How to send music from mac to iphone

Take control of iTunes by syncing only the songs you want on your iPhone

Updated on April 17, 2022

What to Know

• macOS : In Finder, go to iPhone settings and enable manual control. Open Music app and click and drag music to iPhone.
• Mojave and earlier: Switch iTunes to Manual mode (iPhone icon > Summary). Check Manually Manage Music and Videos.
• Then, go to iTunes Library. Select Music, and drag songs or playlists into your iPhone (under Devices).

This article explains how to manually sync specific songs to your iPhone via the Apple Music app (macOS Catalina and later) and the alternative, Syncios. It also includes separate instructions for anyone using a Mac computer with macOS Mojave (10.14) or earlier.

With macOS Catalina (10.15), Apple relocated the content and features of iTunes into distinct apps based on media type: Music, Podcasts, TV, and Books.

Manually Add Music to Your iPhone: macOS Catalina and later

Beginning with macOS Catalina (10.15), music syncing is controlled via the Music app, but you must first enable manual control via Finder.

1. Connect your iPhone to your computer using its cable.

2. Open a Finder window and select iPhone from the menu bar on the left. (It is found under Locations.)

3. In the General tab, select the Manually manage music, movies, and TV shows check box.

4. Select Apply in the lower-right corner.

5. Open the Music app and navigate to the media you would like to add to your iPhone.

6. Click and drag any song, album, or artist to the iPhone button under Devices in the left menu bar.

7. Repeat for all other music or media you'd like to add to your iPhone. When finished, return to a Finder window and select the Eject button next to iPhone before unplugging the device.

Switch to Manual Mode Using iTunes: macOS Mojave and earlier

When you sync music to your iPhone using the default method, all the songs in your iTunes library are transferred. To make better use of your iPhone's storage capacity, only sync the songs you want to play. To add certain songs and playlists from your library to your iPhone, you must first enable manual control.

1. Connect your iPhone to your computer using its cable.

2. Open iTunes and select the iPhone icon.

3. Select Summary.

4. Select the Manually manage music and videos check box to enable this mode.

5. Choose Apply to save the settings.

How to Add Specific Songs to Your iPhone: macOS Mojave and earlier

With iTunes now in manual syncing mode, you can choose individual songs and playlists to transfer to your phone.

iTunes helps you to see how much storage space is remaining on your iPhone. Check this before transferring music, or you might max out your space and have no room for apps, videos, or more music.

1. From your iTunes library page, select the drop-down menu in the upper-left corner of iTunes, then choose Music.

2. Select which music you want to copy from iTunes to your iPhone.

3. To add multiple songs in one go, use keyboard shortcuts. Press and hold Ctrl (Windows) or Command (Mac) and select each song you want to copy to your iPhone. This lets you drag all of them at once.

   If you have lots of music to transfer, it's easier to create a playlist in iTunes first. Playlists save you from repetitive work when syncing the songs you want on your iPhone.

4. To transfer a playlist or single song from your iTunes library to your iPhone, drag and drop the item from the right pane into the left pane, directly onto the item that is your phone (under the Devices section). It might be called iPhone.

iTunes Alternatives

You can add music to your iPhone without using iTunes. There are other programs that transfer music and other files between your computer and iPhone.

Best Free iTunes Alternatives for Syncing Music

If you want a free iTunes alternative for Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android, download Syncios. It supports copying music (as well as other files like documents, videos, apps, and images) to and from your iPhone.

To add music to your iPhone with Syncios, open the Media folder, then tap Add to see another menu. There are two options to add individual music files to your iPhone and entire music folders.

Another way to add music to your iPhone is to utilize music streaming via cloud storage services. For example, upload your favorite songs to Dropbox or Google Drive and use those apps on your phone to stream only those files instead of your entire music collection.

FAQ

• How do I add music to a video on my iPhone?

  Use the iMovie app to add background music to your iPhone videos. The app includes a selection of themes and soundtracks, or you can use your own songs.

• How do I add artwork to music on my iPhone?

  To add album art in iTunes, go to File > Library > Get Album Artwork. When you sync your iPhone with your computer, the artwork will show up on both devices.

• How do I transfer music from my iPhone to iTunes on Windows?

  First, connect your iPhone to your PC with a USB cable, then drag the music files into iTunes. Any songs you've purchased from iTunes on your phone can be downloaded on your computer for free.

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