasing albums and songs through the iTunes Store rather than just streaming. Media purchased à la carte stays yours for life regardless of subscription.
Recovering Playlists and Downloads
What about playlists you carefully curated in Apple Music? Unfortunately, Apple confirms those also vanish immediately after cancellation:
"Playlists created and saved in Apple Music, including any smart playlists created in Apple Music, will be removed when you cancel your membership."
If you later renew Apple Music, none of your old downloads or playlists get restored. To avoid losing everything, be sure to export important playlists before the service lapses.
Alternatively, leave Apple Music active at the reduced $4.99/month rate for students to maintain full access if the standard $9.99/month is too high.
Strategies for Keeping Apple Music Downloads Forever
Die-hard music collectors may want to keep certain Apple Music albums forever, even without a paid subscription.
While Apple discourages this, there are some creative workarounds power users employ:
Turn Off iCloud Music Library: Downloaded Apple Music songs are stored in iCloud by default. By disabling iCloud Music Library, you can download purchases directly into local storage only. This prevents the media from being deleted when your subscription lapses.
Use 3rd Party DRM Removal: Some apps like TuneFab and NoteBurner can purportedly convert Apple Music files into unprotected MP3s that work independently of licensing checks. However, stripping DRM may violate copyright.
Burn to Disc: Analog media like CDs and DVDs remain playable even after digital access rights are revoked. Try burning your most treasured Apple Music downloads to physical discs as permanent backups.
Just know these workarounds violate Apple‘s intended policies for the service. Maintaining an active Apple Music membership remains the only fullproof way to retain streaming access.
What About iCloud Storage Fees?
One common billing pitfall to avoid – that mysterious $9.99/month charge on your Apple account may actually be for iCloud storage, not media subscriptions.
Always double check your Settings > Apple ID > Subscriptions to confirm exactly what recurring charges are for. Canceling unwanted iCloud storage won‘t affect any purchased media.
However, it will cut off cloud access to synced photos, documents, app data, and other files stored in iCloud Drive. Make sure to download anything you want to keep before cutting off the storage plan.
How Other Streaming Services Compare
For comparison, here‘s a quick rundown of how other top streaming platforms handle cancellation and purchased media:
| Streaming Service | Purchased Media Kept? | Downloaded Songs Kept? |
| Apple Music | Yes | No |
| Spotify Premium | No Purchases | No |
| YouTube Premium | No Purchases | No |
| Netflix | No Purchases | No |
| Amazon Prime Video | Yes | No |
The key difference is that Apple and Amazon have media stores where individual songs, albums, movies etc. can be bought outright. This content remains yours forever separately from any subscriptions.
Meanwhile Spotify, YouTube, and Netflix are pure subscription streaming without permanent purchases. Canceling removes all accessed media.
Step-by-Step Guide to Canceling Apple TV+
If you decide you want to cancel Apple TV+ to save the $6.99 each month, it only takes a few steps:
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Open Settings on your iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple TV device.
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Select your Apple ID profile icon at the top of the screen.
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Choose "Subscriptions" to view your active memberships.
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Tap your Apple TV+ subscription entry.
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Hit the "Cancel Subscription" button and confirm.
Just remember to complete any TV+ trial periods or borrowed service access within 3 months before they convert to a paid subscription.
And consider setting a calendar reminder about a week before trials end to prevent unwanted charges. Apple makes it easy to renew again anytime if you change your mind.
Read This Before Canceling Apple Music
With Apple Music, take caution before canceling – as we covered, both downloaded songs and custom playlists will vanish.
First, make sure to back up any important playlists or albums you want to keep. Use a service like TuneMyMusic to export playlists for safekeeping.
Next, go through your Apple Music library and purchase standout songs and albums you want permanent, DRM-free access to. Media bought on iTunes will remain yours.
Finally, switch off iCloud Music Library on all devices to store future downloads locally rather than in the cloud. This may allow you to keep more songs post-cancellation.
Key Takeaways
To wrap up, here are the key facts to avoid losing media when canceling Apple services:
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Apple TV+ cancellation only cuts off their original content – media purchases remain accessible.
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Downloaded Apple Music tracks get removed immediately upon cancellation unless purchased separately.
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iTunes song and album purchases stay yours forever, even without a subscription.
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Create backups of important Apple Music playlists before cancellation.
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Double check billing to ensure you aren‘t paying for unused iCloud storage, not media subscriptions.
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Set reminders ahead of free trial expirations to avoid unwanted charges.
Understanding these distinctions will ensure you can safely cancel Apple services without losing valuable media purchases and downloads in the process. As an Apple expert, I hope this guide provides the in-depth details you need to make informed choices about your subscriptions. Let me know if you have any other questions!
