Apple Music Common Problems and Universal Troubleshooting Tips

Apple Music is Apple's streaming music service that comparable to Spotify, Amazon Music Unlimited, YouTube Music, Tidal, and others. Subscribers get unlimited access to over 100 million songs and 30,000 expert-curated playlists. With the vast library and a great recommendation engine, Apple Music does a fantastic job of helping you to discover new music. Its innovative audio technology Dolby Atmos envelops you in an immersive listening experience.

Apple Music doesn't offer a free ad-supported plan, you need to pay for the service. With an active subscription, you can stream ad-free music on all supported devices and download 100,000 songs to your library.

While Apple Music offers a premium listening experience, technical issues can arise. In the following sections, we'll list common problems and provide effective troubleshooting tips.

Part 1. 10 Common Apple Music Problems You May Encounter

#1 Apple Music Not Working On iPhone

If Apple Music doesn't work properly on your iPhone, try these troubleshooting steps:

Check your internet connection.
Restart the Apple Music app.
Sign out of your Apple ID (Settings > [your name] > Sign Out), restart the iPhone, and sign back in.
Toggle Sync Library off and back on in Settings > Music.
Redownload the song if it won't play offline.

#2 Apple Music Not Working On Android

If Apple Music isn't playing songs on your Android device, clearing the app's cache can help. A cache is temporary data that speeds up app loading. Clearing it can often fix app performance problems.

Here is how to clear the Apple Music cache on Android:

Go to Settings on your Android phone or tablet.
Tap "Apps" or "Applications" and find Apple Music from the list.
Select "Storage" and tap "Clear Cache."
Restart your device to give it a fresh start.

#3 Apple Music Not Downloading Songs

Unable to download songs on Apple Music? Two common reasons are a weak internet connection or insufficient device storage. Make sure you have a stable internet connection and enough space on your phone or tablet. If the issue persists, try the general troubleshooting steps in part 2.

#4 Apple Music Keep Crashing

Sometimes, you may experience freezing or crashing issues with the Apple Music app. Try these quick fixes:

Restart the Apple Music app.
Restart your device.
Sign out and back into your Apple ID.
Update the Apple Music app to the latest version.

#5 Songs grayed out

Some songs or albums might be grayed out because they're not currently available in Apple Music. Artists and content providers might change or remove music from the Apple Music catalog. If you don't want to lose your favorite songs, learn how to download Apple Music songs to MP3 for backup.

#6 Apple Music Playlists Disappeared

Some users have reported missing playlists when transferring to a new phone. This issue may also happen when you renew your Apple Music subscription or switch Apple ID on your device. To fix it, make sure you are using the same Apple ID on all devices and try turning Sync Library off and on again.

On your iPhone/iPad

Go to Settings > Music.
Toggle the "Sync Library" off.
Wait for a minute or two, then turn the "Sync Library" back on.

On your Mac

From the menu bar of Apple Music, choose Music > Preferences.
Go to the "General" tab and check "Sync Library".

On your Windows

Open iTunes. From the menu bar at the top of your screen, choose Edit > Preferences.
Go to the "General" tab and select "iCloud Music Library" to turn it on.

#7 The Deleted Song/Playlist Keeps Reappearing

If you access your Apple Music library on multiple devices, songs deleted from your library are still available from iCloud, so you can play or download them anytime. If you can't delete a song, check if it's in a live updating Smart Playlist.

To prevent deleted song/playlist from reappearing:

Delete the song or playlist.
Turn off the "Sync Library" on ALL devices.
Turn the "Sync Library" back on.

#8 Apple Music Family Sharing Not Working

Some Apple Music Family plan subscribers have reported issues accessing Apple Music after setting up Family Sharing.

Keep in mind that each family member has their own music library with an Apple Music Family plan. You can't access another family member's music or playlists.

However, if a family member can't access Apple Music, try these steps:

Check the Family Sharing setup and ensure all family members are correctly added and have accepted the invitation.
Have the affected family member sign out of their Apple ID on their device and then sign back in.
Remove the family member from the Family Sharing group and then re-add them.

#9 Apple Music Using Too Much Cellular Data

Apple Music offers an immersive listening experience with Spatial Audio and Dolby Atmos, but streaming this high-quality audio can use more cellular data. To reduce data usage:

Turn off Animated Art: Go to Settings > Music > Animated Art and select "Wi-Fi Only" or "Off."
Lower Audio Quality: Go to Settings > Music > Audio Quality > Cellular Streaming and choose "High Efficiency."
Download Music: Download songs for offline playback and turn off "Cellular Data" for Music in Settings > Music.

However, too many downloads will gradually eat up your device's storage space. Learn how to download Apple Music to your MP3 player.

#10 Can’t Use Apple Music on New iPhone or iPad

If you restore your new iPhone or iPad from a backup, you might not be able to access the Apple Music catalog, Apple Music settings, or Sync Library on your new device. This issue affects only these devices: iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13 Pro, iPhone 13 Pro Max, iPad (9th generation), iPad mini (6th generation). To resolve this, update your new iPhone or iPad.

Go to Settings > General.
Tap Software Update.
Tap Install Now.
Wait for the update to finish.

Part 2. 10 Universal Apple Music Troubleshooting Tips

When encountering problems with Apple Music, these general tips can often solve common issues. Let's get you back to enjoying your music.

