How do I clear my music app cache?

What is a Music App Cache?

The cache of a music app refers to the temporary storage of audio files, album artwork, and music metadata that the app saves on your device. When you stream or download songs using a music app, it will store portions of that content in a cache folder so it can access that information more quickly in the future without having to fully re-download it each time. This helps provide a smooth listening experience and reduces the amount of data needed for your daily music listening.

For example, if you play a certain song or playlist on Spotify, it may save some of that audio data as well as the album artwork and song details to its cache. The next time you want to play that song or playlist, Spotify can retrieve it from cache storage rather than needing to stream it again over the internet. This makes the music start faster with less loading time.

The cache exists as a temporary storage solution, so it can and will be deleted or overwritten automatically over time as new content is accessed. But occasionally, it may be useful to manually clear out the cache to free up space or troubleshoot performance issues.

Why Clear the Cache?

Clearing your music app’s cache can free up valuable storage space on your device. As you stream songs or download music for offline listening, the app caches or temporarily stores parts of those songs. Over time, this cached content can accumulate and take up a significant amount of storage [1]. For example, the Spotify app has been known to use several gigabytes of cached data.

Clearing this cache removes the temporary song files from your device and gives you back that storage capacity. If you’re running short on space for photos, videos, or other apps, deleting the cache can provide a quick boost and easy solution, rather than having to uninstall rarely used apps or large files manually.

When to Clear the Cache

One of the main reasons to clear your music app cache is if you are experiencing performance issues, such as the app crashing frequently, trouble loading songs or playlists, delays when opening the app, lagging or stuttering during playback, etc. According to https://discussions.apple.com/thread/7515285, a bloated cache file can use up storage space on your device and lead to performance problems in the app. So if you notice issues with stability or speed, clearing the cache may help.

You should also clear the cache periodically as part of regular device maintenance. Cache files accumulate over time with general usage, so even if you don’t observe any problems, cleaning the cache helps keep things running smoothly and prevent issues from cropping up. Some experts recommend clearing the music app cache every few months. For example, see this Reddit thread for more perspectives on clearing the Apple Music cache regularly.

Clear Cache on iPhone/iPad

To clear your Apple Music app cache on iPhone or iPad, follow these steps:

Open the Settings app on your device.

Tap on General, then tap iPhone/iPad Storage.
Wait for your device storage usage to calculate, then scroll down to find and select Apple Music.
Tap the Offload App button which will uninstall and clear all app data, then tap Offload to confirm.

Relaunch the Apple Music app, it will download again from the App Store with its cache cleared.

Alternatively, you can use the same steps in Settings > General > iPhone/iPad Storage to tap Delete App instead of Offload in step 4. This removes the app and data more permanently until re-downloaded.

Clear Cache on Android

To clear the cache for apps on Android, follow these steps:

Open the Settings app on your Android device.
Tap on Storage. This is typically found near the bottom of the Settings menu.
Under Storage, tap Cached data to view the cached data for all apps on your device.

According to Power Music, you will see a list of apps and how much cached data each one is using. To clear the cache for a specific app like a music app:

Tap the app you want to clear the cache for.
Tap Clear cache.

This will clear the app’s cache while keeping other app data intact. You can also tap Clear data to also delete app data along with the cache.

Clearing your music app cache can free up storage space and also fix some app issues you may experience. Just remember it will log you out and remove some temporary app files.

Clear Cache in Spotify

To clear the cache in the Spotify app on your iPhone or Android device, follow these steps:

1. Open the Spotify app and tap on the “Settings” icon in the top right corner. This looks like three horizontal lines.

2. Scroll down and tap on “Storage”.

3. You will see the amount of storage Spotify is using. Tap on “Clear Cache” to delete that stored data.

According to this Groovy Post article, clearing the Spotify cache frees up used space and can improve playback issues in the app.

Some tips to prevent cache buildup in Spotify:

Exit Spotify completely when not using it

Limit downloads to music you always listen to offline
Delete downloaded songs you no longer need offline access to

Clear Cache in Apple Music

To clear the cache in Apple Music on an iPhone or iPad, follow these steps:

Open the Settings app
Tap General > iPhone/iPad Storage (may just say iPhone or iPad Storage)
Select Apple Music from the list of apps

Tap Offload App to temporarily remove the app while retaining your data and settings
Tap Reinstall App to reinstall Apple Music, which clears the cache

Clearing the Apple Music cache this way removes temporary data stored by the app that can build up over time and cause issues. This forces the app to start fresh while retaining your library, playlists, and account details. It’s a quick way to troubleshoot problems like slow loading, freezes, or crashes without losing your data.

As per this MakeUseOf article, going into the Settings for the Apple Music app specifically does not provide a Clear Cache option. The above method using iPhone/iPad Storage is currently the only way to clear cache data for Apple Music on iOS.

Clear Cache in YouTube Music

The YouTube Music app stores temporary data like songs, playlists, and settings in its cache to help load and play content faster. Over time, this cache can grow large and start causing issues like songs not playing properly or the app freezing.

Luckily clearing the YouTube Music cache is easy, especially on Android devices. Simply follow these steps:

Open your Android device’s Settings app
Tap Apps or Application Manager
Select YouTube Music

Tap Storage
Tap Clear Cache

This will wipe the temporary data stored by the YouTube Music app and often resolve problems with freezing, crashes, or media not playing correctly (source). Just keep in mind you may need to log back into the app and reload playlists.

You can also try clearing the cache and data for the main YouTube app as well if you continue experiencing issues in YouTube Music. Simply repeat the steps above but select the YouTube app instead.

Clear Cache in Other Apps

Many other music streaming apps allow you to clear cached data as well. The process is generally similar across apps, though the specific steps may vary.

To clear the cache in other music apps, first open the app’s settings. Look for an option like “Storage”, “Data Usage”, or “Cache”. Tap that option and you should see a button to clear the app’s cache.

For example, in Pandora, go to Settings > Storage > Clear Cache. In Amazon Music, go to Settings > Storage & Cache > Clear Cache.

If you don’t see a clear cache option, check if the app has a “Clear Data” option which clears cache along with app data. Clearing data resets the app to default, so you may have to log in again.

As a last resort, uninstall and reinstall the app, which completely deletes its cached data.

Remember to close the app from recent apps after clearing cache for the changes to take effect.

Preventing Cache Buildup

There are a few ways you can prevent your music app cache from getting too large and slow down your device:

Stream vs Download

Streaming music rather than downloading it for offline listening will help prevent cache buildup. Streamed songs are not stored locally on your device so they don’t take up storage space. Downloaded songs get cached and can build up over time.

Delete Old Files

Go through your music library and downloads periodically and delete songs or albums you no longer listen to. The more downloaded music you accumulate that you don’t actually listen to, the bigger your cache will grow. Do an audit of your music library every few months and remove anything you don’t need anymore.

Also go into your device storage settings and clear any cached or offline content from music apps that you want to remove. This will delete any downloaded songs that are just taking up space.