How to Get Apple Music on Linux Online and Offline

Part 1. How to Play Apple Music on Linux via Apple Music Web Player [Easy Way]

To use Apple Music in Linux, the most straightforward and easiest way is through the Apple Music web player. It is an official, safe and reliable method to enjoy Apple Music on your Linux system. Besides, you don't need to install the Apple Music app on your desktop. By using this way, you can access Apple Music library online via web browser like Chrome, FireFox, etc. directly and easily. Now, follow the steps below to begin streaming.

Step 1. Open the web browser on your Linux desktop, then visit Apple Music Web Player.

Step 2. Locate the 'Sign In' button at the top-right corner and click on it to sign in with your Apple account.

Step 3. Later, the Apple Music web player will load and automatically detect your location. But you can switch country/region at the bottom bar to access the music library.

Once logged in, you can browse and start to play Apple Music on Linux directly.

View also: Apple Music Web Player [Hot Review]

Pros:

1. Easy and direct to access Apple Music on Linux officially

2. No need to download Apple Music app on Linux

Cons:

1. No Lossless Audio and Hi-Res Lossless Audio, only stream music in standard AAC format

2. No Spatial Audio or Dolby Atmos feature

3. Can't download Apple Music for offline playback

4. Need to connect to internet network

Part 2. How to Listen to Apple Music on Linux Offline via USB Drive

If you want to play Apple Music on Linux offline with high quality, then you can try this tool - AudFree Apple Music Converter. It is a powerful software to help users remove all limitations from Apple Music files. Also, it can convert Apple Music to multiple audio formats, including MP3, FLAC, AIFF, WAV, M4A and more for use on Linux and other devices via USB drive.

AudFree Apple Music Converter is also intelligent enough to save all original ID3 tag information like artist, year, genre, and album art of Apple Music tracks. Besides, it can run fast and supports batch conversions. Moreover, even after you cancel your Apple Music subscription, you can still get Apple Music free forever on your Linux.

How to Convert Apple Music for Linux

To get Apple Music for Linux for offline playback, please follow the steps below. Before starting, please make sure you have installed AudFree Apple Music Converter on a Windows or Mac computer.

Step 1. Import Apple Music to AudFree

Start AudFree Apple Music Converter and log in to your Apple Music account in the built-in Apple Music web player. Then locate the song you like in the library and tap on it. Next, press the big + button at the right of the screen and tap 'Add to list' to import Apple Music songs for converting.

Step 2.Define output format for Apple Music Linux

Hit the Menu icon > Preferences to open the settings window. In the new window, choose the Conversion section at the left side. Then you can directly set output audio format as MP3, FLAC, WAV, etc. for Linux. Besides, you can alter other audio parameters, including channel, bit rate, and sample rate to customize your Apple Music songs.

View also:

How to Convert Apple Music to MP3

How to Convert Apple Music to AIFF

How to Convert Apple Music to FLAC

Step 3.Download and Convert Apple Music for Linux

Simply click the Convert button in the Converting window, then AudFree Apple Music Converter will start to download Apple Music at 17X speed. Later, you can locate the downloaded Apple Music files on your computer by clicking on the Converted icon > Open Folder icon.

How to Transfer and Play Apple Music on Linux Offline

Now, it is time to move the converted Apple Music files to USB drive for playing on your Linux computer. Here are the steps.

Step 1. Insert the USB drive into the USB port on your Windows or Mac computer.

Step 2. Locate the local Apple Music files and drag them to your USB drive.

Step 3. Disconnect the USB drive from your computer and put it into your Linux device.

Step 4. Launch the music player like Rhythmbox, VLC Media Player, etc. on your Linux and import the Apple Music files into its library from the USB drive.

After that, you can start to enjoy Apple Music on Linux offline without the Apple Music app.

View also: How to Transfer Apple Music to USB Drive

Pros:

1. Support Apple Music offline playback on Linux

2. Output Lossless, FLAC and more formats of Apple Music files

3. No need to download and install Apple Music app on your device

4. Keep Apple Music songs forever

Cons:

1. Doesn't work on Android, iOS and Linux operating systems

2. Not a direct way to stream Apple Music on Linux

3. Not free

Part 3. How to Get Apple Music on Linux via Unofficial Desktop Clients

"Can I download Apple Music on Linux?" If you want to get the Apple Music client for Linux to enjoy more features, then you can get help from some third-party desktop clients. These tools can wrap the Apple Music web backend in a dedicated desktop shell and let you access full features of Apple Music. Here we introduce Ciber and take it as an example to show you how to play Apple Music on Linux.

