Because I love reading and supporting my neighborhood bookshop, I buy roughly one paperback each month.
But I also grab two or three ebooks every month, routinely purchase Amazon Season Passes for shows I like, and purchase music from services like Bandcamp.
Sound familiar?
That means there’s a fair amount of digital content on my laptop, phone and e-reader that’s, technically, mine — I paid for it and expect access whenever I want.
But I’m also conscious that this digital content could vanish at any moment.
You might recall when Amazon removed copies of George Orwell’s “1984” and “Animal Farm” from customers’ Kindles, despite having bought the digital editions. As The New York Times explained, Amazon pulled them because a third-party seller didn’t hold the rights to the texts.
More recently, Consumerist covered a case where a customer purchased a digital “double feature” of “How the Grinch Stole Christmas!” and “Horton Hears a Who” from Amazon. The retailer removed one of the films from the streaming package — then restored it after the story surfaced, and the buyer received a $10 credit.
Amazon isn’t alone in altering access to owned digital content. As BuzzFeed notes, multiple users have reported Apple Music consolidating or removing music files, meaning a carefully built music collection could disappear overnight.
So what steps can you take to safeguard the digital media you’ve purchased?
Begin by checking whether you’re allowed to make backup copies, then prepare to archive those files. Keep in mind: even if you save them, some files may only work with specific apps or programs.
Read the Service Agreements
If you plan to do this properly, start by reviewing the terms of service. It’s a helpful method to determine what digital items you truly own versus what you merely license.
For instance, the Amazon Video Terms of Use says: “You may download and store your own copy of Purchased Digital Content on a Compatible Device authorized for such download so that you can view that Purchased Digital Content if it becomes unavailable for further download or streaming from the Service.”
The Amazon Kindle Store Terms of Use, however, contains no comparable clause. Instead it clarifies, “Kindle Content is licensed, not sold, to you by the Content Provider.”
That wording means you don’t truly own it. You’re typically permitted only to “view, use, and display” the material, not necessarily to download it.
Apple Music’s Terms of Service notes: “You will not be able to access content stored in your iCloud Music Library when your Apple Music Subscription ends, but you can download songs that were previously acquired from the iTunes Store.”
Apple Music also cautions it may alter your music’s format and recommends backing up your music library before activating the service.
“Unidentified songs on your device will remain in local storage, and unidentified songs on your computer are uploaded to iCloud Music Library in the same format or a format determined by Apple. You should back up your Music Library before setting up your Apple Music Subscription or enabling iCloud Music Library.”
With that context, here’s how to create backups and alternative ways to preserve your digital media.
How to Begin Archiving Your Digital Media
When backing up a music library — or any other digital collection — you can use cloud services like Dropbox, but I recommend keeping duplicate copies on an external hard drive.Apple suggests this approach as well.
External drives aren’t free, so expect to spend about $50 for a USB-attached drive that plugs into your computer and stores your backups.
If you want to download videos bought via Amazon, you’ll need a “compatible device” — in other words, hardware that can run the Amazon Video app. Downloading through that app stores a copy you can watch with the app even when offline.
At this point you may wonder whether you can transfer those downloaded videos from the device to external storage.
For fifth-generation Kindle Fire users, Amazon provides directions for moving video downloads (and ebooks and other downloads) onto an external MicroSD card. MicroSD cards cost roughly$5-$40 (or more!)depending on capacity.
If you’re using other devices — like a smartphone or tablet — offloading files to external storage is trickier.
Some phones and e-readers let you hook the device up to a computer via USB and browse (and copy) the files stored on the device. My Kindle Paperwhite supports this feature, as did my old HTC Evo phone.
However, my iPhone 6 does not. Apple prefers you keep iPhone data synced and backed up with iCloud, which doesn’t permit direct access to certain kinds of digital media files — for instance, Amazon Video or Kindle files.
If you’re interested, IMore offers a comprehensive guide to using iCloud. There are also third-party “file manager” apps that claim to let you view, copy and archive files stored on Apple devices. I haven’t tried them myself and recommend using such apps cautiously.
Keep in mind that even when you download some files, restrictions may remain. A Kindle .azw document is readable only on a Kindle device or app, while Amazon video downloads are watchable only through the Amazon Video app.
I’ve faced situations where downloaded media stopped being accessible via its intended app. Even when you believe you “own” something, you might lose streaming or playback capability.
So, in short:
- Backup your iTunes library onto an external hard drive.
- If you own a Kindle Fire, move digital files to an external MicroSD card.
- Certain devices allow USB connection to a computer so you can copy files, then save them to an external drive.
- Third-party file manager apps exist, but proceed with caution when using them.
Also consider affordable options for offsite backups and redundancy, like cloud storage without going broke, which can complement your local backups.
Your Turn: Do you create backups of your digital purchases? What tips can you share to help others protect their digital collections?
Disclosure: Cheers to saving money! We use affiliate links in this post.
Emma Carter is a senior editor at The Ledger, and her writing has also appeared in The Toast, The Write Life, Boing Boing and Popular Science.
