Apple Music Not Playing Songs? Solved!

🛠Fix 1. Check If Apple Music Is Down

Before diving into troubleshooting on your end, it's a good idea to check whether Apple Music's servers are down. If the Apple Music server is experiencing downtime, it can prevent songs from playing.

✨How to: Visit Apple's System Status page to verify if Apple Music is down.

🛠Fix 2. Check the Internet Connection

You can refer to the following steps to check your internet connection on your device. A stable internet connection to stream songs is necessary.

1. Check Your Internet Speed: You can run a speed test using services like Speedtest.net to ensure you have a strong internet connection.
2. Switch Networks: If you're using Wi-Fi, try switching to cellular data or vice versa.
3. Restart Your Router: If you're on Wi-Fi, restarting your router may help resolve any connectivity issues.
4. Try Airplane Mode: Toggle Airplane Mode on and off to reset network connections, especially if using mobile data.

🛠Fix 3. Check Your Apple Music Subscription

If there's an issue with your Apple Music subscription, you won't be able to access premium content, which could cause some songs to not play.

• On Mac/Windows: Open iTunes or the Apple Music app and go to Account > View My Account > Manage next to the Subscriptions section to check if your Apple Music subscription is active.



• On iOS/iPadOS: Open Settings > [Your Name] > Subscriptions > Apple Music to confirm your subscription status.

🛠Fix 4. Log out and Log in Your Apple Music Account

If you're still facing issues with Apple Music not playing, logging out and logging back into your Apple Music account can sometimes fix the problem.

• On iPhone/iPad: Go to Settings > Music > Sign Out, then sign back in.



• On Mac/PC: Open the Apple Music or iTunes app, go to Account > Sign Out, then sign in again.

🛠Fix 5. Force Close and Restart the Apple Music App

Sometimes, the Apple Music app might glitch, causing playback issues. Force-closing the app and restarting it can help clear any temporary files or cache that might be interfering with playback.

• On iPhone/iPad: Swipe up from the bottom of the screen (or double-click the Home button) and swipe the Apple Music app off the screen.



• On Android: Go to Settings > Applications > Music > Force Stop, then reopen the app.

🛠Fix 6. Update Your Device and Apple Music App

Outdated software can cause compatibility issues that prevent Apple Music from working properly. Make sure both your device and the Apple Music app are up to date.

• Update iOS/iPadOS: Go to Settings > General > Software Update and make sure your device is running the latest version of iOS or iPadOS. If not, update it to the latest one.



• Update macOS: Go to System Preferences > Software Update on macOS to update the version.



• Update Apple Music App: Ensure that the Apple Music app is up to date by checking for updates in the App Store or Google Play Store.

🛠Fix 7. Restart Your Device

If Apple Music still isn't playing songs after you've tried the previous steps, restarting your device can often resolve lingering issues.

• On iPhone/iPad: Hold down the Power button, then swipe to power off. Turn the device back on after a minute and test Apple Music again.



• On Android: Restart your device by holding down the power button and selecting Restart.

🛠Fix 8. Check Content Restrictions

If Apple Music is not playing certain songs, especially Apple Music explicit content, content restrictions on your iPhone or iPad might be causing the issue. In this case, you can simply turn off content restrictions to fix the problem.

• On iPhone/iPad: Go to Settings > Screen Time > Restrictions. Then toggle off the Content & Privacy Restrictions setting. Once this setting has been disabled, you should be able to play Apple Music songs on your iPhone or iPad as usual.

• On Mac Settings: Head to Apple menu > System Settings > System Preferences. Then tap on Screen Time and turn it on. And then hit on Options button > Content & Privacy and turn it off.

• On Windows/Mac via iTunes: Click Edit > Preferences > Restrictions. Then unlock the padlock icon on the screen. Next, head to tick the Music with explicit content box. And then lock the padlock and hit OK.

• On Alexa App: Go to Settings > Music & Podcasts > Explicit Language Filter and turn it off. Then try to play Apple Music to check if it works.

🛠Fix 9. Check for Regional Restrictions

Certain songs or playlists might not be available in your region due to licensing restrictions. Here are 2 ways to unlock the regional restrictions:

1. Change Your Region: Go to Settings > [Your Name] > Media & Purchases > View Account > Change Country or Region and check or update your region if necessary.



2. VPN: If you're using a VPN, try disconnecting it to see if that resolves the issue.

🛠Fix 10. Enable Sync Library (For Library Songs)

If you're having trouble playing songs from your library, make sure that the Sync Library option is enabled.

1. Go to Settings > Music and make sure Sync Library is turned on.
2. If you're having issues with songs not syncing, try toggling this option off and on again.

🛠Fix 11. Re-download Apple Music Songs

If specific downloaded songs are not playing on Apple Music, the files themselves may be corrupted. Re-downloading them can often resolve this issue.

• On iPhone/iPad/Android: Open the Music app on your device, then head to Library > Downloaded. Then locate the song that can't be played and hit on ... > Remove > Remove Download. When it is removed, then search for it and download it again in Apple Music.



• On Mac: Open the Music app, click on Songs or Albums from the sidebar. Then pick up View > Only Downloaded Music > Remove Download to delete downloaded Apple Music song. Once this is done, search for the deleted song in Apple Music and download Apple Music on Mac again.

🛠Fix 12. Check Device Storage and Optimize Storage Settings

If Apple Music is not playing downloaded music, it's possible that your device is running low on storage space. Insufficient storage can interfere with the downloading and playing of songs.

Check Available Storage:

• On iPhone/iPad: Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage (or iPad Storage) to check how much storage space is available on your device. If storage is low, try deleting unused apps, photos, or videos to free up space.

Optimize Storage Settings:

If your device storage is almost full, enabling Optimize Storage can help manage your downloaded content.

• Go to Settings > Music > Optimize Storage and turn it on. This will automatically delete older songs that you haven't played in a while to make room for new downloads.