How can I find deleted music?
Deleted music refers to songs, albums, playlists, or other audio files that a user has intentionally or accidentally removed from their device or music library. People may want to recover deleted music for several reasons:
They may have accidentally deleted a song or playlist that held sentimental value or that they still enjoyed listening to. Recovering the deleted music allows them to get back something they miss.
They may have deleted music to save space but later realized they still want access to those songs. Retrieving the deleted files gives them a chance to re-add music they regret removing.
Some services like Spotify or Pandora allow you to save music offline for ad-free listening. If this downloaded content gets deleted, people want a way to recover it so they can listen without ads and internet.
In summary, retrieving deleted music essentially allows people to undo mistakes or changes of heart when it comes to removing content from their libraries. It gives them access back to music they had collected, enjoyed, and valued.
Check Your Device’s Trash Folder
The trash or recycle bin is the first place to look for recently deleted files. When you delete a file on your computer or mobile device, it is typically just moved to a trash folder rather than being permanently erased. For example, on Windows computers there is a Recycle Bin where deleted files are stored. On Mac computers there is a Trash folder. And on Android and iOS devices there is also a Trash or Recently Deleted folder.
Files in the trash or recycle bin folder can usually be easily recovered, at least for a certain period of time. For instance, on a Windows 10 computer, files stay in the Recycle Bin indefinitely until you empty it. Even once emptied, files may remain recoverable for some time, up to about a month, before being fully overwritten. On an iPhone or iPad, deleted photos stay in the Recently Deleted folder for 30 days before being permanently erased.
So your best bet for finding deleted music is to first check the trash or recycle bin folder on the device where it was originally stored. You may be able to quickly restore the lost files from there.
Use File Recovery Software
There are many free data recovery software tools available that can help recover deleted music files. Software like Recuva can scan your hard drive and memory cards to find files marked as deleted. Recuva has a deep scan feature that can thoroughly search and recover lost media files. Other options like Wise Data Recovery, Windows File Recovery, and EaseUS Data Recovery Wizard also provide free scanning and recovery of deleted files.
File recovery software looks for files based on their signatures, allowing them to be restored even if they’ve been deleted. This makes it possible to rescue music files from your hard drive or external media, as long as they haven’t been overwritten by new data. Running a thorough scan can help maximize the chances of recovering your lost music library.
Check Cloud Storage
If you used a cloud service like iCloud, Google Play Music, Spotify, or Amazon Music to download your music library, any tracks you deleted may still be recoverable from the cloud. Most cloud services keep your files available for a certain period even after deletion. According to Apple Support, you can recover deleted files from iCloud for up to 30 days after deletion by going to iCloud.com, clicking the App Launcher button, selecting Data Recovery, and clicking Restore Files.[1]
The process is similar for other services. For example with Google Play Music, go to play.google.com, click on the hamburger menu, select Music library, click on the three dot menu next to an album, and select “Recover.”[2] With a bit of searching around each app, you may be able to find and restore recently deleted tracks.
Contact Your Music Service
If you deleted music from a streaming service like Spotify or Apple Music, contacting customer support may help you recover it. Many services keep deleted content for a period of time before permanently erasing it.
For example, Spotify allows you to recover playlists within 90 days through your account settings (Source: https://support.spotify.com/us/article/save-recover-playlists/). If it has been over 90 days, try reaching out to Spotify’s customer service on Twitter (@SpotifyCares) or via email – they may be able to help restore deleted content if you provide details like playlist names and song information (Source: https://community.spotify.com/t5/Desktop-Mac/How-to-recover-my-deleted-songs-not-playlists/td-p/862697).
For other streaming platforms, check their help pages or contact customer support. Provide as much information as you can about the deleted content to increase your chances of getting it restored.
Check Your Purchase History
If you bought the music through an online store like iTunes, Google Play, or Amazon Music, you may be able to redownload it. Check your purchase history in the store to see if the deleted songs are still available.
In iTunes or the Apple Music app, go to Account > Purchased to view your purchase history. Find the missing songs or albums and select to download again. As long as the music is still available in the iTunes store, you can recover your past purchases.
For other services like Google Play or Amazon Music, check your library or account purchase history. Look for a “Download” or “Add to Library” option to retrieve previously bought songs.
Music purchased digitally is usually available for redownload, though there may be time limits. So redownloading from your purchase history can often restore your lost music collection.
Ask Friends to Share
If friends or family have the same music, they may be able to share it with you. While sharing copyrighted material like music without permission is generally illegal, sharing within an immediate family or household may be permitted. However, downloading or sharing music without permission from the copyright holder, even just for personal use, is still considered copyright infringement.
Before asking others to share music files, consider the legal implications. While some personal sharing among close friends may go unpunished, large-scale distribution could lead to consequences. Evaluate the risks and determine what is comfortable for you. If opting to obtain files from friends, be discreet and avoid further distribution.
Look For Alternative Sources
While obtaining deleted music from unofficial sources can raise ethical and legal concerns, there are some alternative options for finding more obscure or hard-to-find music without resorting to piracy. One option is to look in public domain music databases, which offer recordings and sheet music that are no longer under copyright. Sites like the Public Domain Music, the International Music Score Library Project, and the Free Music Archive host a wide variety of public domain music that can be downloaded legally.
There are also some legal torrent sites focused on sharing public domain and creative commons-licensed content, such as LegalTorrents. However, it’s important to carefully check the licensing for each download. Just because it’s on a legal torrent site doesn’t automatically mean the music is in the public domain or available for free use.
With some persistence, these alternative sources can turn up rare, out-of-print, or forgotten music without having to resort to piracy. However, you may still not be able to find a specific deleted track or album. If a search of legal alternative sources comes up empty, it may be time to consider other options or make peace with the loss.
Contact the Artist/Label
For rare or unreleased music, contacting the artist or record label directly can sometimes lead to obtaining the music. Many artists are willing to share unreleased songs with their biggest fans. You can try reaching out to the artist or their management via social media or email. Though this is not guaranteed to work, some artists do respond and provide download links or files. You can also contact the record label, though they may be more restrictive about sharing unreleased content.
As an example, Reddit user u/musician3221 asked on r/musicians for advice on obtaining unreleased music from an artist. The responses indicated that many artists are open to sharing unreleased content with fans if approached respectfully. Though there are no guarantees, a polite and genuine request as a fan may yield results.
While contacting the artist directly can work in some cases, record labels tend to be more tight-lipped about unreleased content. It likely depends on their plans for the music and legal considerations. However, it doesn’t hurt to politely inquire with the record label about obtaining a rare or unreleased track, especially if you have already purchased much of the artist’s official catalog.
Accept the Loss
As difficult as it may be, sometimes the only option left is to accept that the music is gone forever. If you’ve thoroughly searched all possible places it could be recovered from, and asked everyone who may have had access to it, it may simply be time to let it go.
Try to focus on the memories the music brought rather than the loss of the files themselves. Even if you can’t listen to the exact songs anymore, the joy they once brought you lives on. Cherish the good times you associate with the music, and appreciate that those can never be deleted.
If certain songs hold special meaning, you may want to record yourself singing or describing them so the music stays with you in some form. But ultimately, don’t let the loss prevent you from making new musical memories going forward.
It can be painful to lose music that’s sentimental to you. But you still have access to millions of songs, both new discoveries and old favorites. Find comfort in exploring fresh music, and know that over time, these new songs can take on their own special significance in your life.