Do I need an Apple Music subscription to purchase individual songs on iPhone?

KCSusan25 wrote:

Hi, new iPhone user here. Just wondering if the songs I’m purchasing for $1.49 each require me to have a purchased Apple Music subscription (in which I’d have to pay another $10 a month)? Thank you for your help!

If you buy songs from the iTunes Store, you do not need an Apple Music subscription to play them. The songs will be in non-DRMed 256 Kbps AAC format. These days, many Apple and non-Apple devices can play such files.

On iPhones and iPads, there is an iTunes Store app. You buy music in the iTunes Store app – and then play it in the Music app.

On Macs, the iTunes Store is built into

• the iTunes application (pre-Catalina)
• the Music application (Catalina and later)

With the Music application, you have to go into Music > Settings… and put a checkmark in the box for "Show Tunes Store." Then the iTunes Store will show up in the Music window sidebar. (Given how the Music application strongly emphasizes the optional Apple Music subscription service, if you didn't know about "Settings", you might think that Apple had removed the option to purchase music!)

Once you buy music from the iTunes Store on any of your devices, you can redownload it on other devices.

About purchasing movies, TV shows, music, books, and ringtones from Apple - Apple Support

Redownload music from the iTunes Store on your iPhone or iPad - Apple Support

Redownload music from the iTunes Store on your Mac - Apple Support

Redownload music from the iTunes Store on your PC - Apple Support

I would suggest downloading your purchases to your Mac or PC, and keeping backups. Sometimes bands or record companies pull music from the iTunes Store, after which redownloading might no longer be an option.

Confusedguy805 wrote:

I thought the subscription gains access to any song on the Apple Music library, it costs for ringtones.

An Apple Music subscription lets you play any song in the Apple Music library – for as long as you are a subscriber. It doesn't give you permanent copies of the songs that you can keep even after you stop subscribing. From what you are saying, it sounds like the subscription does not include access to music in the form of ringtones.

You can create ringtones from purchased music – such as music that you purchase on CD, import to a computer, and manually synchronize to your phone; or music purchased from the iTunes Store. Subscription music has DRM on it – in the terms that the Apple Support article uses, it is "protected". So you can't create ringtones from it.

Create a custom ringtone on your iPhone - Apple Support

I thought the subscription gains access to any song on the Apple Music library, it costs for ringtones.