iTunes Store: About authorization and deauthorization

Summary

Learn how to authorize or deauthorize your computer with your Apple ID.

Products Affected

iTunes, iTunes Store

Authorizing and deauthorizing a computer allows you to manage which computers can sync or use apps, audiobooks, books, music, movies, or other content you've purchased from the iTunes Store.

You can use or sync your purchases from the iTunes Store on up to five different computers (these can be any mix of Macintosh or Windows-compatible computers). When you sync or play an item you've purchased, your computer is "authorized" for purchase using your Apple ID.

Notes:

In order to enable Home Sharing, Automatic Downloads, or downloading of past purchases, your computer must be authorized for use with your Apple ID.
Songs you encode in AAC format from a source other than the iTunes Store, such as your own audio CDs, and iTunes Plus content (music and music videos) do not need to be authorized.

To authorize a computer using your Apple ID

Open iTunes
From the Store menu, choose Authorize This Computer. (In earlier versions of iTunes, access this option from the Advanced menu).
When prompted, enter your Apple ID and password, then click Authorize.

To deauthorize a computer

Open iTunes.
From the Store menu, choose Deauthorize This Computer. (In earlier versions of iTunes, access this option from the Advanced menu).
When prompted, enter your Apple ID and password, then click Deauthorize.

Remember to deauthorize your computer before you sell it, give it away, or get your computer serviced. Also, make sure you deauthorize your computer before you upgrade your RAM, hard disk or other system components, or reinstall Windows. If you do not deauthorize your computer before you upgrade these components, one computer may use multiple authorizations.

To deauthorize all computers associated with your Apple ID

If you need to authorize your new computer and are unable due to already having five authorized computers, you can deauthorize all computers by doing the following:

Click iTunes Store on the left side of iTunes.
If you're not signed in to the store, click the Account button, then enter your account name and password.
Click the Account button again (your Apple ID appears on the button), enter your password, and then click View Account.
In the Account Information window, click Deauthorize All.

Note: You may only use this feature once per year. The Deauthorize All button will not appear if you have fewer than two authorized computers. If you need assistance on using this feature, please contact iTunes Store support via email (http://www.apple.com/support/itunes/store/).

Additional Information

iTunes DRM-protected music includes audio with a bit rate of 128 kbps and allows users to transfer songs and videos to up to five computers, burn seven copies of the same playlist to CD, and sync to an unlimited number of iPods.
iTunes Plus music refers to songs and music videos available in 256 kbps AAC encoding (twice the current bit rate of 128 kbps), and without digital rights management (DRM). There are no burn limits and iTunes Plus music will play on all iPods, Mac or Windows computers, Apple TVs, and many other digital music players.
You may need to enter your Apple ID information again after initializing or formatting your hard disk. Initializing or formatting the hard disk does not remove the computer from the list of authorized computers. If you plan to initialize or format your hard disk prior to selling or donating your computer, deauthorize the computer first, then initialize or format the hard disk.
Under some circumstances you may be required to enter your Apple ID information again, but this should not use up multiple authorizations. If you think that you may have used up multiple authorizations on just one computer, see One computer using multiple iTunes Store authorizations.
The iTunes Store is governed by its Terms of Service, which permits Apple to change the authorization policy.
An Apple ID based on an expired MobileMe account can still be used to purchase items and to authorize or deauthorize computers to play purchased music.

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