iTunes Match Question - How long to downloaded songs stay on device?

[80s Fan]

I'm sure this must have been answered previously but I am unable to find it. Sorry if it has.

I'm using iTunes Match. If I download songs to my device, how long do they stay there? Do they stay permanently or some specified amount of time?

Also, it's pretty easy to download a specific playlist's group of songs but what is the best way to delete them? I'm fairly new to iTunes Match.

Thanks.

 

[zhenya]

Starting in iOS 6 downloaded songs are permanent. If you don't download the songs they are streamed, but recently listened ones are kept in a cache so that you don't eat up data re-downloading them over and over again.

Deleting songs is a bit convoluted though. My suggestion is to first turn off the Show All Music setting as this helps speed things up. Then turn off iTunes Match. Now you will be able to delete songs as you would expect by swiping on them. When you are done, turn match back on then turn on Show All Music.

 

[80s Fan]

Thank you very much. That is exactly what I was looking for. Really appreciate you taking the time to answer.

The download thing seems kind of awkward though I am not sure how they would offer a better solution. If you download songs because you're not going to have net access, and then are in that same situation a month later and keep doing this, pretty soon, you'd have no room left on your phone, which is one of the reasons you sign up for Match, right? I'll use your solution to delete 'em all when I'm done.