How to add music files to an iPhone without iTunes

To listen to your own music on an iPhone, put the audio somewhere the phone can access, then add it to a player. Choose a folder workflow for an album collection or share individual files. This guide covers local audio files, not extracting a streaming service’s protected downloads.

1. iCloud Drive (easiest, needs iCloud space)

Copy the album folder to iCloud Drive on your computer. Open Files on the iPhone and let the actual audio files download. Where available, use Keep Downloaded. Add the folder from the MP95 library and check more than one song.

A cloud icon or visible filename is not proof that the entire recording is stored locally. Test playback with Wi-Fi and cellular data disconnected before a trip.

2. A cable and Finder (fastest for big collections)

1. Connect the iPhone to a Mac. It appears in the Finder sidebar.
2. Open it, go to the Files tab, and find MP95.
3. Drag your folders in. They copy at cable speed.
4. In MP95, the app folder is already in the library. Pull to refresh if it does not show the new albums.

On Windows, the same tab exists in the Apple Devices app.

3. AirDrop (a few albums at a time)

Select the files on the Mac, share with AirDrop, choose the phone, and when asked which app to open them in, pick MP95. They land in the app folder.

4. A USB drive (no computer needed after the first time)

Plug a USB-C drive into the phone. It appears in the Files app as a location. Either add the drive's folder directly in MP95 (it plays from the drive while connected) or copy the folder to On My iPhone in Files and add that.

Songs you already bought in the Music app

Use Import from Music for compatible, accessible items in the device’s music library. In the inspected iOS implementation, MP95 first tries to open an item directly; if that fails, it may export a local M4A copy. Protected or inaccessible items can be skipped. Do not assume every import is a lossless copy or that every item is editable.

MP95 does not extract Apple Music subscription downloads. Other apps can offer authorised service integrations: Apple’s MusicKit is one example. That is different from gaining unrestricted audio files.

Formats

MP3, FLAC, ALAC, AAC (M4A), WAV, AIFF and CAF. A lossless source does not guarantee an unprocessed output route. Album art embedded in the files, or a cover image in the folder, is picked up automatically. See how to play FLAC on iPhone.

For the next step, see how to play music already in Files, use a USB music drive, or build an offline playlist. Moving from another phone? Follow the Android-to-iPhone music guide.

Removing a folder

Library → Folders → swipe the folder. Only its tracks leave the library; playlists and favourites for everything else stay where they were.