Apple Music Country Change: What Happens to Your Library

Updated 6 November 2026 · Standard formula, shown below

When you change your Apple Account country or region, your Apple Music subscription is cancelled immediately, and your downloaded music, playlists, and library become inaccessible until you re-subscribe in the new region. Your playlists and listening history are not transferred, and you must start fresh with a new Apple Music library tied to the new country.

How Apple Music Ties to Your Account Country

Apple Music is deeply integrated with your Apple Account (formerly Apple ID). The country or region of your account determines which version of the App Store, iTunes Store, and Apple Music catalog you can access. This is because music licensing agreements vary by country—Apple only has rights to stream certain songs in certain regions. When you switch your account country, Apple treats you as a new customer in that region, so your previous library and subscription do not carry over.

What Actually Happens Step-by-Step

Your subscription is cancelled. The moment you change your country, any active Apple Music subscription is terminated. You will not be refunded for the remaining days of the current billing period.
Your downloaded music becomes unplayable. All songs you downloaded for offline listening are removed from your device. They may still appear in your library, but they will be greyed out and cannot be played.
Your library and playlists are hidden. Your entire music library, including playlists you created, is no longer accessible. This is not a deletion—Apple keeps the data tied to your old country, but you cannot see it from the new region.
Your Apple Music profile resets. Your public profile, followers, and following list are erased. You will need to create a new profile if you want to share playlists again.
You must re-subscribe in the new region. After the change, you can sign up for Apple Music again, but you will need a valid payment method from the new country and a new subscription.

Why Your Library Doesn’t Transfer

Apple Music uses a feature called iCloud Music Library to sync your songs across devices. When you change your account country, this library is tied to the old region’s storefront. Apple does not migrate libraries between storefronts because of licensing restrictions. A song available in the US might not be licensed in France, and vice versa. Even if a song exists in both catalogs, Apple cannot guarantee the same version or even the same artist name, so a direct transfer is not technically feasible.

How to Change Your Apple Account Country

Before you change, you must cancel your Apple Music subscription and wait for it to end, or you can change after the current period ends. Also, you need to spend any remaining store credit and have no pending orders or subscriptions. Here are the steps:

On your iPhone or iPad, go to Settings > tap your name > Media & Purchases > View Account.
Tap Country/Region, then select the new country.
Agree to the terms and conditions, then provide a valid payment method for the new region (credit card, debit card, or mobile phone billing).
Enter a billing address in the new country. Apple uses this to verify your location.

On a Mac, open the App Store, click your name in the bottom left, then click Account Settings and change the country from there.

Can You Get Your Old Library Back?

If you change back to your original country, your old Apple Music library and playlists will reappear, provided you re-subscribe. Apple stores your library data for a period of time, but it is not guaranteed to be permanent. Some users report that after a year, the old library is gone. To be safe, before switching, you should export your playlists and download a list of your songs. You can use a third-party service to transfer playlists to another streaming service or to a text file, but Apple does not provide an official export tool.

Common Problems and Misconceptions

Misconception: Your music library is deleted. It is not deleted, but it is hidden and becomes inaccessible. If you switch back, it may return.
Problem: You lose your Apple Music profile. Yes, your profile and followers are reset. You will need to start over.
Problem: You cannot use a payment method from the old country. Apple requires a payment method from the new region. Some users use gift cards from the new country to pay for the subscription.
Problem: Your downloaded songs are gone. All offline downloads are removed. You will need to re-download after re-subscribing in the new region.

Alternatives to Changing Your Country

If you are moving to a new country temporarily, you might not want to lose your library. Instead, you can keep your Apple Account country as is and continue using Apple Music with your old subscription, but you may face issues with payment and content availability. Another option is to create a second Apple Account for the new country, but you cannot use the same phone number for two accounts, and you would have to re-purchase any apps or music you already own. For most people, the cleanest approach is to accept the loss and use the change as an opportunity to rediscover music in the new region.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will I lose my purchased music if I change country?

No, music you purchased from the iTunes Store remains tied to your account and can be re-downloaded, but only if it is available in the new country’s store. If a song is not licensed in the new region, you may not be able to re-download it.

Can I change my country without cancelling Apple Music?

No, you must cancel your Apple Music subscription before changing your country. If you have an active subscription, Apple will not allow the change.

Will my Apple Music playlists transfer to the new country?

No, playlists do not transfer. You will need to recreate them manually or use a third-party service to move them to another platform before you switch.

Can I use a VPN to keep my old Apple Music library?

No, a VPN does not change your Apple Account country. Apple determines your region based on your account settings, not your IP address. Using a VPN may cause other issues and is not a supported workaround.

How long does Apple keep my old library data?

Apple does not publicly state a specific time. Some users report that switching back after a few months restores their library, but after a year or more, it may be gone. It is best to assume it is not permanent.

Can I change my country back to the original one?

Yes, you can change your country back, but you will need to wait for any subscription to end and have a valid payment method for the original country. Your library may reappear, but this is not guaranteed.

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