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How to Delete Music from iPhone But Not iTunes? Solved in 4 Easy Ways

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Too many songs will occupy the storage space on your iPhone, so do you want to delete a large collection of songs on your iPhone to free up the storage space? Or do you want to remove some unwanted songs? When you delete songs from your iPhone, you may want those songs still to be kept in the iTunes library. So how to delete music from iPhone but not iTunes? Before we go to the detailed guide, let's be clear about this question: "If I delete music from my iPhone, will it stay on iTunes?"

  • For users who don't use Apple Music, songs that synced from iTunes are stored locally on your iPhone, and if you delete a song from your iPhone, the song will still stay in your iTunes library or your iTunes purchases.
  • And for those Apple Music users, if you delete the downloaded songs on your iPhone, you can't listen to them offline, but they will still be available on iTunes. However, if you delete the song from the iCloud Music Library, it will be deleted from all of your devices as well as from the iTunes library.

Now, let's take a closer look at how to delete music from iPhone but leave it on iTunes.

how to delete music from iphone but not itunes

 

Part 1. How to Delete Music from iPhone But Not iTunes Using iPhone Music Manager

iPhone Music Manager is a useful and powerful program for you to better manage files like music on your iPhone. With it, you can easily delete music from iPhone but not from the iTunes library. What's more, you can use this program to manage or delete other files, including photos, videos, contacts, messages, etc.

Why should you choose the iPhone Music Manager?

  • It can help remove downloaded music from the iPhone directly on the computer, without erasing the iTunes library.
  • You can use it to transfer music from iPhone to computer and vice versa.
  • It enables you to freely transfer a wide range of files between iPhone/iPad/iPod and computer.
  • The ability to back up all files on an iPhone to a computer with 1 simple click.
  • Fully support iPhone models such as iPhone 16/15/14/13/12/11, and more (iOS 18 supported).

Download iPhone Music Manager on your computer and follow the guide below to delete music from your iPhone.

How do I delete music from my iPhone but keep it in the library? Follow the steps below:

01Download and launch the program on your computer, then connect your iPhone to a computer with a USB cable. Follow the instructions on the screen to finish the connection. Once done, you will come to an interface like below.

the main interface of iphone music transfer

02Click "Music" on the left sidebar, the music stored on your iPhone will be scanned out soon. You can preview all the music and select the one you want to remove, then click the "trash bin" button above to delete it from your iPhone.

how to delete music from iphone but leave on itunes using iphone music manager

Part 2. How to Delete Music on iPhone But Not iTunes via Settings

You can also go to the Settings app to delete songs on your iPhone quickly and easily. This way allows you to delete songs selectively or remove them all in one go.

Here's how to delete music on iPhone but not iTunes via Settings:

Step 1. Open the "Settings" app on your iPhone, then tap "General".

Step 2. Tap "iPhone Storage" and scroll to select "Music".

Step 3. You can slide the "All Songs" tab to remove all songs from your iPhone. Or you can swipe left on any artist, album, or song to delete.

how to delete music from iphone but not itunes via settings

Part 3. How to Delete Songs from iPhone But Not iTunes with Music App

Another easy way to delete songs from your iPhone is to use the Music app. Also, this method will not delete the music from iTunes library and you can sync them from iTunes purchases to your iPhone again. You use the Music app to delete song(s) by genre or album.

Simple steps on how to remove music from iPhone but not iTunes via Music app:

Step 1. Open the Music app on your iPhone, on the library tab, locate the song or album that you want to delete.

Step 2. Long press the song and then select "Remove" on the pop-up menu. If you have selected an album, tap "Delete from Library" to remove it from your iPhone.

how to delete music from iphone but not itunes using music app

Part 4. How to Remove Music from iPhone But Not iTunes via iTunes

You can make good use of iTunes to delete music on your iPhone but not from the iTunes library. But note that this method doesn't allow you to delete songs individually and all the music from iPhone will be erased after syncing.

Steps on how to delete songs from iPhone via iTunes:

Step 1. Connect your iPhone to the computer with a USB cable, and then open the iTunes on your computer.

Step 2. Click the devices icon at the top-left and then go to the "Music" tab. (iPhone not showing up in iTunes?)

Step 3. Make sure that "Sync Music" is checked. You can see the songs are categorized in playlists, artists, and albums, you need to make sure that none of the songs below are selected, then click "Apply".

Step 4. The music from your iPhone will be deleted and replaced by the songs that you selected from iTunes, and since you select nothing, your music on your iPhone will be cleared out.

how to delete music from iphone but not itunes with itunes sync

Conclusion

With the 4 methods mentioned above, you can delete songs from your iPhone but keep them in the iTunes library. Using Settings or Music app are two quick and easy ways to do that. As you can see, deleting music from your iPhone via iTunes is not a convenient way and you are not able to preview and select the songs you want to delete.

If you want to manage or delete music on your iPhone from your computer, we suggest you use the iPhone Music Manager in part 1. It is a professional desktop software that not only helps you delete music but also enables you to transfer, organize, and better manage all sorts of files on your iPhone.

Related Articles:

[GUIDE] How to Delete Playlists on iPhone Quickly in 3 Easy Ways?

iPhone Music Manager: Transfer, Add and Organize Your iPhone Music

How to Transfer Music from iPhone to Mac? Solved in 5 Effective Ways

How to Transfer Music from Android to iPhone 16/15/14/13/12/11/X [2025]

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