Quick Answer
There are a few common reasons why you may not be able to add music from your iTunes library to your iPhone:
- Your iPhone is not synced to the same iTunes library as the music you want to add.
- You have iTunes Match enabled, which stores your music in the cloud rather than locally on your device.
- The music file format is not supported by your iPhone.
- There is not enough storage space available on your iPhone.
To resolve this issue, double check that your iPhone and computer are synced to the same iTunes library, disable iTunes Match, convert unsupported music file formats, and clear up storage space on your iPhone. You may also need to update to the latest version of iOS and iTunes to ensure full compatibility.
What Does It Mean When I Can’t Add Music to My iPhone from iTunes?
When you try adding music from your iTunes library to your iPhone but find you are unable to do so, it typically points to some type of compatibility issue between the two devices.
Here are some of the main reasons why you may be unable to add music from iTunes to your iPhone:
Your iPhone Is Not Synced to the Same iTunes Library
In order to add music from iTunes to your iPhone, both devices need to be synced to the same iTunes library. If you have multiple computers with different iTunes libraries, your iPhone may not have access to the songs you want to add.
To check that your iPhone and computer are linked to the same iTunes library, connect your iPhone to the computer and open iTunes. Go to the Summary tab for your iPhone and look under “Sync with.” This will show you the computer name and iTunes library folder path that your iPhone is currently synced with.
If this is different than the iTunes library on your computer that contains the music you want to add, you will need to sync your iPhone to that iTunes library instead.
iTunes Match Is Enabled
If you subscribe to iTunes Match, this allows your music to be stored and streamed from the cloud rather than taking up local storage space on your devices.
When iTunes Match is enabled, you are not able to manually manage and sync music from your iTunes library to your iPhone. Instead, songs must be added via iCloud.
To resolve this, you can turn off iTunes Match on your iPhone. Go to Settings > Music and toggle off “iTunes Match.” Once disabled, you can try adding music directly from iTunes again.
Unsupported Music File Formats
Your iPhone may not be able to play certain music file formats that you have in your iTunes library. Common unsupported formats include WMA, FLAC, ALAC, and other lossless file types.
If you try adding these file types from iTunes to your iPhone, they will fail to copy over. To fix this, you need to convert the files to a supported format such as MP3 or AAC before adding them to your iPhone.
You can convert music files directly within iTunes by right clicking on the song, selecting “Create MP3 Version” or “Create AAC Version” and replacing the original with the converted copy.
Not Enough Storage Space on iPhone
If your iPhone is low on storage space, this can prevent you from adding more music from your iTunes library. Always make sure there is ample free space available on your iPhone before trying to sync large amounts of media content from iTunes.
To clear up space, offload unused apps, delete old messages and emails, remove previously downloaded music/videos, and backup your photos to cloud storage. You may also need to upgrade your iPhone to a model with more internal storage capacity.
How to Add Music from iTunes to Your iPhone
Once you have ruled out syncing issues, disabled iTunes Match, converted file formats, and freed up storage space, here is how to add music from iTunes to your iPhone:
Sync Entire iTunes Music Library
The simplest way to transfer music from iTunes to your iPhone is to sync your entire music library. This will copy all songs from your iTunes library to your iPhone.
To do this:
- Connect your iPhone to your computer using the USB cable. Open iTunes if it doesn’t launch automatically.
- In iTunes, click on your iPhone icon in the top left corner.
- Go to the Music tab.
- Check the option for “Sync Music.”
- Select “Entire music library.”
- Click Apply in the bottom right corner to start the sync process.
This will add all songs, albums and artists from iTunes onto your iPhone. The sync may take awhile depending on the size of your music library.
Manually Add Individual Songs
If you don’t want to sync your entire music library, you can manually add individual songs from iTunes to your iPhone:
- In iTunes, go to your Music library and find the songs you want to add.
- Drag the song files directly onto your iPhone icon in the top left corner of iTunes.
- The songs will begin copying over to your device. Sync progress will show in the top right corner.
- To add albums or playlists, drag the entire album/playlist to your iPhone icon instead of individual songs.
The songs will now show up in the Music app on your iPhone so you can listen to them anytime.
Use Autofill to Add Songs to iPhone
You can also use Autofill to help select music from your iTunes library to add to your iPhone:
- In iTunes, click on your iPhone icon, go to the Music tab and enable “Sync Music.”
- Check “Selected playlists, artists, albums, and genres.”
- Click “Autofill” next to Music.
- Deselect “Selected playlists, artists, albums, and genres” so that only your Autofill selections are synced.
- Autofill will automatically pick songs to fill up available storage space on your iPhone.
- You can customize Autofill selections further by rating songs or marking them as favorites.
- Click Apply when finished and the selected songs will sync over.
