There are a few common reasons why you may not be able to download music onto your iPad:
Your iPad is low on storage space
Downloading music, especially large music files like lossless audio, can quickly eat up the storage space on your iPad. If you’re getting errors or unable to complete music downloads, your iPad may simply be out of free space. Here are some tips to free up storage space on your iPad:
- Offload unused apps – Tap Settings > General > iPhone Storage to see which apps are using the most space. Tap on the app and select “Offload App” to remove it and its data without deleting it.
- Manage photos and videos – Use the Photos app to review and delete photos and videos you no longer need. You can also use iCloud Photo Library to store photos/videos in the cloud.
- Delete music – Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage > Music and swipe left on songs, albums or artists to delete them from your iPad.
- Enable iCloud Music Library – This lets you store your music library in iCloud rather than on your iPad. Go to Settings > Music > iCloud Music Library to enable it.
- Upgrade iCloud storage – Purchase a larger iCloud storage plan to backup and sync more content like photos, videos and music.
Once you’ve freed up enough space, try downloading the music again on your iPad.
Your internet connection is slow or unstable
Downloading music, especially an entire album or playlist, requires a stable, fast internet connection. If your iPad is on a shaky Wi-Fi or weak cellular data connection, music downloads may fail or get interrupted repeatedly.
Try the following tips:
- Move closer to your Wi-Fi router or access point for a stronger signal. Being too far away can cause signal drops.
- Disable or turn off any other Wi-Fi connected devices to boost bandwidth.
- Restart your iPad and router if the Wi-Fi connection seems stuck.
- Toggle airplane mode on and off to reset the network connection.
- If on cellular data, try moving to a location with better signal strength.
- Disable Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) which can slow down traffic.
- Temporarily avoid using bandwidth-heavy apps like video streaming.
A strong, stable internet connection is required for reliable music downloads on an iPad. Connect your device to the best available Wi-Fi or cellular data network.
The music app or service is having issues
Sometimes the problem may lie with the music app itself. Apps like Apple Music, Spotify, YouTube Music etc rely on stable backend servers and networks. If their service is undergoing maintenance or facing a temporary outage, downloads can fail.
Things to try:
- Check the app or service’s status page for any known issues with their servers.
- Try using a different music app like Apple Music instead of Spotify and see if downloads work.
- Reboot your iPad and relaunch the music app.
- Update the app to the latest version available in the App Store.
- Disable and re-enable the app’s permissions to access cellular data and storage.
- Log out then log back in to your account on the app.
If a specific music app is unable to download songs, it likely points to a connectivity issue on their side rather than your iPad. Trying different apps can help isolate the issue.
Your Apple ID account lacks authorization for purchases
To download purchased music from iTunes or Apple Music, your Apple ID must be authorized to make purchases. If you are getting errors when downloading, check these:
- Make sure you are signed in with the correct Apple ID that you use to purchase music.
- Verify your payment method is valid and has not expired if you pay for an Apple Music subscription.
- On your iPhone, go to Settings > [your name] > iTunes and App Store and ensure you are still signed in.
- If your Apple ID was recently changed or reset, re-enter your payment info and verify the account.
- Contact Apple Support to confirm your Apple ID account is in good standing to make purchases and downloads.
Purchased content and Apple Music songs require your Apple ID to have valid purchase authorization to download on an iPad. Check that your account credentials are correct.
Content restrictions are blocking downloads
Music apps like Apple Music apply country and region restrictions to songs, preventing them from being downloaded in certain locations. If you are traveling abroad or changed your iPad country/region, downloaded content can get restricted or blocked.
To troubleshoot this:
- Try changing your iPad region to your home country under Settings > General > Language & Region.
- For Apple Music, update your account country for the iTunes store under Account Settings.
- Using a VPN connection can bypass country restrictions by tunnelling your traffic through a different region.
- Some songs may just not be available to download in your current country due to licensing restrictions.
Check that any location-based restrictions are not blocking your ability to download music in your iPad’s current region. Using a VPN service can help bypass these limitations.
The iPad version has download limits
Certain versions of the iPad impose download limits for music and videos from iTunes/App Store. Specifically:
- iPad 2 and earlier – Up to 200 MB per download.
- Original iPad mini – Up to 100 MB per download
If you’re using an older iPad model, larger music files can fail to download due to these limits. To work around:
- Download smaller resolution audio like AAC 256 kbps instead of Lossless.
