Quick Answers
There are a few common reasons why Apple Music may not automatically update on your Mac:
- Your Mac is not connected to the internet
- Background app refreshing is disabled
- Your Apple Music subscription expired
- There is a bug or issue with the Apple Music app
- Your Mac needs to be restarted
To troubleshoot further, make sure your Mac is connected to the internet and background app refreshing is enabled. Also check that your Apple Music subscription is still active by going to Account Settings. Quit the Apple Music app, restart your Mac, and reopen Apple Music to force a refresh. If it still doesn’t update, you may need to uninstall and reinstall the Apple Music app.
Is Apple Music Supposed to Update Automatically?
Yes, Apple Music is designed to automatically update and refresh content on a regular basis when connected to the internet. This allows it to add newly released songs, albums, and playlists to your library.
Apple Music should automatically:
- Download newly added songs/albums to your library
- Update personalized playlists like New Music Mix and Favorites Mix
- Refresh browse tabs like New Releases, Top Charts, Music Videos etc.
- Update your Recently Played playlist
- Refresh For You and Browse recommendations
This refreshing happens in the background while the app is open. Apple Music also utilizes background app refreshing to update content when the app is closed. As long as your Mac is connected to the internet, Apple Music should regularly update.
Why Would Apple Music Stop Updating on Mac?
If you notice that Apple Music is no longer updating or refreshing content on your Mac, there are a few common causes:
No Internet Connection
Apple Music requires an internet connection to update its content. Make sure your Mac is connected to the internet – either via WiFi or an Ethernet cable. Open a web browser like Safari to double check that you have a working internet connection.
Background App Refresh Disabled
Apple Music relies on background app refreshing to update when the app is closed. If this is disabled, Apple Music won’t refresh until you manually open the app. Check System Preferences > General and make sure “Allow Background App Refresh” is enabled.
Expired Apple Music Subscription
Apple Music requires an active subscription to access content. If your subscription has lapsed, Apple Music will stop updating. Check your subscription status in Account Settings. Renew your subscription if needed.
Bug or Issue with Apple Music
Sometimes bugs or glitches within the Apple Music app can prevent proper updating. Browse issues, For You recommendations not updating, and new releases not showing can indicate a larger issue. Quit Apple Music and restart your Mac to see if this fixes it.
Mac Needs to Be Restarted
A simple Mac reboot can often kickstart Apple Music into updating properly again. Memory issues or app crashes may prevent Apple Music from working until the computer is restarted.
How to Get Apple Music Updating Again
If Apple Music stops updating properly on your Mac, there are a few troubleshooting steps to try:
- Check your internet connection – Connect to a WiFi or Ethernet network.
- Confirm background app refreshing is enabled in System Preferences.
- Check your Apple Music subscription status and renew if needed.
- Force quit the Apple Music app – Right click and select “Quit”.
- Restart your Mac.
- Open Apple Music and see if it updates.
- Update to the latest version of macOS and Apple Music.
- Turn off System Integrity Protection to reinstall Apple Music.
- Erase and restore Apple Music app data.
The majority of the time, Apple Music issues can be fixed by a simple Mac reboot, force quitting the app, or reinstalling Apple Music. For persistent issues, you may need to contact Apple Support for further troubleshooting.
How to Update Apple Music Manually
If Apple Music gets stuck and won’t update automatically, you can often manually trigger a refresh:
- Click the My Music tab – This will refresh your library.
- Click Playlists and refresh each playlist.
- Click Browse tab to refresh new releases.
- Scroll down on For You and refresh recommendations.
- Search for an artist or album and select it to refresh.
- Click Radio tab and start a new station.
Manually refreshing different sections triggers Apple Music to connect to Apple’s servers and update that content. While tedious, this can get new music or playlists to appear if they aren’t showing automatically.
Best Practices to Keep Apple Music Updated
To ensure your Apple Music subscription stays updated properly on Mac, follow these best practices:
- Quit Apple Music completely when not in use.
- Disable System Integrity Protection when updating or reinstalling.
- Turn on background app refresh.
- Use a wired Ethernet connection for faster downloads.
- Restart your Mac once per week.
- Update to the latest macOS and Apple Music versions.
- Sign out then back into Apple Music monthly.
- Clear Apple Music app data and cache occasionally.
Following these tips will minimize any issues with Apple Music failing to update on your Mac. The app should refresh smoothly in the background without any manual intervention needed.
Should I Reinstall Apple Music on Mac?
