Apple Music is Apple’s music streaming service that gives you access to over 75 million songs ad-free. It comes installed on every iPhone, iPad, Apple Watch, and Mac. So if you own an Apple device, you should have no trouble accessing Apple Music.
But sometimes issues come up that prevent you from using Apple Music on your Mac. The most common reasons include:
You don’t have an active Apple Music subscription
To use Apple Music, you need an active subscription. An Apple Music subscription costs $9.99 per month for an individual plan or $14.99 per month for a family plan (up to 6 users). If you haven’t subscribed or your subscription has expired, you won’t be able to use Apple Music.
To check your subscription status, open the App Store app on your Mac and select your profile in the lower left. On your Account Information page, you’ll see your Current Subscriptions. If Apple Music is listed with an expiration date, your subscription is active. If not, you’ll need to subscribe to use Apple Music.
Your Mac isn’t signed in to your Apple ID
To access your Apple Music subscription on a Mac, you need to sign in with your Apple ID that is associated with your Apple Music membership. If your Mac is currently signed in to a different Apple ID without an Apple Music subscription, you won’t see your music library.
To check which Apple ID is signed in, go to System Preferences > Apple ID. Make sure it displays the Apple ID you used to subscribe to Apple Music. If not, click Sign Out and then sign in with the correct Apple ID.
You have Family Sharing enabled
If you use Family Sharing to share songs, movies, apps, etc. with your family members, it can cause issues accessing Apple Music. The Apple Music subscription gets shared with everyone in your Family Sharing group.
So if the family member that manages the group’s subscription has an expired or inactive membership, no one will be able to use Apple Music. Make sure the family organizer’s Apple Music subscription is active.
You have synchronization with iTunes disabled
Your Mac’s music library relies on iTunes to sync playlists and other content from Apple Music. If synchronization is disabled, your Apple Music content won’t display properly on your Mac.
To enable syncing, open iTunes and go to Preferences. Click the Syncing tab, ensure “Sync with this [device] over Wi-Fi” is checked for Music, and click Apply.
Your Mac isn’t authorized to play music
If your Mac isn’t authorized, you won’t be able to play Apple Music songs or access your iCloud Music library. You may see an “authorize this computer” prompt when you try to play music.
To authorize your Mac, open iTunes, go to Account > Authorizations > Authorize This Computer. Sign in with your Apple ID and password. This will authorize your Mac and grant access your purchased content.
You have two iTunes libraries
Another potential roadblock is having more than one iTunes library on your Mac. Your Apple Music songs may be in a different library than the one iTunes is currently using. This splinters your music across libraries.
Check for multiple libraries by holding the Option key and opening iTunes. If you see a Choose Library button, you have more than one library. Consolidate your music into one before accessing Apple Music.
You don’t have the latest version of macOS and iTunes
Using the latest software is key to accessing Apple Music. If you’re running an outdated OS or iTunes version, it can cause incompatibility issues.
Make sure your Mac is updated to the latest macOS. And upgrade to the newest iTunes version through the App Store. This will give you the proper framework for Apple Music.
Your system files or settings are damaged
Corrupted system files, invalid permissions, misconfigured settings, etc. can all prevent Apple Music from working properly. Resetting your Mac’s NVRAM and SMC can help resolve these types of problems.
Resetting NVRAM will clear any invalid settings and refresh your Mac’s memory. To reset NVRAM on Macs with Apple silicon, press and hold the power button, then press and hold Command + R until you see the startup screen. For Intel Macs, hold Command + Option + P + R during reboot.
Resetting SMC will restart your Mac’s system management controller. This controls things like power and hardware interfacing. To reset SMC, press and hold the power button for 10 seconds to forcefully power it down. Then turn it back on.
One of the Apple Music files is damaged
Issues with a core Apple Music file can hamper functionality. Deleting a file like iTunesLibrary.itl or iTunes Library.xml and letting iTunes recreate it can resolve this.
To delete the files, hold Option while starting iTunes, choose Open Media Folder, then move the files to the Trash. Restart iTunes – this will generate new working versions of the files.
