Remove Music, Podcasts and TV Downloads on Mac
Songs saved for a flight, podcast episodes you have not played and downloaded films are worth checking before deleting a media folder. Start inside Music, Podcasts and TV, choose one download you no longer need offline, and check what changes before removing more.
Separate Downloads From Your Library
Apple's Music removal instructions distinguish removing a download from deleting an item from the library. For an Apple Music catalog track, removing the download leaves the library entry available for online playback.
| Content | First place to inspect | Decision to make |
|---|---|---|
| Music downloads | The song or album in Music | Remove the local download or keep it offline |
| Podcast episodes | Downloaded in Podcasts | Remove individual episodes and review future downloads |
| TV downloads | The item in the TV library | Remove the downloaded film or episode |
| Imported audio or home videos | Your original files and their backup | Preserve anything you cannot replace |
Do not apply a streaming-download procedure to your only copy of an imported recording. Decide whether you can obtain the content again before accepting the removal.
Remove a Music Download Without Deleting the Song
In Music, select Songs or Albums, open the item's More menu and choose Remove Download. Start with one downloaded item you do not need offline, following the Mac steps in Apple's removal instructions above.
Do not choose Delete from Library just to reduce local storage. With Sync Library enabled, that deletion also affects your other devices, including the item's place in playlists.
Afterward, check that the song is still in the library and can play online. If you need it offline again, download it again while you still have access to it and a connection. Do not assume that a catalog item will remain available indefinitely.
Apple explicitly says Apple Music is not a backup service. Preserve a separate backup of imported music before changing a library, even when library synchronization is working.
Find the Music Location Without Moving the Library
Open Music › Settings › Files and read the media location. Apple's Files settings guide documents that setting and the option to copy imported files into the media folder.
Record the configured location rather than assuming every Mac uses the same folder. Reading it is enough for this check. Changing a location or moving a library is a separate task, not a substitute for removing selected downloads.
Keep your original recordings and any backup separate from the list of downloads you intend to remove.
Limit Podcast Downloads at the Source
In Podcasts, select Downloaded, select a show, then open an episode's More menu and choose Remove Download. Apple's Mac download guide also covers removing a show's downloads or all downloaded episodes.
Test one episode first. Removing its saved status is a different action, and Apple notes that unsaving a downloaded episode does not remove its download.
For future episodes, open Podcasts › Settings › General and review automatic downloads. You can turn them off or choose how many episodes to keep. Check Download When Saving too if saving episodes is adding downloads you did not expect.
Use the Downloaded view to locate episodes for removal, rather than deleting an undocumented container folder. Record the old download preference so you can restore it if you miss the previous behavior.
Remove TV Downloads Through TV
Open the TV library, find a downloaded film or episode, open its More menu and choose Remove Download. Apple's TV library guide documents this Mac operation.
The same guide describes automatic downloads under TV › Settings › General. If downloads return, check those options before deleting more files, and record the previous setting before changing it.
Keep imported home-video originals out of this removal pass. Before relying on a future download, check that the title is still available to your account. Removing a local copy is a poor trade when you need it on a trip before you can download it again.
Check the Result and Keep Recovery Possible
After each change, confirm that the selected download is gone and the library still contains what you intended to keep. Test one remaining offline item before removing another batch.
If a download comes back, check that app's automatic-download settings. Restore the preference you recorded if the new behavior is inconvenient, then download only the items you still need and can access.
Do not rely on an app's download removal leaving a recoverable copy in the Trash. Keep irreplaceable originals backed up before removal, not after discovering that a title is unavailable.
Spotify has different cache and download controls, covered in clear Spotify cache on Mac. If media is only part of the disk usage, continue with finding large folders with a treemap.
Where Mole Fits
Mole Mac's Clean scanner includes a Podcasts cache entry at ~/Library/Caches/com.apple.podcasts. That is a cache entry, not a list of downloaded episodes to choose from.
Use Music, Podcasts and TV themselves to remove the downloads discussed here. Mole's Clean catalog does not provide a song, episode or film download manager for these apps.
FAQ
Does Remove Download Delete Music From Other Devices?
Apple distinguishes this from Delete from Library. Remove Download removes the copy on this Mac, while deleting from a synchronized library can affect the other devices too.
Why Are Podcasts Still Taking Space After I Unsave Them?
Unsaving does not remove an already downloaded episode. Check Downloaded, remove the download there and review the automatic-download preference.
Can I Always Download Removed Media Again?
Do not assume so. Check your access and the content's availability before removal, and keep independent backups of imported originals that cannot be replaced.