Apple Music Not Playing? Here Are 13 Solutions to Try
Apple Music, a widely-used music streaming platform, boasts a vast global subscriber base. Users can enjoy seamless music streaming with its extensive collection of over 19 million songs. Nevertheless, there may arise instances where playing music on Apple Music becomes problematic. However, this could occur due to iOS updates or corrupted music files. Furthermore, when confronted with such a situation, an error message might appear stating, “Can’t open: This content is not authorized.”
Moreover, to resolve this issue, troubleshooting steps should be undertaken to identify the underlying cause. In such cases, to resolve this issue, troubleshooting steps should be undertaken to identify the underlying cause. Presented below are methods to address the problem of Apple Music not playing.
1. Check the Internet Connection
Resolving Internet Connection Issues: When you encounter difficulties playing your Apple Music playlist, one of the primary culprits is often related to your internet connection. If you encounter a weak signal, it may often serve as the underlying issue.
To address this problem, you can attempt the following steps for troubleshooting:
- Toggle Airplane Mode briefly, waiting a few seconds before disabling it again.
- Check your device’s Wi-Fi signal strength indicator to ensure a strong connection.
- Check if Apple Music has cellular data access by following these steps:
a. Access the Settings menu on your iPhone.
b. Locate and tap on “Music.”
c. Select the “Cellular Data” option.
d. Confirm whether the “Cellular Data” and “Streaming” toggles are enabled.
By ensuring that these settings are correctly configured, you can effectively address potential internet connection issues and enhance your Apple Music playback experience.
2. Check the Validity and Region Verification
Check your subscription validity and supported region to ensure uninterrupted service on Apple Music. You won’t have access to music if your subscription is invalid or canceled. Also, verify that your region is supported to avoid any limitations.
To renew your Apple Music subscription, follow these steps:
For iOS:
- Open Settings.
- Tap on your profile picture.
- Select “Subscriptions.”
- Choose Apple Music and renew your subscription.
For Android:
- Open the Apple Music app.
- Tap on the profile picture (or the three vertical dots).
- Select “Settings.”
- Tap on “Manage Membership.”
- Choose the preferred subscription plan.
3. Re-sign in With Apple ID
To resolve the problem, try performing the following steps to sign out and sign back in with your Apple ID. This will facilitate the re-syncing of your device with the iTunes library.
For iOS:
- Access the Settings app.
- Tap on your username to initiate the sign-out process.
- Confirm the sign-out action by providing your Apple ID password.
- Return to Settings and select the sign-in option.
- Enter your login credentials to sign back in.
For Android:
- Launch the Apple Music app.
- Navigate to the Account Settings section.
- Choose the sign-out option.
- Proceed to re-login by entering your login details.
4. Restart the App
To resolve Apple Music issues, restart the app by following these steps based on your device’s OS:
For iOS:
- Swipe right to open the App Switcher.
- Swipe on the Apple Music app.
- Restart the app by going to the App Library or Home Screen.
For Android:
- Go to Settings.
- Select “Apps.”
- Tap on “Apple Music.”
- Press the “Force Stop” button.
- Reopen Apple Music by clicking on its icon.
5. Update the App If Apple Music is Not Playing
Keep your Apple Music app and iOS version up to date to benefit from new features and avoid obsolescence. Regular updates also help in resolving issues.
Ensure the Apple Music app and iOS are always on the latest version. Update them easily with these steps:
- Go to your phone’s Settings.
- Find and select the software update option. This will update your iOS.
- Depending on your device, you can visit the App Store or Google Play Store to update the Apple Music app.
Stay updated by regularly checking for new updates to enjoy the best experience with Apple Music.
6. Restart Your Device
To resolve the issue, reboot your phone instead of restarting the app. Follow these steps:
For iOS:
- Simultaneously press and hold the Volume Down and Side buttons.
- Wait until the Power off slider appears.
- Slide the slider to the right to power off your iPhone.
- Long press the side button again to restart your iPhone.
