Will Apple Music Work on Airplane Mode?

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Grace
March 5, 2024

It can be quite a relief to have your favorite music with you during long flights. Mobile devices such as iPhones, iPads, and Android usually offer an airplane mode specifically designed for such situations. When airplane mode is turned on, WiFi, cellular network, and Bluetooth connections are disabled. You won’t be able to make calls, send texts, or use internet-dependent features, but you can still enjoy the locally stored music, video, or games that don’t require network or phone connections.

Apple Music allows users to download music to listen to without an internet connection. This means you can still enjoy Apple Music on a flight. If you are interested, follow our guide to explore more details on how to listen to Apple Music in airplane mode without WiFi. Additionally, if your Apple Music songs won’t play on flights, we put together effective solutions to address the problem.

Contents

Does Apple Music Work on Airplane Mode?

Yes, Apple Music does work under airplane mode. Apple Music allows subscribers to download tracks, playlists, and albums for offline listening, which is particularly useful when being on an airplane. Before turning on airplane mode on your phone, make sure that you have downloaded the desired songs and playlists on Apple Music to enjoy during your flights.

Moreover, Apple Music not only supports playback offline on flights but also allows you to download songs in Hi-Res Lossless audio quality, and Dolby Atmos. To turn on download with these features:

On your iPhone and iPad, go to Settings > Music, enable Download in Dolby Atmos, and activate Downloads Lossless under Audio Quality.

download-lossless-iphone

On your Android, go to Settings > Audio Quality from the Apple Music app. Turn on Lossless Audio and select Downloads Lossless.

download-settings-android

How to Listen to Apple Music in Airplane Mode?

To use the Apple Music app on flights without WiFi, you need to have an active Apple Music subscription and songs downloaded to your Library. Follow this step-by-step guide to enjoy Apple Music in airplane mode. It applies to both iOS and Android devices.

Step 1. Add Apple Music Songs and Playlists to the Library

Apple Music requires you to add a song or playlist to the Library before downloading.

  • For a playlist, tap the three dots at the right top corner and select Add to Library.
  • For a song, tap the three dots next to it and select Add to Library.
Add-to-Library

Step 2. Download Apple Music Songs and Playlists

After the song or playlist is added to the library, you can download it through the Apple Music app.

  • To download a playlist, go to the details page and tap on the download icon (the downward arrow icon) at the top right.
  • To download a track, tap the three dots next to the song and select Download.
download-playlists-and-songs

Step 3. Turn on Airplane Mode on Your Phone Step

Once Apple Music has completed downloading, you can enable the airplane mode on your phone. Swipe down from the top of your screen to show the Control Center. Tap the airplane mode icon (the flight icon) to activate it. iPhone users can also go to Settings and turn airplane mode on.

turn-on-airplane-mode

4. Find Downloaded Music in Apple Music

Now you can go back to Apple Music and find the downloaded songs and playlists in your Library. Tap the Library icon from the bottom of the Apple Music app and select Downloaded. Then you can choose playlists, songs, artists, or albums to play offline. Downloaded songs will have a download icon (the downward arrow icon) at the right of the song.

find-downloads-apple-music

How to Enable Automatic Downloads on Apple Music?

Apple Music provides a convenient feature called Automatic Downloads, which allows download each song you have added to your library and purchased music in the iTunes Store for offline playback. By turning the feature on, you won’t have to worry about forgetting to download your favorite songs before a flight. Instead, you can focus on your packing, knowing that the music will be ready for offline playback during your flight.

The feature of Automatic Downloads is not supported on Android devices. To activate it on your iPhone, go to Settings > Music and switch Automatic Downloads on. If you want to save the data usage on your cellular network, consider disabling Download over Cellular to make sure that Apple Music downloads content only with WiFi connections.

How to Fix Apple Music Won’t Play on Airplane Mode?

Some users have reported that their downloaded Apple Music songs won’t play under airplane mode. Fortunately, this glitch can be fixed with simple solutions such as reconnecting to WiFI and activating airplane mode again, reinstalling the Apple Music app, and downloading Apple Music songs to MP3.

If you choose to download Apple Music to MP3, your music can be permanently saved on your device even after your subscription ends. This method provides a reliable solution to playback issues during flights.

1. Re-connect to WiFi/Data and Back to Airplane Mode

If the downloaded Apple Music songs won’t play on flights, one effective fix is to connect to WiFi or cellular data, play a downloaded song, and then turn on airplane mode again.

Many users have reported that this method successfully resolves the problem. This may relate to the authorization issue with Apple Music. When you play the song with the network on, Apple Music receives the signal and ensures that you are still subscribed to the service. Consequently, when you return to airplane mode, Apple Music authorizes you to use the offline version of the songs and you can listen to the downloaded songs in your Library.

2. Reinstall the Apple Music App

Reinstalling the Apple Music app is another method proven to be successful. After uninstalling the Apple Music app, remember to restart your phone or tablet, then go to the App Store or Google Play store and install the app again.

Reinstalling the app can replace the problematic files with properly functioning ones. It gives Apple Music a fresh start to smoothly play offline music in airplane mode.

3. Download Apple Music Songs to MP3

The ultimate solution to why Apple Music won’t work under airplane mode is to download Apple Music songs to MP3. To achieve this you can use a reliable and secure tool – the Pazu Apple Music Converter. This converter downloads Apple Music playlists, albums, and songs to MP3, AAC, FLAC, and other popular formats on both Mac and Windows platforms. After downloading, you can freely transfer the MP3 files to your iPhone or Android to enjoy on flights without the Apple Music app.

When downloading Apple Music songs and playlists, Pazu Apple Music Converter preserves the original audio quality, ID3 tags, and metadata, ensuring you won’t lose any important information. The converter has a remarkably fast download speed—almost 10 times faster than comparable software. Follow the tutorial below to download Apple Music to MP3 and enjoy them during your traveling. 

Step 1. Launch Pazu Apple Music Converter

Download, install and run Pazu Apple Music Converter on your Mac or Windows.

Apple Music Converter

Step 2. Choose the output format

The default format is M4A in 256kbps. Apple Music Converter also supports MP3, AAC, FLAC, WAV, and AIFF. Click the gear icon if you want to change the output format or output folder.

Apple Music Converter settings

Step 3. Choose a playlist, artist, or album to download

Follow the on-screen instructions to choose a playlist, artist, or album you want to download.

add Apple Music songs

Step 4. Start to download Apple Music songs

Click the “Convert” button to download Apple Music songs, albums, and playlists to MP3. After downloading, you can play them anywhere you want, even after canceling your Apple Music subscription.

convert Apple Music to MP3

Step 5. Locate the Converted Songs

After the download is complete, click on the clock icon in the upper right corner to view the converted Apple Music songs. To locate the downloaded Apple Music songs:

  • Click the folder icon to open the output folder where the songs are saved;
    or
  • Directly go to the output folder you customized in the previous step.
find downloads

In Conclusion

Apple Music subscribers can enjoy downloaded music while traveling on flights. Remember to download the music to your Library before flights and enable airplane mode after getting on the plane. You can also turn on the Automatic Downloads to let Apple Music automatically download the entire library for you. If your offline music won’t play on flights, the best solution is to download Apple Music to MP3 with the Pazu Apple Music Converter. Downloaded MP3 files cannot only be played in airplane mode but also be saved to your device permanently.

To get started, download Pazu Apple Music Converter on your Mac or Windows.

Apple Music Converter

Apple Music Converter

Download Apple Music to MP3, M4A, etc.