Music in your iTunes library on Windows 10 is already stored as files on your PC, usually in Music > iTunes > iTunes Media > Music. To copy it somewhere else, right-click any song in iTunes and choose Show in Windows Explorer, then copy the folders you want. If the songs are on your iPhone or only in your purchase history, the steps below show how to get them onto the computer first.
Microsoft ended Windows 10 support on October 14, 2025, so a PC without Extended Security Updates no longer receives security fixes; that program runs until October 12, 2027.
Before you start: iTunes or Apple Music?
Apple now offers separate Apple Music and Apple Devices apps for Windows. Once you install Apple Music, iTunes can only be used for podcasts and audiobooks, and your music library opens in the Apple Music app instead. Both apps keep the files in your Music folder. Steps for each are below. Don’t have iTunes yet? Downloading iTunes covers getting it. Apple Devices is also where your iPhone backups are listed, and its Manage Backups window is the starting point to view iPhone backup files on Windows 10.
Method 1: Find and copy the music files
In iTunes
- Open iTunes and select Music from the drop-down at the top-left, then Songs in the sidebar.
- Right-click any song and choose Show in Windows Explorer. File Explorer opens the album folder.
- Go up two levels to the Music folder inside iTunes Media. Each artist has a folder, with an album folder inside.
- Select the folders you want, press Ctrl + C, open the destination (another folder, USB drive or external disk) and press Ctrl + V.
The default path is C:\Users\YourName\Music\iTunes\iTunes Media\Music.
In the Apple Music app
Select Songs, click the More button (three dots) next to a song and choose Show in Explorer. The default location is Music\Apple Music in your user folder. If Show in Explorer is missing, the song is only in your cloud library and hasn’t been downloaded. To use a different folder, follow Apple’s steps for changing where music files are stored on Windows.
Method 2: Gather everything in one folder first
If you added music from different folders over the years, the files may be scattered. iTunes can copy them all into iTunes Media:
- In iTunes, go to File > Library > Organize Library.
- Check Consolidate files and click OK.
iTunes copies every song into the iTunes Media folder and leaves the originals where they were. Make sure you have enough free space, since this can double the space your music uses.
Method 3: Move songs from your iPhone to the PC
If the music is on your iPhone but not on the computer, iTunes can copy your purchased songs back:
- Connect the iPhone with a USB cable and tap Trust on the phone if asked.
- In iTunes, go to File > Devices > Transfer Purchases from your iPhone.
- Wait for the transfer to finish. The songs appear in your library and in the iTunes Media folder.
Apple’s apps only copy purchased music from an iPhone. Songs you ripped from CDs or added from elsewhere can’t be copied back this way.
Method 4: Re-download your purchases
Music you bought from the iTunes Store can be downloaded again at no cost, as long as it’s still available in the store.
- In iTunes, go to Account > Purchased and sign in with your Apple Account.
- Click Music, then Not in My Library.
- Click the download icon on an album or song.
What you can and can’t copy
| Type of music | File type | Can you copy and play it elsewhere? |
|---|---|---|
| Songs imported from CDs | .mp3 or .m4a | Yes |
| iTunes Store purchases | .m4a (AAC) | Yes. Purchases are DRM-free. |
| Apple Music subscription downloads | .m4p | No. They play only in Apple apps while you subscribe. |
Convert songs to MP3
If another player doesn’t support .m4a files, convert them in iTunes. Go to Edit > Preferences > General > Import Settings, set Import Using to MP3 Encoder and click OK. Then select the songs and choose File > Convert > Create MP3 Version. iTunes keeps both copies. Any MP3 songs that show up with the wrong title or artist can be fixed by editing the MP3 tags in File Explorer.
Move your whole library to a new PC
- Close iTunes.
- Copy the entire Music\iTunes folder (not just iTunes Media) to an external drive. It includes the library file with your playlists, ratings and play counts.
- On the new PC, install iTunes but don’t open it, then paste the iTunes folder into the new Music folder, replacing the empty one.
- Open iTunes. Your library and playlists appear as before.
Troubleshooting
Show in Windows Explorer is greyed out
The song is in the cloud, not on your PC. Click the cloud icon to download it first.
A song shows an exclamation mark
iTunes can’t find the file because it was moved or deleted. Click the song, choose Locate and point iTunes to the file, or remove it and add it again with File > Add File to Library.
Frequently asked questions
Will copying the files remove them from iTunes?
No. Copying leaves the originals in place. Only move or delete files in iTunes Media if you’re sure you don’t need them in iTunes.
Can I play the copied files in Windows Media Player?
Yes, for .mp3 and DRM-free .m4a files. Media Player in Windows 10 plays both.
Summary
- Right-click a song in iTunes and choose Show in Windows Explorer.
- Copy the artist folders from iTunes Media to where you want them.
- Use Consolidate files to gather scattered songs first.
- Use Transfer Purchases or Account > Purchased for songs not yet on the PC.
Related: how to listen to Apple Music on Windows and how to delete an iTunes backup to free up space.
Matt Jacobs writes and maintains the guides on Support Your Tech, which he started in 2017. He spent most of his career keeping small-business PCs running and still takes the occasional consulting job, so the steps here come from fixing the same problems on other people’s computers. Every guide is checked on his own Windows 11, Windows 10, Mac, iPhone and iPad before it goes up.