Yes, You Can Download All of Your iTunes Purchases Again - 141,289 Views, 30 Comments

Summary: What's a person to do when their hard drive crashes, and they lose all of the songs that they purchased from iTunes? There is no option to redownload all of your iTunes purchases offered through either iTunes or the Apple website. However, while you may get chastised for not backing up your iTunes library (which you will do from now on, right?), it is possible to redownload iTunes songs again, and restore your iTunes library to its pre-crash state.
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What’s a person to do when their hard drive crashes, and they lose all of the songs that they purchased from iTunes? There is no option to re-download all of your iTunes purchases offered through either iTunes or the Apple website. However, while you may get chastised for not backing up your iTunes library (which you will do from now on, right?), it is possible to redownload all of your iTunes songs purchased through iTunes again, and restore your iTunes purchases.

First, it’s important to understand that Apple has a policy of not letting people download iTunes music purchases more than once per purchase, and that undoubtedly has to do with royalties that they have to pay on each download. So you get to download the song that you purchase through iTunes exactly once.

And Apple strongly urges you (and rightly so) to backup your iTunes library (and of course you should always make a regular backup of all of your data).

But, shift happens, and what can you do if, somehow, you lose your only copies of the songs that you have downloaded through iTunes?

Well, as it happens, Apple isn’t heartless, and they do have a way for you to recover those songs that you purchased and downloaded through iTunes.

But first, you have to make absolutely sure that you don’t have any copies, anywhere.

Once you are really sure that those iTunes songs are gone, you can fill out a form at the Apple site, and explain your situation, and, as likely as not, they will very quickly flip a switch on your iTunes account, so that the next time you log into the iTunes store with the iTunes program, you’ll find that your iTunes selections are ready for you to download again.

Just don’t abuse it, and for goodness sakes, backup your hard drive!

Here’s the link:

Form to request to download iTunes purchases again

And while you’re waiting for your iTunes, check out the newest iPod Nano, with the built-in video camera and FM radio! Sweet! Only $139 from Amazon, and no tax or shipping!

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30 Comments »

I’m done with itunes my music disappeared two times already the first time they let me recover my music now that it happened again they didnt let me.!

Comment by Anthony — 1/29/2008 @ 10:39 am
Thanks for the form. I will certainly give it a try. I had buying another USB stick on my list of things to do as my last one was full when my computer crashed. I backed up everything earlier this year, but not for the past five months. Naughty, naughty, I know, but it’ll be every month from now on.

Comment by jd — 11/23/2008 @ 10:39 am
I called tech support and they directed me to this form. The iPod was a birthday gift, and I was given a Visa debit card with a $50 limit I used to set up my iTunes account on my brothers computer (who lives 2000 miles away). I bought 5 Albums on iTunes while I was away on vacation for my birthday. I got home, downloaded iTunes and it synced with my computer at home which of course none of the songs were on. It’s been over a week and I’ve still not heard back from Apple about this other than the ubiquitous auto-reply form they send when you fill that out. Apparently, I got to enjoy those 5 albums for a total of 2 days before they were removed from my iPod when I returned home.

Comment by g-man — 7/8/2009 @ 8:34 am
Does Apple tell people why they won’t let you do it or are we guessing? I know they let you redownload apps free.

Comment by Richard — 9/10/2009 @ 1:57 pm
I Will try.

Comment by JohnnyCaraveo — 9/19/2009 @ 8:01 am
@g-man - It’s always been an unwritten rule that you can copy to, but never copy from an iPod. You should have burned your music to a disc or copied it to a flash drive as well as putting it on your iPod. Luckily, there’s always the email or file transfer solution to get the music from over at your brother’s place (if he hasn’t deleted it yet).

@anthony - Chances are that your music is still there, but iTunes software does get stupid from time to time and you have to delete your database files.

Comment by Bill — 11/3/2009 @ 10:49 am
The link doesn’t go to a form anywhere, and I can’t find the form. Perhaps they don’t allow this for anyone anymore.

Comment by Todd — 11/20/2009 @ 7:34 am
Can you update the link or help me get the form i lost over 200 dollars in movies and music for the first time.

Comment by jovanni — 11/25/2009 @ 12:02 am
Apple no longer allows you to restore your ITunes library. They have a new policy that states that buying a song only lets you download that song once. If you want to download it again, you have to purchase it again. Here is the link http://support.apple.com/kb/HT1469

I think thats huge load of crap!!! I only lost about $50 worth of music, but if someone loses their backup like I did, and the original, its their right to download it once more since Apple can still provide the original AND they have a copy of all of your past purchases.

Comment by Emily — 12/5/2009 @ 6:22 pm
I’m switching to the Zune and the zune pass…never lose music again.

