In general, many years ago when Apple removed DRM from most of their catalog, the accepted procedure that worked for me was to delete the old file, and download a fresh (and non-DRM) version from Apple.

Do you have that ability, or is the music in question no longer on Apple Music?

The protected tracks are from my oldies playlist. I can see by right-clicking the song >>>Song Info exactly when each song was purchased...many if not all of the songs were purchased in 2006 when I got my first computer and played around with itunes.

Since I already purchased these songs once, can I download them again from itunes (unprotected versions, of course)without paying for them again?

I do not have a subscription to Apple Music and do not want one.  I do have SiriusXM.

If they were originally purchased from Apple, yes. If you purchased them elsewhere, and are just using iTunes (Music) or Sonos to play them, no.

Hi @cranneberry2,

I sent you this information in a DM regarding another topic, but I’ll post here for full visibility as it may help other users:

In the past, iTunes purchased music was copy-protected using a form of Digital Rights Management (DRM) called FairPlay, and was not playable on non-Apple devices, including Sonos.

Apple no longer sells DRM protected music, and all music now for sale is free of any playback restrictions. If you still have some tracks that are DRM protected and unplayable on Sonos, iTunes Match allows you to upgrade your music to a DRM-free version. More information on iTunes Match and instructions on upgrading to DRM-free can be found on Apple’s website.