iTunes: How to Check Which Songs Are DRM Protected

If you are trying to use a device like an Android phone with your iTunes music, there exists a challenge with compatibility. Some of the songs may be protected with DRM and cannot be played on any device other than an iOS device unless you remove the DRM out of the file. For those of us that can’t afford to do that or aren’t savvy enough to do it illegally, you might just want to simply learn which music files are protected and which aren’t. Here’s how you can tell.

Note: This tutorial is based on iTunes 12.4.

1. Open iTunes.
2. Select “View” > “Column Browser” > “Show View Options“.
3. Select the “Show Columns” drop-down menu.
4. Select “File” > “Kind“.
   
5.  Now you should now have a column named “View“. Each song will have something in this field. If it shows as “Protected AAC audio file“, the file is protected with DRM and most likely, can’t be played on devices not made by Apple. If it shows as “MPEG audio file“, “Purchased AAC Audio File” or pretty much anything else, the file is not protected with DRM and can be played freely on any device that supports the format.