Does Apple Music Have All Music & Songs? (Checked)

Apple Music has earned its place as one of the best music streaming services around and has countless happy customers.

However, you may be wondering how big and comprehensive Apple Music’s library of music really is, and in this article, we check if Apple Music has all the songs users are looking for.

Here’s How Many Songs Apple Music Has:

Apple Music currently has 100 million songs in its catalog. In comparison, Spotify currently offers 80 million. Subscribers to Apple Music will have unlimited access to play these songs on demand; however, there is a limit on the number of songs that can be stored within their personal libraries.

Does Apple Music Have Access to All Songs?

Apple Music has prided itself on offering its users an enormous library to satisfy even the most niche musical lover’s tastes.

A quick search will offer up an endless variety of genres and styles, all waiting to be discovered.

However, before taking the plunge and becoming a subscriber to Apple Music, most potential users want to understand exactly what access to this eclectic library they will have.

Here’s what you get with Apple Music:

• Apple Music is a subscription-based service.
• Apple Music offers different subscriptions, including Voice, Individual, Student, and Family.
• No matter which subscription a user chooses, access to the entire library of Apple Music comes as standard.

This is fantastic news for all Apple Music subscribers because they can be safe in the knowledge that be they a student or are taking the cheaper ‘Voice’ subscription, they’ll have access to all of Apple Music’s songs.

However, there are some things that you need to keep in mind when talking about how far a user’s access to these songs extends.

Access to play songs and stream them is one thing, but adding them to your library and additionally, having them available for download is another.

It’s important to remember that although all users have access to all songs on Apple Music, there is a limit to the number of songs that can be stored in your personal library.

Your personal library can hold:

“Up to 100,000 songs, not including songs (or music videos) purchased from the iTunes Store.”

[Source: Support.apple.com]

Adding songs and playlists is a fairly important asset for Apple Music users as it allows you to access your favorite music from multiple devices and, moreover, download them for offline play.

Access to your personal library on multiple devices means that you can take the music that matters to you wherever you go, and if you want to add more to that library – you can – up to 100,000 songs.

The almost unlimited number of 100,000 songs means that there is a certain restriction on how much your library can hold. However, 100,000 songs is by no means a small collection, and, for the many satisfied users, it’s been more than enough.

Nevertheless, it does mean that you cannot hope to store the entire Apple Music catalog in your own personal library – but you have to ask yourself – ‘would you really need to?’

It’s also worth mentioning that users on the Voice plan with Apple Music do not have the same access to their songs as other subscription plans.

Apple Music users on the Voice plan will not be able to access their library on multiple devices. Voice plan users cannot access the full catalog of high-definition audio versions of tracks.

This access is restricted as this is Apple Music’s lowest-tier subscription package, which is reflected in the cheaper monthly price.

The Voice plan is a voice command version of the service that has a few restrictions:

“(…) you [Voice Plan Users] have access to the whole song catalog, but you can’t make your own playlists, use Spatial Audio or Lossless Audio, see lyrics, or download songs to your library for offline playback.”

[Source:Macworld.com]

So, despite some of the limitations put in place on Apple Music’s Voice plan, those members will still have access to play songs from Apple’s full library.

Access to songs on Apple Music can also be affected by the region in which you live, but we’ll cover that in more depth at the end of the article.

How Big is the Apple Music Library Database?

Apple Music’s library is an ever-growing, ever-expanding behemoth of a music collection. It’s clear that Apple Music wants to ensure that they prove to the world that its database can offer unparalleled access to music.

However, in this case, numbers talk louder than words – so let’s take a look at the exact figure:

Apple Music states on its website that subscribers to any of its plans will be able to dive into a musical database containing 100 million songs.

This number has been steadily rising; in 2022 MacWorld.com reported that the number was 90 million, but a quick look on Apple Music’s website reveals that it now stands at this whopping 100 million mark.

This indicates that Apple Music shows no signs of slowing down and is keen to acquire more rights to ensure that its customers have an endless supply of musical discovery ahead of them.

This massive database can be accessed in different forms:

• Apple Music offers its entire library by way of searching for artists, tracks, and albums.
• It also serves up some top-notch radio stations, such as the well-renowned Apple Music 1.
• Apple Music shows off its diverse music collection with over 30,000 expert-curated playlists.

