HOW TO Sync and share iCloud Music Library

1 Check your settings

When you subscribe to Apple Music or iTunes Match, you get a new Sync Library settings in Music > Settings > General. Make sure this is checked otherwise the songs in your library won’t sync.

2 Other devices

Now do the same for your other devices. On iPhone or iPad, the option can be found in Settings > Music > Sync Library. You can turn syncing off for any device you don’t want your music on.

3 Watch your data

On iPhone (or WiFi+Cellular iPads), be sure to toggle the ‘Download over Mobile Data’ switch to Off if you only want those devices syncing your library when you’re in reach of home Wi-Fi.

4 Switch devices

With Sync Library active on your selected devices, the Music app on your iPhone or iPad will soon be populated with the artists, albums and tracks found on your Mac’s music library.

5 Make a Match

If you don’t want to pay for Apple Music, but do want to use iCloud Music Library, head to the iTunes Store in the Music app and select iTunes Match from the right-hand column to subscribe to it.

6 Know the code

As the music library on your Mac begins syncing with your iCloud Music Library, you’ll notice little cloud icons appearing alongside each track – these can give you useful status indicators.

7 Look for errors

The icons to worry about are those that tell you whether a track is Inelligible (over two hours long or of poor audio quality). A dotted-line cloud icon often means the track is still uploading.

8 Watch this space

If the iCloud Status icon isn’t appearing in your Library, go to View > View Options and make sure the iCloud Status Icon option is checked. It might be helpful to add iCloud Status here too.

9 Keep a backup

Because licence agreements with record labels can change, you may find that some of your iTunes purchases are marked ‘Ineligible’ for syncing. Another reason to make regular library backups.