Autofill is an easy way to load up your iPhone with music tailored to your listening preferences in iTunes.
Troubleshooting Tips if You Still Can’t Add Music
If you still have issues getting music to copy over from iTunes to your iPhone after trying the above, here are some troubleshooting tips:
- Restart Computer and iPhone – Sometimes a basic restart can resolve minor glitches that block the sync process.
- Update iOS and iTunes – Make sure you’re running the most current iOS firmware on your iPhone and iTunes on your computer. Older versions may not sync properly.
- Disable and Reenable USB Connection – In iTunes, deselect and reselect “Allow this device to sync automatically” under your iPhone’s Summary tab.
- Change USB Cable – Try connecting your iPhone to the computer with a different USB cable, in case the current one is damaged.
- Force Reboot iPhone – If your iPhone is totally unresponsive, you can force reboot it by holding Power + Home until the screen goes black and the Apple logo appears.
What To Do If You Can’t Add Purchased iTunes Music to iPhone
If you are unable to add music purchased from the iTunes Store to your iPhone, there are a couple steps to review:
Check Download Status in iTunes
When you purchase music through iTunes, the songs may still show up as “Downloading” rather than being downloaded to your library yet. You will need to wait for the download to complete before the purchases can be synced to your iPhone.
In iTunes, go to Account > Check for Available Downloads to view the status of recent purchases.
Authorize Computer with iTunes Account
To download iTunes purchases and add them to your iPhone, you need to authorize the computer with the Apple ID used to buy the songs.
On a PC, go to Account > Authorizations > Authorize This Computer. On a Mac, go to Store > Authorize This Computer.
Then enter your Apple ID and password when prompted. Once authorized, your purchased music should appear in iTunes and be available for syncing.
Check Download Restrictions and Settings
There are also some settings in iTunes that can block downloading of purchases to a computer:
- Make sure Automatic Downloads is enabled in iTunes Preferences > Store.
- Check Settings > iTunes & App Stores on your iPhone. Downloading purchases should be enabled.
- If Family Sharing is enabled, verify content sharing is allowed under Family Sharing settings.
- Review purchase restrictions for children set under Settings > Content & Privacy Restrictions if applicable.
Correcting any issues with these settings should allow your iTunes purchases to download and transfer normally to your iPhone again.
Important Safety Tips for Adding Songs from iTunes
While it’s great to fill your iPhone with tons of music from iTunes, there are some safety precautions to keep in mind:
Watch for Signs of Water Damage
If your iPhone has been exposed to water, do NOT try to sync music or charge it until inspected by an Apple Authorized Service Provider. Electricity + water = very dangerous.
Avoid Charging Near Flammable Materials
Do not sync or charge your iPhone on or near any flammable surfaces, like bedding or carpets. The electrical current and lithium-ion battery can become very hot.
Keep Away from Children
Small parts like earbuds, cables, adapters can be choking hazards for infants and toddlers. Keep your iPhone, accessories, and packaging out of reach of kids.
Watch Volume Levels
Listening to music at high volumes for prolonged periods can lead to permanent hearing damage. Be mindful of your iPhone’s volume while listening with headphones.
Only Use Trusted Accessories
For cables, chargers, docks, and wireless speakers, only use accessories certified by Apple to ensure safety and compatibility with your iPhone. Avoid cheap knock-offs.
Top 5 Free Music Apps to Use with iPhone
Alongside your iTunes music library, here are 5 great free apps for streaming music and expanding your listening experience on iPhone:
Pandora
Pandora lets you create customized internet radio stations based on your favorite artists and genres. The more you listen, the better it tailors recommendations to your tastes.
Spotify
Spotify offers both free and premium access to millions of songs for streaming on demand. Build and share playlists with friends.
SoundCloud
Discover emerging and established musicians across just about every genre on SoundCloud. Follow artists to hear new releases first.
YouTube Music
In addition to music videos, YouTube Music includes official albums, singles, remixes, and live performances. It’s free with YouTube.
TIDAL
While TIDAL requires a paid subscription for lossless quality audio, you still get access to a huge library of music with limited interruptions on the free tier.
Pairing iTunes with streaming can give you an endless supply of music on your iPhone. Just remember to download songs for offline listening before heading somewhere without internet!
Conclusion
Being unable to add music from your iTunes library to your iPhone can certainly be frustrating. However, the issue typically boils down to just needing to sync your iPhone to the correct iTunes library, disabling iTunes Match, converting incompatible file formats, or clearing up enough storage space.
Follow the troubleshooting tips above to get your music syncing properly again. Don’t forget to authorize your computer for iTunes purchases, stay safe when charging, and try out some supplemental music apps for iOS.
With hundreds of millions of songs at your fingertips across iTunes and streaming platforms, your iPhone can be the ultimate music companion. Listen on!