For Android:
- Long press the power button.
- Wait for the Reboot option to appear.
- Select Reboot to initiate the process.
7. Check If Other Songs Can Play
If you are experiencing difficulties with a particular song in Apple Music, you can follow these steps to troubleshoot the issue:
- First, test if you can play other songs from your library. If they play without any problems, move on to the next step.
- Attempt to re-download the troublesome song to see if that resolves the issue.
- Remember that Apple Music only supports songs in the MPEG-4 AAC format. Make sure that the song you are trying to play is in a compatible format.
- If the problem persists, continue reading for more troubleshooting suggestions.
8. Check Your Subscription If Apple Music is Not Playing
To proceed, verify your Apple Music subscription status by:
- Accessing the “Settings” app on your iPhone.
- Locate and tap on your name, which can be found prominently displayed within the Settings menu.
- Scroll down and select “iTunes & App Store.”
- Tap on your Apple ID, triggering the appearance of a pop-up window.
- From the options presented, choose “Subscriptions.”
- Finally, carefully review the list of subscriptions to determine the active status of your Apple Music Membership.
Ensuring that Apple Music Membership is identified as an active subscription within the dedicated Subscriptions section is crucial.
9. Turn On the Sync Library
To verify the status of the Sync Library and Show Apple Music options on your device, please adhere to the following steps:
- Navigate to the “Settings” menu and select “Music.”
- Ensure that both the Sync Library and Show Apple Music options are enabled.
- If these options are enabled, proceed by disabling them and re-enabling them.
By meticulously following these steps, you can ascertain the current activation status of the Sync Library and Show Apple Music options on your device. If these options are already enabled, temporarily disabling and re-enabling them can resolve any underlying issues.
10. Enable iCloud Music Library
Should you encounter difficulties with Apple Music functionality on your device, it is imperative to verify the status of the iCloud Music Library. To proceed with this verification, please adhere to the subsequent instructions:
- Access the “Settings” menu and navigate to the “Music” section.
- Thoroughly examine whether the “iCloud Music Library” option is currently enabled.
- If the aforementioned option is enabled, proceed by temporarily disabling it, then re-enabling it.
By diligently adhering to these prescribed steps, you can ensure the appropriate configuration of the iCloud Music Library, thereby potentially resolving any persistent issues of Apple Music functionality on your device.
11. Clear the Data If Apple Music is Not Playing
When utilizing Apple Music on a web browser, the accumulation of cached data can occasionally decrease application performance. To illustrate this process, let’s take Safari as an example. Follow the outlined steps below to rectify the situation:
- Open the “Settings” menu on your device.
- Navigate to the “Safari” section.
- Tap on the “Clear History and Website Data” option.
By diligently adhering to these steps, you can mitigate potential slowdowns caused by excess stored data in the Safari browser while using Apple Music.
12. Change to iTunes
If the previous workaround for podcasts did not resolve the issue, you could attempt the same method within iTunes. Launch iTunes on your PC or Mac and play an explicit podcast or song. A pop-up notification regarding playing explicit content will appear.
Click “Agree,” and the song should begin playing. Subsequently, return to Apple Music on your phone and verify if the problem has been resolved.
13. Contact Apple Support If Apple Music is Not Playing
If none of the aforementioned methods yield satisfactory results, it is prudent to refrain from further troubleshooting attempts, as these may inadvertently exacerbate the situation. Instead, contacting Apple support via the official website for expert assistance is highly advisable.
By contacting Apple support directly and clearly articulating the problem, you can avail yourself of their dedicated assistance. Apple’s support team is readily available and committed to addressing and resolving any challenges you may face.
Exclusive Summary
The Apple Music app is a fantastic choice for music enthusiasts, offering an extensive library of songs. If you encounter issues, you can try the aforementioned troubleshooting methods. These tricks are easy to perform and require minimal effort. Additionally, you can explore another platform like Tidal, which we have reviewed as an alternative to Apple Music for a while.
