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Level 1

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iTunes

I can't listen to iTunes purchases from 2007, 2008, 2009. I've been dealing with Apple support for hours yesterday and today. What I'm told is that since these purchases were from an old email/Apple ID, I need that email/ID to access the music. But, that email is deactivated and I can't reactivate it. Apples response: Well, you can repurchase all the music I've already purchased. How should that make me feel about Apple?

The people I have communicated with also tell me they cannot access my old without my old email/ID and password and they can't access my info from MY NAME. To Apple, I am not a person. I am an ID.

Anyone else deal with this? Maybe I should join Spotify.

Posted on Feb 7, 2022 7:01 PM

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Answer 1

Top-ranking reply

turingtest2

Level 10

274,470 points

Feb 8, 2022 6:34 AM in response to Keenwell

If you remember the email address and password that was associated with the old account you should be able to authorize your computer to play those purchases. Ideally you'd have burned the tracks off to audio CD and ripped back at the time to give yourself DRM free (albeit lowish quality) copies. I still have a few of these in my library. Apple stopped selling DRM hobbled music in 2009, but video content retains it. Losing track of the access codes to encrypted content is one of drawbacks of it. There is a system called account recovery - How to use account recovery when you can’t reset your Apple ID password - Apple Support - which is designed to help you regain control of an account you're locked out of, but I think it relies on you being able to access the relevant email address. When you do have control of an Apple ID you are able to assign a new email address to it. It could be worse. At one time Windows Media Player used to add DRM to music you ripped from your own CDs and made it almost impossible to unlock them on a new computer.

Either Spotify or Apple Music would let you access pretty much any music you want for a regular subscription.

tt2

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Answer 2

Keenwell Author

Level 1

4 points

Feb 8, 2022 6:53 AM in response to Keenwell

Thanks for the response. This is helpful. Unfortunately, I can't access or reactivate the old email.

While it's frustrating to think that I've lost possibly $1000+ in purchases, I am more upset or perplexed that Apple says they can't access my old account. I don't find this believable and this makes me disinclined to give Apple more of my money going forward.

Thanks again.

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