How do I buy music from iTunes on Android?

ByJael Lawler

Overview

Even though Android and iOS are separate operating systems, you can still access, purchase, and play iTunes content on an Android device. There are a few key reasons why an Android user might want to buy music from the iTunes store:

  • iTunes often has exclusive or early releases of new music that aren’t available on other platforms.
  • You may already have an Apple ID and existing music purchases tied to your iTunes account that you want to access.
  • The iTunes store generally has a large music catalog and competitive pricing.

To buy iTunes music for your Android device, you’ll first need to make sure you have an Android device running Android 4.3 or later as well as a Windows PC or Mac with the latest version of iTunes installed. You’ll then need to authorize the computer with your Apple ID, enable Home Sharing, and link your Android device to the same wifi network as your computer. Once connected, you can browse and purchase music and other content directly in the iTunes application. The purchased content will then be accessible from the Apple Music app on your Android device.

Check Android and iTunes Compatibility

Before purchasing iTunes content for your Android device, you’ll want to make sure both your device and iTunes are compatible versions.

Most recent Android devices running Android 5.0 Lollipop or later will work with iTunes. According to Apple Support, your Android phone or tablet needs to be running at least Android 5.0 Lollipop to download the Apple Music app and access iTunes content. Older versions of Android are not supported.

On the iTunes side, you’ll want to make sure you’re running one of the latest versions of iTunes on your Windows or Mac computer. Ideally, upgrade to the newest version of iTunes for the full feature set. There are no specific version limitations, but in general the newer the iTunes version the better.

One device limitation to note – iTunes content is not currently supported on Android tablets. You can only download the Apple Music app and access iTunes purchases on an Android smartphone at this time.

Install iTunes on Windows PC

In order to buy music from iTunes and listen to it on your Android device, you will need a Windows PC with iTunes installed to act as a bridge. The iTunes app on Windows allows you to access the iTunes Store and manage your library and purchases. iTunes will serve as the intermediary between your Android device and your iTunes account.

To get started, you’ll need to download and install the latest version of iTunes on your Windows PC:

  1. Go to apple.com/itunes and click “Download Now” to download the iTunes installer.
  2. Run the installer once downloaded and follow the on-screen prompts to install iTunes.
  3. Open iTunes after the installation completes. The first time you open it, you’ll be asked to agree to the terms and conditions.

Make sure to occasionally check for updates to iTunes by going to Help > Check for Updates within the app. Keeping iTunes up-to-date ensures compatibility with the latest iOS devices and services.

Authorize Computer with iTunes Account

In order to purchase music from iTunes, you’ll need to authorize the computer you’re using with your Apple ID. This connects your iTunes account so you can access content available in your iTunes library.

To authorize your computer:

  1. Open iTunes on your Windows PC.
  2. Select Account > Authorizations > Authorize This Computer.
  3. Enter your Apple ID and password and click Authorize.

This will authorize the computer to your iTunes account, allowing you to purchase and download content. Keep in mind that you’ll need an active iTunes account with a valid payment method added in order to buy songs, albums or other media.

Enable Home Sharing

Home Sharing is an iTunes feature that allows you to share your iTunes library and purchases between devices logged into the same iTunes account. To access your iTunes content on an Android device, you first need to enable Home Sharing on the computer where you manage your iTunes library.

To enable Home Sharing on iTunes:

  1. Open iTunes on your Windows or Mac computer.
  2. Click on File > Home Sharing > Turn on Home Sharing.
  3. Enter your Apple ID and password when prompted.
  4. Make sure the “Share my library on my local network” option is checked.
  5. Click Done. Home Sharing is now enabled.

Once enabled, any device on your local network logged into that same iTunes account will be able to access the shared iTunes library and stream content. This allows you to play iTunes music on your Android device.