Cider is an open-source tool that can bridge the gap between the Apple Music web player and a native application experience. Compared with web player, Cider offers a beautiful screen, better performance and crucial desktop features. You can access Last.fm scrobbling, equalizer, system notifications, customizations and so on. Besides, it supports to stream Apple Music on Linux at higher quality than the standard web player.

Step 1. Download and install Flatpak on your Linux desktop and configure the Flathub repository.

FYI: How to Set up Flatpak

Step 2. Open your terminal, then run the following command to install Cider from Flathub:

flatpak install flathub app.cider.Cider

Step 3. Find and start Cider from your application menu. Later, you will be prompted to sign in with your Apple ID.

Now, you can use Apple Music on Linux via the app. The experience is much smoother than in a browser and integrates beautifully with your desktop.

Pros:

1. Supports Spatial Audio and other Apple Music features

2. Works like a native Apple Music app

3. Supports to run in the background

Cons:

1. Need an active Apple Music subscription

2. Sometimes crashes with Apple's updates

3. A little bit complex to operate for some users

4. No offline playback

View also: How to Listen to Apple Music Offline

Tips: Besides Cider, there are alternatives that can help you get Apple Music app for Linux. They include AMWeb, VirtualBox, WINE, and Snap Store.

Part 4. Compare Three Ways to Use Apple Music on Linux

That's all the methods we introduced to you to use Apple Music in Linux. To help you pick up the way, here is a detailed comparison table below.

Features\Methods	Apple Music Web Player	Cider	AudFree Apple Music Converter + USB
Setup	Easy	Complex	Medium
Audio Quality	Standard AAC quality	High quality	Lossless
Offline Playback	❌	❌	✔
Desktop Integration	Minimal (Browser dependent)	Excellent (Native media keys, notifications)	N/A
How It Works	Streaming music	Enhanced streaming	Converting, downloading & importing
Best for	Simple, official and secure access	A feature-rich, integrated 'app-like' experience	Users wanting permanent, DRM-free Apple Music for offline use

Part 5. FAQs about Apple Music on Linux

Q1: Can I Get Lossless or Hi-Res Lossless Audio on Linux?

A: Yes, you can. You can use AudFree Apple Music Converter for Windows or Mac to get Hi-Res Lossless Apple Music files. Then you can transfer and play music on Linux losslessly.

Q2: Why Can't I Login to My Apple Music Account on Linux via Cider or Web Player?

A: Mostly, it is likely related to Two-Factor Authentication (2FA). Please ensure you correctly enter the code sent to your trusted Apple device. If you use Cider or other third-party clients, you may need to generate an app-specific password in your Apple ID account settings.

Q3: Can Apple Music Work on Linux?

A: You can only use Apple Music web player on Linux. Or, you can use Cider or AudFree Apple Music Converter to help use Apple Music on Linux.

Q4: Can I Download Apple Music on Linux for Offline Playback?

A: No, you can't. Neither the Apple Music web player nor third-party clients like Cider support to download music for offline use. If you want to play Apple Music in Linux offline, the only method is to use AudFree Apple Music Converter on Windows or Mac to download music offline and transfer them to your Linux computer.

Q5: Why Can't I Play Apple Music in the Linux Web Browser?

A: It may be due to incorrect audio settings, browser issues, missing codecs or else. You can try to alter the browser's volume and verify the correct audio output device is selected. Also, try to clear the browser's cache and cookies as well as disable extensions. Besides, you can enable DRM support in your browser and try a different web browser.

View also: How to Fix Apple Music Not Playing Songs

Part 6. In Conclusion

After reading the post, now, you can go ahead to choose the right method to enjoy Apple Music on Linux according to your needs.

If you want an easy way, choose the Apple Music Web Player and it requires zero installation.

If you prefer the Apple Music app interface and features, using Cider is the perfect choice. It provides the integrated app experience that Apple won't, complete with media keys, notifications, and better performance.

For those who prefer offline playback and permanent local files, the AudFree Apple Music Converter method is your only option. But it is not a direct way to play Apple Music on Linux. You need to convert Apple Music files locally first and then transfer them to your Linux computer for playback via USB drive.

While we wait for an official solution that may never arrive, these methods can help you access your Apple Music library on Linux.

Bonus Tips: Besides AudFree Apple Music Converter, another tool named AudFree Streaming Audio Recorder can also help you get Apple Music for Linux losslessly.