Is it safe to delete Music media folder?

Songs, music videos and other files in your Music library, including music you imported and songs you downloaded.

Review first

It's your own data, or hard to recreate. Decide item by item.

~/Music/Music/{Media,Media.localized}

~/Music/iTunes/{iTunes Media,iTunes Music}

What it is

The Music app keeps the files in your library here: songs you imported from CDs or other files, purchases you downloaded, and Apple Music songs you downloaded to play offline. Finder shows the folder as Media, and libraries that came from iTunes may still use the iTunes Media folder. Purchases and Apple Music songs can be downloaded again, but music you imported may exist only here. Removing files here directly leaves songs in your library that Music can't find.

If it's removed

Songs whose downloads you remove play only when you're online. Imported songs you move to the Trash are gone once it's emptied, unless you have another copy. With Sync Library on, songs you delete from your library are removed on your other devices too.

What to do instead

In Music, click the More button next to a downloaded song or album, then choose Remove Download; it stays in your library to stream. To delete a song you imported, select it, press Delete, then choose Move to Trash.

FREE

The free analyzer finds it and explains it, with these steps. The app doesn't remove it for you.

Sources

Last checked on 26 Sep 2026. Every entry is written and checked by hand; the app and the command-line tool use the same words.