An OS update failed
A failed macOS update can sometimes leave behind problems that affect apps like Apple Music. It’s best to restart the update process to fix any issues.
First, restart your Mac in Recovery mode by holding Command + R on reboot. Then reinstall the latest macOS version – this will perform a clean install without deleting your data. Once finished, your Apple Music access should be restored.
There are Internet connection issues
Since Apple Music relies on streaming from Apple’s servers, you need a stable Internet connection. Connection problems like a faulty router, ISP outage, poor Wi-Fi signal, etc. can all block access.
Make sure you don’t have any issues with your router, modem, or ISP. Try moving your Mac closer to the Wi-Fi router, disabling other devices using bandwidth, or use wired Ethernet instead of Wi-Fi.
Apple’s servers are down
Extremely rarely, Apple’s servers go down for maintenance or from an outage. When this happens, all of Apple’s online services become unavailable, including Apple Music.
You can check Apple’s system status page to see any service disruptions. All you can do is wait until Apple resolves the server problem to regain Apple Music access.
Your Mac’s clock settings are incorrect
If your Mac’s date and time settings are inaccurate, it can prevent Apple Music from working properly. Make sure Settings > General > Date & Time display the right date, time, and time zone.
If the time is wrong, enable “Set date and time automatically” to sync with Apple’s NTP server. If that doesn’t work, manually set the correct time.
There’s a problem with your speakers or sound output
You may be able to launch Apple Music but have no sound when playing songs. This usually means the music is working fine, but your Mac’s audio output has an issue.
Check your speakers or headphones – try different ones if possible. Reconnect or re-pair Bluetooth devices. Use System Preferences > Sound to switch between audio outputs.
Apple Music hasn’t finished syncing your library
When you first set up Apple Music on a new device, it can take hours or even days to fully sync your personal library. If it’s still syncing, you may be missing songs, playlists, or other content.
Check the iTunes status bar at the top – if you see “Syncing” or “Updating iCloud Music Library”, let the sync finish before you expect to access all your music.
You have Apple Music content restrictions enabled
The Restrictions system preferences allow you to limit access to certain content types, like explicit songs. If you have restrictions blocking Apple Music, you may not see much of your music library.
Check System Preferences > Restrictions > Music and verify you don’t have “Music with Explicit Content” disabled or other limitation activated.
Some of your local music files are damaged
If you added your own local music files to your Apple Music collection, any corrupted, missing, or unplayable tracks could interfere with Apple Music. Deleting and re-adding any problem audio files may help.
You can also use iTunes > File > Library > Validate Library to check for errors. iTunes will automatically fix any issues found.
Siri is restricting access to explicit content
If you ask Siri to play explicit music, it may refuse even if you have enabled access on your account. This is because Siri filters out explicit content by default.
Use Settings > Siri & Search and turn off “Filter Explicit Content” under Media. Now Siri will play any song on Apple Music when asked.
Your Mac has malicious software or adware
In rare cases, viruses, malware, or adware programs can infect a Mac and cause problems with apps like Apple Music. Run antivirus software to check for threats.
Malwarebytes and Bitdefender Virus Scanner are two trusted Mac antivirus tools. Remove any malicious programs detected, which should restore full Apple Music functionality.
You need to reinstall iTunes/Music app
If you’ve tried every other troubleshooting step with no success, reinstalling the Apple Music software may be necessary. Backup your music library and playlists first.
On Macs with Apple silicon, uninstall Music using Finder. On Intel Macs, uninstall iTunes from the Applications folder. Then reinstall from the App Store.
Conclusion
Apple Music access problems on Macs usually stem from subscription, authorization, or syncing issues. Checking that your Apple ID is properly signed in and your Apple Music membership is active allows you to rule out the most common factors.
Ensuring your Mac is updated, verifying your Internet connection, and trying things like resetting NVRAM can also get Apple Music working again. And if needed, fully reinstalling the Apple Music app as a last resort may resolve any lingering issues.
With the right troubleshooting steps, you should be able to get Apple Music streaming again in no time.