However, it is important to note that songs can come and go. Not every artist wants their music on the platform, and moreover, record labels must be negotiated with to ensure that Apple Music retains the right to host them for its customers.

If you find that a song that you’re looking for is not available on Apple Music, then this will indicate that Apple Music does not yet have permission from the artist or content provider to offer it to their customers.

Nevertheless, Apple Music will continue to bring in a constant supply of new music that is sure to keep you going for a lifetime.

Apple Music’s database also includes clean and explicit versions of songs, if there are two versions. So keep this in mind when you are adding songs to playlists or downloading. 

Does Apple Music Include Podcasts?

Apple Music is Apple’s sole music streaming platform. It is designed specifically to provide its users with access to music and music content such as music videos.

If you’ve used other music streaming services, such as Spotify, then you may be wondering where all the podcasts are.

Spotify, for example, has a vast array of podcasts to choose from, with entire menus devoted to podcasts from all manner of genres.

Apple Music, however, does not offer such features, and the reason why is simple – Apple Music does not include podcasts.

Apple has its own dedicated podcast service called Apple Podcasts.

Apple Podcasts is available as an app for all iOS devices and offers users a one-stop-shop for all podcast enthusiasts to really explore what they love. From channels to keep up with your top content creators to personalized recommendations to discover something new, Apple Podcasts is where you need to go to get your podcast fix.

This may disappoint Apple Music subscribers who want to get the best of both worlds and want their podcasts and music under the same roof.

However, the good news is that you don’t have to sign up for another monthly subscription to get access to the gigantic collection of content.

As a free user, you can listen to millions of podcasts, and you’ll only need to start paying if you want access to specific premium shows or channels.

If you’re an Apple Music subscriber who wants more than just music, consider adding the Apple Podcast app to your device. And, if you make use of multiple Apple services, you should consider subscribing to Apple One. 

Does Apple Music Have More Songs than Spotify?

Competition between the two big music streaming giants is tight. Spotify and Apple Music have both proven themselves to be worthy of the title of best music streaming service, with both platforms offering fantastic experiences.

However, when it comes to song quantity, Apple Music takes the lead.

According to Spotify’s ‘About’ page, it currently has 80 million tracks available for its users to enjoy. That’s 20 million shy of Apple’s 100 million total.

Spotify does, however, also provide its users with 4.7 million podcasts to listen to, and as we’ve noted, Apple Music does not offer podcasts whatsoever.

This diversification in terms of content has helped Spotify stay relevant and ensure that what they offer is tailored to a vast array of customers.

Despite the difference in the number of songs within their respective catalogs, the chances are that you’ll find the tracks you’re looking for from either service.

Moreover, Spotify has stated that they are adding 40,000 new tracks to their library every single day. It may be that, in time, Spotify catches back up with Apple Music.

In the end, choosing Apple Music or Spotify on the size of their libraries should probably not be your main consideration.

In fact, user interface and features should take more precedence as these aspects will become far more noticeable in comparison to how many songs can be found.

Does Apple Music Include International Songs?

Apple Music features artists from all over the globe. Music is an international source of enjoyment, and it’s no surprise that you can find great music from countries across the world.

Apple Music allows you to use its huge library to explore and discover international artists and expand your musical tastes from outside the constraints of your car radio or your nation’s charts.

However, although there are international songs on Apple Music, they are not always available to everybody:

• Not all international music will be available to all users.
• The region in the world that you are in can affect your access to specific songs and artists.
• You may find that some songs are grayed out.
• A grayed-out song can indicate that the song in question is not licensed for your particular region or country.

Apple Music is available for people in over 100 countries, and it is possible for users all over the world to experience the vast catalog of what Apple Music has to offer.

However, not all songs have the rights and license to be played across the world. Whether a song can be played in your country depends on the distribution license for that particular track.

It’s also possible that some countries will ban a certain song from Apple Music if it breaches certain codes or laws or is deemed unsuitable for the people of that nation.

International restrictions on songs can be frustrating for Apple Music users in regions in which distribution has not been authorized. However, it is possible to get around this issue via a VPN.

By using a VPN, you can appear to be in a different country and, as a result, can bypass the restriction on the song you want to listen to.

Sources

Apple Music User Guide 

The complete guide to Apple Music: Get the low down before you sign up

Apple Music vs Spotify

What to do if a song is “not currently available in your country or region”