Comment by Clifford — 12/10/2009 @ 7:58 pm
you know if i had a cd i could copy it over and over but if i download it from i tunes and my laptop get jacked ur shit out of luck with thousands of dollars worth of media. i say bullshit i dont care if they have to pay for every download renegotiate the contact and give use r music you commy bastards

Comment by andrew — 12/18/2009 @ 4:26 am
if you have to redownload an app and you have already bought it, then you will have to go to the app store and then press buy now, then after that you just have to wait until it downloads again :) i lost $30 worth and then i just found it out and im getting them back as we speak

Comment by Julio — 12/20/2009 @ 7:40 pm
i know this is completly off subject but do yall know if apple can track where the purchase came from? lik if it was on a computer or an ipod touck?

Comment by steve — 12/23/2009 @ 6:08 pm
You used to be able to download again didn’t you? I’m pretty sure you could on 2 or 3 computers, this makes me far less likely to buy off iTunes now, I’m far too lax in backing up.

Comment by Ruth — 12/31/2009 @ 10:58 am
@g-man. there should have been an option to transfer purchases to your computer before you sync’d your ipod. also, there is a program called Diskaid that allows ipod touch and iphone users to transfer all contents from their devices to their computers (older ipods have disk mode). This allows for users who say buy a new laptop or computer, and transfer all 100% of their content to the new system. look up diskaid ipod to computer transfer on youtube

Comment by iKid — 1/3/2010 @ 8:40 pm
My cousin reinstalled vista without me knowing and I lost about $1500in music, movies, apps, OMG The ironing thing was that that day i was going to backup all files but i was too late

Comment by David — 1/15/2010 @ 12:56 pm
Itunes is screwing me. Even if I wanted to pay to redownload my $1000 plus in music, I can’t. They block it and say its already been purchased. But if that’s the case then why can’t I just have my fuckin music back. Its shady buisness ethics for sure

Comment by griff — 1/18/2010 @ 7:34 pm
I upgraded to Apple’s Snow Leopard OS and because of a bug (which they fixed a few weeks too late) I lost all of my data of which hadn’t been backed up in almost a year. Went to the Apple store and they basically said screw you, that’s your problem that our OS had the bug… the guy said go home and try and re-install your purchases. I guess they really do hire ‘geniuses’ to work there… they don’t even know their own iTunes policy. All these tech companies are the same… Apple’s crap is no better than Microsoft’s.

Comment by Thomas — 1/24/2010 @ 9:38 pm
They DID let me off the hook two times, however, the third time they did not and resulted in probably a $2000 loss. I know of other music downloading sites that will give you the option to re-download songs.

So, iTunes, you have lost yet another customer!

Comment by Jeff — 1/25/2010 @ 1:02 pm
OMG!!! Thanks so much!! I almost had a heart attack! I lost ALL my stuff! Thanks SO SO SO MUCH!!

Comment by Aqwer — 2/3/2010 @ 4:13 pm
This is just simply not true! Apple very clearly states their “one download” policy on albums or songs on the Apple Support page.

Comment by Leslie — 2/4/2010 @ 7:27 am
@Jeff - You lost all your music twice!, and still didn’t have a backup system in place?! You should not be buying media online, anywhere. I feel a little sorry for whoever you purchase from next.

Comment by Dave — 2/4/2010 @ 8:30 am
Just like the guy earlier said they block the songs you’ve purchased anyway so you cant even go back and buy them again…BS.

Comment by Mark S. — 2/6/2010 @ 3:12 pm
I managed to lose my iTunes movie folder by restoring corrupt backup. Apple let me re-download my Movie purchases again, once I had explained what an arse I had been… Thanks Apple.

Comment by Herbie — 2/15/2010 @ 11:46 am
Alrite So To People With The Music ON THEIR IPOD. there is something called sharepod, it lets you grab music off your ipod onto your computer. have fun!

Comment by Matt. — 2/15/2010 @ 8:35 pm
Tbh all this talk about backing up is annoying, I mean it does help if you do it, it is great but Itunes being such a high profile system should have something in place for peoples who hard drives go wrong, Itunes should not expect people to back up their music, its Itunes for gods sake!

Comment by shaun — 3/1/2010 @ 11:38 am
Guys… this is why people download music for free. Much less hassle. Purchasing something that you cannot see once is questionable but if you SOMEHOW LOSE IT. And you’re forced to purchase it again. That is entirely unacceptable. RIAA has sided with Apple because Apple wanted to somehow get in on this dying business model. And they did. Good riddance to both.

Comment by Adam — 3/9/2010 @ 9:03 am
I had a similar problem but instead of my songs, i lost my money! i had five dollars something left on my account, and then my pc was wiped. I had backed up all my songs but i lost me money! is there a way to get it back?

Comment by Cat_girl — 3/16/2010 @ 11:11 pm
Wow, seriously? I’m just going to pirate my stuff from now on. Good job guys!

Comment by Chris — 3/18/2010 @ 3:09 pm
Of course. Pirating is the wave of the decade. I get screwed no more.

Comment by Rob — 3/20/2010 @ 5:58 pm

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