1. Check your Apple ID

Make sure you're using the right Apple ID for your Apple Music. Your Apple ID is the key to accessing all Apple services. If you're not sure which Apple ID you used, follow these steps to check and sign in with the correct one:

iPhone and iPad: Go to Settings, your Apple ID is at the top. If you haven't signed in, tap Sign in to your [device] and enter your Apple ID and password.
Android: Open the Apple Music app, and go to Account to find your Apple ID at the bottom under "Sign Out".
Mac: Go to Apple menu > System Preferences/Settings. You can see the Apple ID on the left.
Windows: Open iTunes and check your Apple ID under Account.

If you're using the wrong Apple ID, sign out and sign in with the correct one.

2. Make Sure Your Apple Music Subscription Is Active

It might sound obvious, but checking your subscription status is a crucial first step if Apple Music isn't working. Your subscription could have expired or been canceled accidentally.

Here's how to check your subscription status:

iPhone/iPad/iPod touch: Go to Settings > Your Name > Subscriptions.
Android: Open the Apple Music app, tap the three dots, go to Account > Manage Subscription.
Mac: Open the Music app, go to Account > Account Settings, sign in with your Apple ID, then click Manage next to Subscriptions.
Windows: Open iTunes, go to Account > View My Account, sign in, then click Manage next to Subscriptions.

3. Check Wi-Fi & Cellular

To stream songs from Apple Music, your device has to be connected to Wi-Fi or Cellular Data.

On your phone or tablet, go to Settings > Wi-Fi, then turn on Wi-Fi. If your iPhone connects to your carrierʼs cellular data network, go to Settings > Cellular. Verify that Cellular Data is turned on.

On your Mac or Windows computer, click the Wi-Fi icon ( or ) in the menu bar. If Wi-Fi is off, choose "Turn Wi-Fi on." Select a nearby Wi-Fi network from the list.

4. Close and Reopen The Music/iTunes App

Many Apple Music issues can be resolved by a simple fix: closing and reopening the Music or iTunes app. It's a quick way to clear up minor software glitches that might be causing problems.

5. Delete & reinstall/update Apple Music app

If restarting the Music or iTunes app doesn't solve the problem, try reinstalling the app. If there is a new version available, updating the app to the latest version can often fix underlying issues. You can go to the app store on your device to check for any update.

6. Restart Your device

After reinstalling the Apple Music/iTunes app, it's a good idea to also restart your device. This can help clear up any lingering software issues and give your device system a fresh start.

7. Turn on Sync Library

Sync Library lets you access your Apple Music library across all your devices. If you're having issues with missing or reappearing songs/playlists, or other problems related to the Apple Music library, try turning Sync Library off and back on.

iPhone and iPad: Go to Settings > Music and toggle Sync Library off. Wait for a minute or two and turn it back on.
Android: Sync Library is automatic. Make sure you're using the same Apple ID on all devices.
Mac: Go to Music > Preferences/Settings, select the General tab, and check the box next to Sync Library to turn it on.
Windows: Open iTunes, go to Edit > Preferences, select the General tab, and select iCloud Music Library.

8. Free up space on your device

Freeing up space can improve Apple Music performance and downloads. Check your storage by going to Settings > General > Storage. You'll see recommendations for optimizing storage and a list of apps and their storage usage.

9. Check Apple Music Servers

If you're having trouble accessing Apple Music, it might be due to server issues. Check Apple's System Status page or a service like Downdetector to see if there are any reported outages.

10. Use a Professional Apple Music Downloader

Tired of Apple Music troubles? Downloading Apple Music songs as local files can offer a more stable listening experience. Consider using a professional downloader like Ondesoft Apple Music Converter for this purpose.

Ondesoft Apple Music Converter transforms Apple Music and iTunes songs into high-quality MP3, AAC, WAV, FLAC, M4A, or AIFF files without sacrificing sound quality. It's exceptionally fast, converting music up to ten times quicker than comparable software. This tool integrates seamlessly with the Apple Music web player, allowing you to batch convert playlists or albums without needing the Apple Music app. Learn how to effortlessly download Apple Music as MP3 and enjoy your music freely with this comprehensive guide.

Ondesoft Apple Music Converter Features

Download Apple Music to mp3 and play them anywhere you want.
Download any Apple Music songs, albums and playlists to MP3, M4A, AAC, FLAC, WAV and AIFF.
Fast download speed with all metadata.
Built-in Apple Music player.

Try It Free

1. Download and Launch Apple Music Converter

Download, install and launch Ondesoft Apple Music Converter on your Mac or Windows.

Click the Sign in button and enter your Apple ID.

2. Change output format(optional)

The default output format is lossless M4A. Ondesoft Apple Music Converter also supports converting Apple Music to MP3, AAC, FLAC, WAV and AIFF. You can also customize output file name with any combination of title, artist, album, playlist index and track ID.

3. Select music

Search for the song, playlist, or album you want to convert. Then click the Add Songs button.

4. Start Conversion

By default, all songs in the playlist/album will be added. Uncheck the boxes next to songs that you don't want if there is any. Then click the Convert button to start downloading songs to the format you choose.

After conversion, click the Folder icon to quickly locate the downloaded songs. Now you can enjoy the songs offline on any supported device.

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