How to Cancel Apple Music (2026)
Quick answer
Cancel Apple Music in your subscription settings: on iPhone, open Settings → tap your name → Subscriptions → Apple Music → Cancel Subscription. You keep access until the end of your billing period. You can also cancel from a Mac (Music app), on the web at music.apple.com, or in the Apple Music app on Android. If you subscribed through Google Play, cancel in the Google Play app instead.
How to cancel Apple Music, step by step
iPhone / iPad
- 1Open Settings and tap your nameAt the top of the Settings app, tap your Apple Account banner.
- 2Subscriptions → Apple MusicTap 'Subscriptions', then select your Apple Music plan.
- 3Cancel SubscriptionScroll down and tap 'Cancel Subscription', then confirm. If there is no Cancel button, or you see an expiration date in red, the subscription is already cancelled.
Mac, web, or Android
- 1On a MacOpen the Music app → click your name at the bottom of the sidebar → View My Account → in the Settings section, click 'Manage' next to Subscriptions → click 'Edit' next to Apple Music → Cancel Subscription.
- 2On the web (music.apple.com)Go to music.apple.com and sign in → click the account icon → Settings/Account → Subscriptions → Cancel Subscription.
- 3On AndroidOpen the Apple Music app → tap the menu (…) → Account → Manage Subscription → Cancel. If you were billed through Google Play, cancel in the Google Play app (Subscriptions) instead.
⏰ Deadline
Cancel at least 24 hours before your renewal date (or before a free/discounted trial ends) to avoid the next charge. Access continues until the end of the current billing period.
💵 Fees
No cancellation fee.
↩️ Refunds
Apple generally does not refund partial periods, but you keep access until your paid period ends. If you were charged in error, you can request a refund at reportaproblem.apple.com.
Retention traps to expect
- Apple doesn't refund partial periods, so cancel at least 24 hours before renewal (or before a trial ends) — cancelling mid-cycle earns nothing back.
- If Google Play processed your billing, Apple's own subscription settings won't show it, so you have to cancel in the Google Play app instead.
The bottom line on cancelling Apple Music
Apple Music is a clean, self-service cancel — no phone calls, no retention gauntlet. It lives in your Apple subscription settings on iPhone, Mac, the web at music.apple.com, or the Android app, and you keep listening until the period ends. The one catch: if Google Play processed your billing, cancel in the Google Play app, because Apple's settings won't show it.
Cancel at least 24 hours before your renewal date, or before a free or discounted trial ends, since Apple does not refund partial periods. If you were genuinely charged in error, you can request a refund at reportaproblem.apple.com — but the reliable move is to cancel early.
Ways to cancel Apple Music at a glance
| Method | Available? | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone / iPad | ✓ Yes | 3 steps |
| Mac, web, or Android | ✓ Yes | 3 steps |
Cancelling Apple Music vs Spotify vs Amazon Music Unlimited
How the cancellation experience stacks up against similar services.
| Apple Music | Spotify | Amazon Music Unlimited | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cancel online? | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes | ✅ Yes |
| Ease of cancelling | 5 / 5 | 5 / 5 | 5 / 5 |
| Refund fairness | 3 / 5 | 3 / 5 | 3 / 5 |
| No dark patterns | 5 / 5 | 5 / 5 | 4 / 5 |
Apple Music cancellation — FAQ
＋ − Where do I cancel Apple Music?
In your Apple subscription settings — on iPhone via Settings → your name → Subscriptions, on a Mac or the web (music.apple.com) through your account, or in the Apple Music app on Android.
＋ − Will I lose my playlists and library after cancelling Apple Music?
Your purchased music stays, but playlists and saved library tracks from Apple Music streaming become unavailable once the subscription ends. They can come back if you resubscribe within a limited time.
＋ − Can I cancel during the free trial?
Yes. Cancel at least 24 hours before the trial ends to avoid being charged; you keep access until the trial's end date.
＋ − I subscribed through Google Play — where do I cancel?
If Google Play processed your Apple Music billing, cancel in the Google Play app under Subscriptions, not in Apple's settings.
What to use instead of Apple Music
Cancelling usually means you still need the thing. These are the alternatives worth looking at — with the honest downside of each.
Spotify
From $11.99/mo, free ad-supported tier availableBest for: Anyone mixing iPhone, Android, Windows, consoles, and smart speakers
- Runs well on essentially every platform and has a permanent free tier, so cancelling later never locks you out of your playlists.
- No lossless audio, and like Apple it doesn't refund the unused part of a month.
YouTube Premium (includes YouTube Music)
From $13.99/moBest for: Heavy YouTube watchers who want ad-free video and music on one bill
- Covers ad-free YouTube, background play, and a music service that carries live sets, remixes, and rarities no other catalogue has.
- More expensive than Apple Music, and its library and playlist tools feel less curated.
Amazon Music
Included with Prime; Unlimited from $9.99/moBest for: Prime members and Echo households
- A large ad-free tier is already bundled into Prime, so a lot of ex-Apple Music listeners can stop paying anything extra.
- Weaker apps and a Prime tier that limits on-demand playback unless you upgrade to Unlimited.
Your own purchases plus a library app (Freegal / hoopla)
Free with a library cardBest for: People who only listened a few hours a month and hate recurring bills
- Music you bought from iTunes stays yours after cancelling, and many public libraries add free streaming or keepable downloads on top of it.
- New releases are patchy or absent, monthly download limits apply, and you lose Apple's recommendations entirely.
Some links are affiliate links — we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never changes which alternatives we list or what we say about them.
Full Apple Music alternatives guide →
Sources & official policy links
This guide is independently written and not affiliated with Apple Music. Cancellation terms can change at any time — always confirm the current policy on the official website before cancelling.