Need to move songs from one iPad to another? This guide covers six practical methods. Whether you want to move purchased or non-purchased music, upgrade to a new iPad, or share songs with another device, you can choose the method that best fits your situation.
When you upgrade from an old iPad to a new one, transferring your favorite music is often just as important as moving photos, contacts, and other personal data. You may also want to share songs with another iPad without starting your music collection from scratch.
The right method depends on where your music comes from. Purchased songs, downloaded files, and music available through a streaming subscription can have different transfer requirements. In this guide, you'll learn how to transfer music from iPad to iPad using six different methods.
If you want to transfer music directly between iPads, AOMEI FoneBackup can help you move supported music files through a computer. It provides both iOS data transfer and backup functions, allowing you to first copy songs from the source iPad to the computer and then import them to the target iPad.
This approach is particularly useful when you have non-purchased songs that may not be restored through Apple's standard purchase-based methods.
I’ll show you how to transfer music to new iPad using AOMEI FoneBackup below:
Part 1. Transfer Music from iPad to Computer
Step 1. Connect the source iPad to your computer with a USB cable. Launch AOMEI FoneBackup and unlock the iPad. If prompted, enter your passcode and tap Trust to allow the computer to access the device.
Step 2. On the home interface, select Phone Transfer > iPhone to PC and click Get Started.
Step 3. Click the Music icon, select the songs you want to transfer, and click OK.
Step 4. Select a destination folder under Transfer Settings, then click Start Transfer to save the selected music to your computer.
Part 2. Transfer Music from Computer to the Target iPad
Step 1. Disconnect the source iPad and connect the target iPad to the computer. In AOMEI FoneBackup, select Phone Transfer > PC to iPhone > Get Started.
Step 2. Click the Music icon, then click the folder icon and browse to the music files you just saved to your computer and click Open.
Step 3. Click Start Transfer and wait until the process finishes. Click OK when prompted.
Step 4. Open the Music app on the target iPad to check the transferred content.
✍ Tip: If your goal is to move everything from an old iPad to a new iPad, rather than just selected songs, use Phone Transfer > iPhone to iPhone in AOMEI FoneBackup.
iTunes can be used to move music between an iPad and a computer. However, it is primarily designed around Apple's syncing and purchased-content ecosystem, so it may not be as flexible for transferring non-purchased music.
Another important consideration is that syncing music to the target iPad can replace its existing synced music depending on your configuration. If the target device already contains important songs, create a backup before proceeding. Learn how to transfer music between iPads with iTunes below:
Step 1. Download and install a compatible version of iTunes on your computer.
Step 2. Connect the source iPad to the computer and open iTunes.
Step 3. Select File > Devices > Transfer Purchases from [iPad name] to transfer eligible purchased content to the iTunes library.
Step 4. Disconnect the source iPad and connect the target iPad.
Step 5. Click the Device icon, open Music, and enable Sync Music.
Step 6. Select Entire music library or Selected playlists, artists, albums, and genres according to your needs. Finally, click Apply.
✍ Tip: You can also add individual songs to the connected iPad from the iTunes library by selecting a song and choosing Add to Device when the option is available.
AirDrop provides a convenient way to share supported content between nearby Apple devices. However, there is an important limitation when transferring music from the Apple Music app.
For many songs in your Music library, AirDrop shares a link or other share information rather than copying the actual song file to the receiving iPad. This means it isn't equivalent to transferring downloaded music files. If the song is available for sharing, you can try the following:
Step 1. Turn on Wi-Fi and Bluetooth on both iPads.
Step 2. Open Control Center, tap the AirDrop control, and choose Contacts Only or Everyone, depending on your settings.
Step 3. On the source iPad, open the Music app and find the song you want to share.
Step 4. Tap the More button and choose Share Song.
Step 5. Choose AirDrop from the sharing options and select the target iPad.
Step 6. Accept the AirDrop request on the target iPad.
✍ Tips:
If your music was purchased through Apple's iTunes Store, you may not need to transfer the actual files manually. You can download eligible purchased songs again on the new iPad using the Apple Account associated with those purchases.
This is one of the simplest ways to get purchased music onto a new iPad. Follow the instructions below to transfer music from iPad to iPad without computer:
Step 1. Open the iTunes Store app on the target iPad. Make sure you're signed in with the Apple Account used to purchase the music.
Step 2. Tap Purchased > Music. If you use Family Sharing, tap a family member to see their purchased music.
Step 3. Select Not on This iPad, then select the artist you’d like to download.
Step 4. Tap the Download icon next to the songs or albums you want.
Step 5. After the download is complete, you can listen to the purchased music on the new iPad.
✍ Tip: This method works best for music purchased through the iTunes Store. It does not provide a general solution for transferring music files obtained from other sources.
If you subscribe to Apple Music, you can use Sync Library to keep your music library available across devices signed in to the same Apple Account.
This is different from copying music files directly from one iPad to another. Instead, your Apple Music library is synchronized through Apple's service. Follow the steps below:
Step 1. On the target iPad, open the Apple Music app and tap the photo icon.
Step 2. Tap Account Settings and make sure that you're signed in with the same Apple Account that you use with your Apple Music subscription.
Step 3. Open Settings and select Music. Then turn on Sync Library.
Step 4. Open the Music app again and wait for your library to appear.
Step 5. Find the songs or albums you want to keep available offline and tap the Download button.
✍ Tip: Keep in mind that Sync Library is intended for synchronizing your Apple Music library, not for transferring arbitrary audio files stored on your iPad.
Email can be useful if you only need to share a small number of compatible audio files. It is not practical for transferring a large music library because email providers typically impose attachment size limits.
If the song is stored as an accessible file on your iPad, you can try sending it as an attachment. Learn how to share music between iPads using email below:
Step 1. On the source iPad, open the Mail app and tap Compose.
Step 2. Enter your own email address as the recipient.
Step 3. Use Add Attachment or the available file attachment option to select the audio file. Then tap Send.
Step 4. Open the email on the target iPad.
Step 5. Download the attachment using the available Save to Files or sharing option.
1. Can I transfer music from one iPad to another without a computer?
Yes, but the available options depend on the type of music. Purchased songs can generally be downloaded again using the appropriate Apple Account, while Apple Music subscribers can use Sync Library. AirDrop can also share supported content, but it does not generally copy Apple Music tracks as standalone audio files.
2. Can I transfer non-purchased music from one iPad to another?
Yes, if the music exists as transferable audio files, a tool such as AOMEI FoneBackup can provide a more direct way to move supported files through a computer.
3. Can I transfer my entire old iPad to a new iPad?
Yes. Instead of transferring songs individually, you can use a device-to-device migration feature such as AOMEI FoneBackup's iPhone to iPhone option to move supported data from the old iPad to the new one.
4. Why can't I transfer Apple Music songs directly?
Apple Music uses licensing and account-based access, so downloaded Apple Music tracks are not treated like ordinary audio files that can simply be copied from one iPad to another. Using Sync Library with the appropriate subscription and Apple Account is the intended way to access your Apple Music library across devices.
There are several ways to transfer music from iPad to iPad, but no single method works equally well for every type of music. Purchased songs can usually be downloaded again from the iTunes Store, while Apple Music subscribers can use Sync Library to access their library on another device.
For supported non-purchased music files, AOMEI FoneBackup provides a convenient way to move selected songs through a computer. It also gives you the option to transfer photos from computer to iPad. Why not give it a shot?