Can You Gift a Song on iTunes? How to Send Music

Yes, you can gift a song on iTunes, but the process has a few specific rules and depends heavily on the device you are using. While music streaming services like Apple Music make sharing playlists easy, buying and gifting a permanent digital track through the iTunes Store is still fully supported.

How to Gift a Song

The method for sending a song gift depends on whether you are using a computer or a mobile device:

• From a Mac or Windows PC: Open the Apple Music app (or iTunes on older Windows systems), head to the iTunes Store tab, and search for the song you want to buy. Click the arrow icon next to the song’s price and select Gift This Song.
• From an iPhone or iPad: If you try to use the iTunes Store app on an iOS device, Apple typically only allows you to gift full albums rather than individual tracks. If you want to gift a single track directly from a mobile device, you are generally limited to gifting an Apple Gift Card instead, which the recipient can use to buy the song themselves.

Once you select the song on a computer, you will be prompted to enter the recipient’s email address, write a personal message, and choose a delivery date.

Important Rules to Keep in Mind

• Region Matching: The person receiving your gift must have an Apple Account registered in the same country or region as yours. For example, if your account is based in the United States, you cannot send a song to a friend whose account is based in the UK.
• Payment Methods: You must have a valid payment method (like a credit card) linked to your account to purchase a gift. You cannot use your existing Apple Account store credit balance to buy gifts.
• Family Sharing Restriction: If you use Family Sharing and have “Ask to Buy” turned on for your account, you won’t be able to purchase gifts.

Alternative: Apple Gift Cards

If you run into regional snags, want to gift a single song from your phone, or aren’t entirely sure if they already own the track, sending a digital Apple Gift Card via email is a seamless alternative. Your recipient can redeem the credit to their account balance and use it toward the song, an album, or even an Apple Music subscription.