Luma Storage, backup & a new iPhone
Settings & data, updated
Luma has no server and no cloud. Your library exists only on your device, and in the backup iOS makes of your device. Here's what that means in practice.
Where the music lives
During the import, Luma copies every file into its own protected area of the app. You can't see that area in the Files app, and it's independent of the originals you imported from. How much space it takes is shown in Settings › Library & Storage › Storage Used.
iCloud Backup
Luma is backed up with your device together with your music, playlists, likes and statistics, just like any other app. When you restore an iPhone from that backup, everything is back.
Large collections make the iCloud Backup large. To leave Luma out:
- Open the iOS Settingsand tap your name at the top.
- iCloud › iCloud BackupAll apps are listed there with their backup size.
- Turn off LumaYour music is then no longer backed up to iCloud.
Without a backup, your library only exists on the device. Keep the original files somewhere else, such as on your computer or in iCloud Drive, and back up playlists, collections, likes and stats with the Luma Data backup.
A backup by cable on a Mac or PC (Finder or the Apple Devices app) always includes Luma in full.
Your own backup as a folder
Independently of the device backup, Settings › Library & Storage › Export Library copies every song with its covers and playlists into a folder of your choice, such as a USB stick. Luma also writes the file Luma Daten.json with playlists, collections, likes and stats, as long as you have at least one playlist. To back up this data without the music, use Settings › Library & Storage › Backup › Export Data. What exactly is in which backup is listed in Export and backup: What's included?
Moving to a new iPhone
- Restore from a backup (iCloud, computer or Quick Start from iPhone to iPhone): Luma comes along with music, playlists, likes and statistics. Nothing else to do.
- Setting up without a backup: import your music again, for example from a library export, and then read in your Luma Data backup. Playlists, collections, likes and stats are back. Without this file, likes and statistics start from zero.
Careful when deleting the app
If you delete Luma from your iPhone, iOS also deletes the imported music, playlists, likes and statistics. If you only want to reinstall Luma, export your data under Backup first and make sure you still have the music files somewhere else.
The iOS feature Offload App (Settings › General › iPhone Storage), on the other hand, keeps all data and music. Once the app is downloaded again, everything is back.
Freeing up space
- Delete the originals: if you imported music from “On My iPhone” or “Downloads”, the files are on the device twice. You can delete the originals after the import. Luma empties the “Luma” folder in the Files app by itself after importing.
- Delete single albums or songs: touch and hold, then Delete Album or Delete Track.
- Delete everything: Settings › Library & Storage › Delete All Tracks removes the entire library. This can't be undone.
Lossless formats like FLAC need about three to five times the space of MP3 or AAC. On an iPhone with little storage, it can make sense to create an AAC copy of your collection on your computer for listening on the go. How to do that, and how much space each format needs, is covered on the blog in Organising a music library.
Still have a question or found a mistake? Email hello@suenavus.com.