Source: https://gilsmethod.com/enable-home-sharing-itunes

Link Android Device and iTunes

Both your Android device and the Windows PC running iTunes need to be on the same Wi-Fi network to enable wireless syncing and content access. Here are the steps:

  1. On your Android device, connect to the Wi-Fi network your Windows PC is also connected to.
  2. In the iTunes app on Windows, go to Edit > Preferences > Devices and ensure “Allow iTunes Wi-Fi sync between this computer and iPod/iPhone” is checked.
  3. Under “Look for shared iTunes libraries on” choose the local network your devices are connected to.

If you have trouble detecting your iTunes library from the Android device, try restarting iTunes or checking your firewall settings. Both devices may also need to be on the same subnet if on a large enterprise network.

Browse and Buy Content on iTunes

iTunes offers more than just music – you can also browse and purchase other types of content such as movies, TV shows, apps, audiobooks, and more. However to listen to iTunes content on your Android device, music will be the main focus.

To browse and purchase music from the iTunes store on your Windows PC, open the iTunes software and look for the “Music” section in the navigation bar. Click the “Store” option to browse and search for albums, songs, playlists and other related content.

Use the search box at the top to quickly look up a song title, artist, album or genre. Or scroll through the featured sections like “New Music”, “Recent Releases” or top charts to discover new music.

When you find an album or song to purchase, click the “price” button to confirm and complete the transaction. Purchased content will start downloading to your iTunes library.

Just make sure your iTunes account has a valid payment method linked to enable purchases. Downloaded items can then be accessed through the music library to play within iTunes or sync to devices.

Access Purchased Content on Android

Once you purchase new songs, albums, movies or other media on iTunes through Home Sharing, you can access them on your Android device. Here are the steps to download new purchases:

  1. Open the Home Sharing app on your Android device.
  2. Navigate to “Purchased” to see your recently acquired iTunes content.
  3. Tap the download icon next to any content to download it to your device storage or SD card.
  4. Once the download is complete, you will be able to access the content within the Home Sharing app and other compatible Android apps.

Downloaded content is usually saved in a “Home Sharing” folder on your Android device. You can access it from your music or video player apps.

That’s all there is to it! With Home Sharing enabled, any new iTunes purchases you make on your computer will be available for direct download onto your Android phone or tablet.

Listen to iTunes Music on Android

There are several Android music apps that can play audio files purchased from iTunes. Some of the more popular audio players for Android that play a variety of formats include:

  • VLC – Supports many audio formats like MP3, FLAC, WMA, just to name a few.
  • Poweramp – Support iTunes file formats like AAC, MP3, WMA, and other common audio formats.
  • GoneMAD Music Player – Popular music player that supports a large variety of audio formats.

To listen to downloaded music from iTunes on your Android device, follow these steps:

  1. Transfer the music files you purchased from iTunes to your Android device, either using a USB cable or cloud storage.
  2. Install a supported music player app like VLC from the Google Play Store if you don’t have one already.
  3. Open the music app and locate the library or folder where the iTunes music files are saved.
  4. Tap on a song to start playback through the music app as you normally would to listen to music on your Android device.

With compatible Android apps, you can enjoy iTunes music downloads seamlessly on Android.

Alternative Options

While linking your Android device to iTunes allows you to access your existing iTunes library, there are other ways to get music directly on your Android phone.

The most direct option is to use the Google Play Music app that comes preinstalled on most Android devices. Google Play Music has a library of over 50 million songs that you can stream or buy to download. Purchased music can be listened to offline without an internet connection.

Another alternative is Amazon Music, which offers a similar song catalog to Google Play Music. Amazon Prime members get access to 2 million songs for free, while Amazon Music Unlimited provides access to 50 million songs for a monthly subscription fee.

If you want access to a massive library of music without purchasing individual songs or albums, streaming services like Spotify, Pandora and Apple Music all have free and paid options for both Android and iOS users. With a streaming service, you can listen to millions of songs on demand rather than owning them outright.

While each service has its own pros and cons, the streaming and direct purchase options available right on Android give you plenty of ways to get music without linking your device to iTunes.

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