If you are still having issues with Apple Music not updating or refreshing content on your Mac, reinstalling the Apple Music app can often resolve the problem.
Reinstalling clears out any corrupted files, cache issues, or bugs that may be causing Apple Music to malfunction. In most cases, a simple reinstall will get Apple Music working smoothly again.
Here are the steps to reinstall Apple Music on Mac:
- Open Finder and go to Applications.
- Find and right click on the Apple Music app.
- Select Move to Trash.
- Restart your Mac.
- Open the App Store app.
- Search for “Apple Music” and select Get or Install.
- Sign into Apple Music after it finishes installing.
This will completely replace the Apple Music app files with a fresh copy. Make sure to sign back into Apple Music using your Apple ID after reinstalling.
Reinstalling Apple Music should get it updating your library, playlists, and recommendations again. If it still doesn’t work, further troubleshooting is needed.
Does Apple Music Sync Between Devices?
Apple Music is designed to sync your library, downloads, playlists and preferences between devices signed into the same Apple ID account. This includes syncing between Mac, iPhone, iPad, Apple TV and Apple Watch.
Here is what syncs across Apple Music devices:
- Your music library – added songs, albums, artists etc.
- Downloaded music for offline playback.
- Playlists you create.
- Music queue and listening history.
- Liked and disliked song ratings.
- Account preferences and settings.
However, some parts of Apple Music do not sync and are unique to each device:
- Recommendations – For You, Browse etc.
- Device specific playlists – Most Played.
- Music only downloaded on that device.
- Synced iTunes music purchases.
So core library content will stay updated across devices, while recommendations and device-specific content does not.
Enabling Apple Music Syncing
To enable Apple Music syncing across devices:
- Sign into Apple Music with the same Apple ID on all devices.
- Enable iCloud Music Library in settings on each device.
- Enable “Sync Library” in Apple Music settings.
- Allow background app refresh and auto-downloads.
- Keep devices on WiFi or LTE with internet access.
With syncing enabled, any new music or playlists added on one device will appear in your library on your other devices after a short period of time.
Troubleshooting Apple Music Syncing
If you are having issues getting Apple Music content to sync properly between devices, try these troubleshooting steps:
- Confirm iCloud Music Library is enabled on all devices.
- Check internet connectivity – WiFi or cellular data.
- Restart devices and open Apple Music to force a refresh.
- Update Apple Music app and iOS/macOS to latest versions.
- Disable then re-enable Sync Library option.
- Remove and re-add devices to account.
Most syncing problems can be fixed by a simple restart or ensuring internet access. For continued issues, reset sync data or contact Apple support.
Should I Unsubscribe from Apple Music?
Here are some key considerations when deciding whether to unsubscribe from Apple Music:
Pros of Unsubscribing
- Saves money if you don’t use it enough to justify the cost.
- Can switch to a cheaper music streaming service.
- Removes clutter if you only use a small portion of the library.
- Stops automatic charges when free trial expires.
Cons of Unsubscribing
- Lose access to 50+ million songs, playlists, and stations.
- Music you added will no longer be available.
- Syncing to iOS devices will stop working.
- Can’t download songs for offline listening.
Alternatives to Apple Music
Popular alternatives to consider include:
- Spotify – Broad music library. Better discovery features.
- YouTube Music – Music videos. Integration with YouTube.
- Amazon Music – Discounts for Prime members.
- Pandora – Custom radio stations. Simple interface.
Evaluate your usage and whether the cost is worth it for you. In most cases, it makes sense to keep Apple Music, but switching services is an option if you’re looking to save money or want different features.
Conclusion
In summary, there are a few common reasons why Apple Music may stop updating on your Mac, including no internet connection, expired subscription, app issues, or needing a reboot. To resolve it, check your network access, subscription status, force quit the Apple Music app, and restart your computer. Reinstalling Apple Music can also get it working properly again if needed. Enabling background app refresh, syncing devices, and staying updated are best practices to keep your Apple Music library refreshing automatically across devices. While unsubscribing from Apple Music is an option to save money, the majority of users will benefit most from keeping their paid Apple Music membership active.
| Pros of Keeping Apple Music | Cons of Keeping Apple Music |
|---|---|
| Access to millions of songs | Monthly or yearly cost |
| Offline listening | Less customization options |
| Ad-free music | Less social features |
| Syncing across devices | Issues with glitches or bugs |
This table summarizes the key pros and cons to consider when evaluating keeping your Apple Music subscription. While there are downsides like cost and bugs, for most users the pros outweigh the cons for an overall amazing music experience.
