It can be frustrating when songs purchased on iTunes do not show up in your iPhone music library. This is a common issue that many iPhone users face after updating their device or syncing new music purchases from iTunes. There are several potential causes for this problem, ranging from minor syncing errors to more complex library corruption. In this article, we will explore the main reasons why iTunes may say purchased but the songs are not appearing on your iPhone, and provide troubleshooting steps to help restore your purchased music library on your iPhone.
Checking Purchase History
To check your iTunes purchase history and confirm a song was purchased, follow these steps:
1. Go to reportaproblem.apple.com and sign in with your Apple ID and password.
2. Once signed in, you will see a chronological list of all purchases made with your Apple ID on the iTunes Store. This includes apps, music, movies, TV shows, books, and more.
3. Scan the purchase history list to find the song you believe was purchased. Make sure to check the date of purchase and seller listed to confirm it is your transaction.
4. If the song appears in your purchase history, you can be assured it was successfully bought through your iTunes account in the past.
Checking your iTunes purchase history on the reportaproblem.apple.com website is the best way to verify any content, including music, was previously purchased through your Apple ID.
Downloading Purchases
If you see music listed as purchased in iTunes but not actually in your iPhone library, you will need to re-download those purchases. Here are the steps to re-download purchased music directly to your iPhone:
1. Open the iTunes Store app on your iPhone.
2. Tap on your account icon in the top right corner.
3. Select “Purchased”.
4. Find the purchased music you want to download and tap the iCloud download icon next to it.
This will begin downloading the music directly to your iPhone library. You can check the progress under Settings > [Your Name] > iTunes & App Store. The songs should appear in your iPhone music library once the downloads are complete. If you have issues getting songs to download, check that iCloud Music Library is enabled under Settings > Music.
For more help re-downloading purchases, see Apple’s guide here: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT211816
Syncing Issue
One common reason purchased songs may not appear in your iPhone’s library is a syncing issue between iTunes and the iPhone. Apple devices rely on iTunes to transfer purchased content from Apple’s servers onto the device. If syncing gets disrupted or disabled, new purchases may fail to transfer over.
To fix a potential syncing issue, first make sure you have “Sync Library” enabled in your iPhone’s Music settings (Settings > Music > Sync Library). This allows purchased content to automatically download from iTunes to your device. If it’s disabled, turn it on and let your phone sync.
You can also try turning Sync Library off, powering down your iPhone, then turning Sync Library back on to force a refresh. Additionally, check that you’re signed into the same Apple ID on both iTunes and your iPhone, since purchases are tied to your Apple ID. If the Apple IDs don’t match, it can prevent new purchases from syncing over.
As a last resort, you may need to erase your iPhone and restore from a backup to fully reset the sync connection between iTunes and the device according to Apple Support (“If songs are missing from your music library after you turn on Sync Library,” 2022).
Corrupt Library File
One of the most common reasons for missing purchases on an iPhone is a corrupted iTunes library file. The iTunes library file (named “iTunes Library.itl”) contains all your music, movies, apps, and other purchases. If this file becomes corrupted or damaged, it can cause purchased content to disappear from devices even if the original files are still on your computer.
There are a few ways corruption can occur. Upgrading to a new version of iTunes sometimes damages the library file. Crashing or force quitting iTunes while it’s updating the library is another common cause. Power outages, drive failures, or improperly ejecting external drives can also lead to corruption.
When the iTunes library file is corrupted, iTunes may struggle to properly sync purchased content to your iPhone. Even if items show as purchased in your account, iTunes can’t find them in its damaged library to transfer to the device. You may also notice missing album artwork, playlists, and other odd behaviors.
To fix the issue, you need to focus on repairing and restoring your iTunes library file. Make sure you have a backup of the iTunes folder before attempting any repairs. Then you can use the steps in the following sections to restore your purchases and get your iPhone music library back in sync.
Signing Into iTunes
One potential cause of purchased songs missing from your iTunes library on iPhone is being signed into the wrong Apple ID. To fix this, you’ll need to sign out and back into iTunes with the proper Apple ID on all of your devices:
- On your iPhone, go to Settings > iTunes & App Store and tap your Apple ID. Sign out of your current ID.