- Download and sync music while on Wi-Fi instead of cellular data.
- Consider upgrading to a newer iPad model without download restrictions.
- Use an external app like Spotify or YouTube Music which have higher limits.
Check your iPad model specifications and consider downloading smaller music file sizes if you hit device-enforced limits.
Jailbreak or custom firmware is blocking music apps
Jailbreaking an iPad can sometimes break music and media downloading capabilities. Jailbreak tweaks, custom firmware or piracy app stores often prevent official apps like iTunes and Apple Music from functioning properly.
If your iPad is jailbroken, your options are:
- Disable problematic jailbreak tweaks/apps that may block downloads.
- Perform a restore to factory default firmware using iTunes.
- Refrain from using unofficial or pirated apps and sources.
- Consider removing the jailbreak entirely and using stock iPadOS.
Jailbroken iPads are not officially supported by Apple for music purchases or downloads. You may need to restore factory firmware and avoid unauthorized modifications for full app compatibility.
Parental controls or restrictions are enabled
Parents and guardians can place restrictions on an iPad using Screen Time settings. This can limit the ability to download or purchase music.
To check for active restrictions:
- Go to Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions.
- Enter your parental passcode and ensure “iTunes Store Purchases and Downloads” is enabled.
- Under Music, verify explicit content and Apple Music access are allowed.
- Check Communication Limits for any enforced downtime which could block downloads.
If you don’t control the Screen Time passcode, you will need to contact the administrator or parent to adjust the account restrictions as needed.
Music downloads are being blocked by network
If you are on a school or workplace Wi-Fi network, downloads for music streaming services may be restricted. Network firewall policies often block access to non-educational or entertainment services.
Options to unblock music include:
- Connecting to a personal hotspot on your phone instead of the network Wi-Fi.
- Using a trusted VPN connection to bypass network-level blocks.
- Trying to download over cellular data instead.
- Requesting network access from the IT administrator for learning purposes.
- Waiting until you are home or off the restricted network.
If you have no control over the network, downloading music may not be possible until you switch to a different internet connection without such blocks and policies.
Third-party apps causing a conflict
Some third-party apps can interfere with music downloads and cause them to fail. Examples include:
- Downloader apps that claim to enable free music.
- File manager apps with incompatible permissions.
- Media player apps trying to access downloaded files.
- VPN or proxy apps that disrupt connectivity.
- Ad blockers or content blockers.
To troubleshoot, try:
- Revoking permissions or deleting suspicious third party apps.
- Enabling Airplane mode temporarily to isolate iPad hardware.
- Downloading music straight from Music app, avoiding third-parties.
- Rebooting your iPad into safe mode and testing downloads.
- Restoring from a previous backup made before issue occurred.
Removing any untrustworthy apps and performing a clean reboot can help eliminate software conflicts preventing successful music downloads.
An outdated version of iOS is causing incompatibility issues
Using an older version of iPadOS or iOS can sometimes disrupt integration with music apps and services. Streaming platforms may lose support or develop incompatibilities with outdated operating systems.
To fix this:
- Check Settings > General > Software Update and upgrade to the latest iOS/iPadOS version.
- Review update release notes for any bug fixes related to music downloads.
- Restart your iPad after completing the system update.
- Update your music apps to the latest versions too.
- If your iPad cannot update due to old hardware, consider replacing with a newer model for improved compatibility.
Keeping your iPad’s operating system and apps fully updated reduces the chance of buggy software behavior impacting your ability to download music.
Conclusion
Troubleshooting failed or stuck music downloads on an iPad involves checking for issues like insufficient storage, poor network connectivity, account problems, outdated software, and incorrectly configured restrictions. Following the steps outlined for each of these common causes should help get your music downloading successfully again.
Some key things to remember are:
- Monitor your iPad’s remaining storage and delete unused apps/media.
- Connect to strong Wi-Fi or cellular data when downloading large files.
- Ensure proper Apple ID authorization and App Store account settings.
- Keep your iOS version updated and remove any suspicious third-party apps.
- Check for usage restrictions enabled in Screen Time parental controls.
Downloading issues can often be intermittent or temporary, especially if caused by network problems or service outages. Trying downloads again later frequently resolves them. But if music continues failing to download on your iPad, methodically verifying each potential factor based on the situations covered here should reveal the cause and solution.