- On your computer, open iTunes and go to Account > Sign Out. This will sign you out of iTunes on your computer.
- Next, sign into iTunes and the App Store on your iPhone and computer with the Apple ID you use to purchase songs and albums. Make sure it is the same ID across devices.
- Once signed in, your purchased music should begin downloading from iCloud to your library.
Signing out and back in with the proper purchasing Apple ID across iPhone and iTunes should resolve any missing purchased songs that are not showing up. This ensures both devices are accessing the same library of purchased content.
iCloud Settings
The iCloud Music Library allows you to store your music collection in iCloud and stream your songs or download them on demand to any device signed into your Apple ID. To access your full purchased music library on your iPhone, you need to make sure iCloud Music Library is enabled properly.
To check your iCloud Music Library settings, open the Apple Music app on your iPhone and tap on your profile picture in the top right. Then go to Settings > Music. Make sure “Sync Library” is toggled ON. This will sync your Apple Music library across devices.
If “Sync Library” is off, your purchased music may not appear properly on your iPhone even if you can see it in your purchase history. Turn syncing on to combine your iTunes purchases with your Apple Music songs for access across devices. Make sure you are signed in with the same Apple ID on all your devices for syncing to work properly.
Sometimes turning iCloud Music Library off and then on again can resync your library and match purchased songs. You may also need to restart your phone after changing the setting. If you continue having issues with missing purchased songs in your library on iPhone, contact Apple support for further troubleshooting.
Restarting and Updating
One common solution to missing purchases on iTunes or your iPhone is to restart the devices and update to the latest software for both. Here are the key steps:
- First, force restart your iPhone by holding down the power button and home button together for 10+ seconds until the Apple logo appears. This will hard reboot your device.
- Once your iPhone has restarted, open the Settings app and go to General > Software Update to download and install the latest iOS version.
- Next, fully quit iTunes on your computer by going to the iTunes menu and selecting “Quit iTunes” or pressing Command + Q.
- Then relaunch iTunes and go to iTunes > Check for Updates to download the newest version.
- With both your iPhone and iTunes now updated, connect your device to your computer and try syncing your purchases again through iTunes.
Restarting the iPhone and updating iOS along with updating iTunes can often resolve issues with purchases not appearing correctly. Allow some time after updating for the changes to fully take effect. If you still don’t see purchases, additional troubleshooting may be needed.
Contacting Apple Support
At this point, if all the troubleshooting steps have not resolved the issue of purchased music missing in your iPhone’s library, it’s a good idea to reach out to Apple Support for further assistance. According to Apple’s support site https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201232, you can contact Apple Support via chat or phone to troubleshoot problems with iTunes purchases and Apple Music.
It’s recommended to contact Apple Support as soon as you notice the issue, as they may be able to help recover or redownload any missing purchases or downloads. Make sure to have your Apple ID and any order numbers ready when you contact them. Let them know exactly what content is missing and when you originally purchased it. They can check your purchase history and may be able to restore the missing items.
Apple’s support team is available 24/7 via online chat or by phone. You can expect them to walk through all the standard troubleshooting with you first, before escalating the issue if needed. Be patient but persistent in working with them to find a resolution. In some cases, they may be able to offer refunds or credits if purchases are still missing after troubleshooting. Contacting their support promptly when issues arise is key.
Summary
In summary, the issue of purchased iTunes music not showing up in your iPhone library typically stems from syncing problems between iTunes and iCloud. The main solutions are to check your purchase history on your iTunes account, make sure you’ve downloaded past purchases to your computer, and verify your iPhone is properly syncing your iTunes library either through a wired connection or via iCloud settings.
Often the problem arises when there is corrupted data in your iTunes library preventing your purchases from syncing over. Signing out and back into iTunes on your computer as well as your iPhone can help resolve this. Additionally, updating to the latest version of iTunes and iOS and restarting your devices is recommended. If you’ve tried the troubleshooting steps and your purchased music still does not appear, it’s best to contact Apple support for further assistance.
