Check Your Apple ID Settings
One of the most common reasons for missing music is being signed into Apple Music with a different Apple ID than the one used to purchase the songs. To fix this:
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
- Tap on your name at the top of the screen.
- Confirm that you are signed in with the same Apple ID that was originally used to purchase the missing songs. This is the Apple ID associated with your iTunes purchase history.
If you are signed in with a different Apple ID, sign out, then sign back in with the purchasing Apple ID. This should allow Apple Music to match its catalog to your existing iTunes purchases and make the songs available in your library again.
According to Apple Support, “Make sure that all of your devices have Sync Library turned on and signed in with the same Apple ID that you use with Apple Music.” (source)
Update to the Latest iOS Version
One of the most common reasons why your Apple Music library may not be showing up properly is because you are running an outdated version of iOS. Apple frequently releases software updates that contain bug fixes and performance improvements for Apple Music and other apps. According to discussions on Apple’s support forums, upgrading to the latest iOS version has resolved missing or unupdating libraries for many users.
To update to the newest iOS version, go to Settings > General > Software Update on your iPhone or iPad. Tap “Download and Install” to download the latest iOS update. You may need to connect to WiFi and have enough storage space on your device. Once the update is downloaded and installed, restart your device and check if your Apple Music library is now displaying properly.
As noted in this Apple support thread, older iOS versions often have bugs that prevent Apple Music from properly syncing your library across devices: https://discussions.apple.com/thread/251079512. Upgrading to the most recent iOS has helped many users resolve missing libraries and syncing issues.
Restart Your Device
Restarting your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch can often reset any temporary glitches that may be preventing your library from displaying properly in Apple Music. By powering your device off and back on, you force quit all running apps and restart the operating system, clearing out minor software issues.
To restart your device, press and hold the Side button and either Volume button until the power off slider appears. Drag the slider to turn your device completely off. After 30 seconds or so, press and hold the Side button again until you see the Apple logo to turn your device back on. This gives your device a fresh start, which can resolve problems like an empty or missing Apple Music library.
Restarting flushes any bugs or errors and resets your device to its default state. So if a glitch was preventing your full music collection from populating in the Apple Music app, a restart should clear out the problem. It essentially gives the app and operating system a fresh slate. Just make sure to give your device ample time to fully restart before checking Apple Music again.
Check Your iCloud Settings
One of the most common reasons for an Apple Music library not showing up properly is having the wrong iCloud Music Library settings. iCloud Music Library allows you to access your Apple Music collection across all your devices logged into the same Apple ID. To make sure it is enabled:
- Open the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
- Tap on your name at the top.
- Select “iCloud”.
- Under “Apps Using iCloud”, make sure “Music” is turned on. This enables iCloud Music Library.
If iCloud Music Library was disabled, enabling it again should help restore your full Apple Music collection across devices. Just give it some time to sync after re-enabling it. For more details, see Apple’s guide on enabling iCloud Music Library here: https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT204406
Re-download Missing Songs
If you had previously downloaded songs or albums that are no longer showing in your Apple Music library, you may need to re-download them. Grayed out tracks indicate songs that were downloaded but are no longer available locally on your device.
To re-download missing songs on your iPhone or iPad:
– Open the Apple Music app
– Tap on the Library tab
– Look for grayed out tracks and tap on them to re-download
You can also re-download purchases made from the iTunes Store. On your Mac:
– Open the Apple Music app
– Click on Account > Purchased
– Find grayed out tracks and click the download button next to them
If you have a lot of missing music, you may need to go through your entire library and re-download multiple albums and playlists. This process can take some time but is necessary to restore your full Apple Music collection after songs have disappeared. For more help, see Apple’s support document on re-downloading music.
Disable and Re-enable iCloud Music
One way to troubleshoot issues with iCloud Music Library is to turn the feature off and then back on again. This can help reset your library and get things syncing properly again.
To disable iCloud Music Library on an iPhone or iPad:
- Go to Settings > Music
- Toggle the “Sync Library” switch to the off position
Once disabled, your Apple Music catalog will no longer be available for streaming or downloads. However, any music you manually transferred to your device will still be accessible.
After leaving iCloud Music Library disabled for a short time, you can re-enable it by:
- Going back to Settings > Music
- Tapping the “Sync Library” switch to turn it on again
This will trigger your music library to re-sync from the cloud. Be patient as it may take some time for your full library to become available again. Re-enabling the feature is often enough to resolve sync issues.
If problems persist, you may need to take additional troubleshooting steps like contacting Apple Support. But disabling and re-enabling iCloud Music is a good first step whenever your library seems out of sync.
Delete and Re-add Your Account
One potential solution is to sign out of your Apple ID from Apple Music, delete your account, and then re-add it. This essentially resets your Apple Music account and syncs your library again. To do this:
- Open the Apple Music app and go to Account > View Apple ID. Sign out of your account.
- Next, go to Settings > [your name] > Media & Purchases > View Account. Tap Delete Account and confirm.
- Then open the App Store, tap your profile icon, and sign in with your Apple ID again.
- Open Apple Music, sign in with the same Apple ID, and let your library sync again. This may take some time if you have a large library.
Signing out and back in forces Apple Music to fully re-download your library which can resolve issues with missing songs and albums. Just be patient as it may take a while for your entire library to sync again. If your music is still missing after signing out and in, you may need to contact Apple support.
Contact Apple Support
If you’ve tried all of the common troubleshooting methods, your best option is to contact Apple Support directly. Apple’s technicians will work with you to determine the source of the problem and find a solution. This is important for stubborn issues that you just can’t seem to resolve on your own.
The Apple support site has a few different contact options to choose from https://support.apple.com/en-us/HT201232. You can contact them via online chat, schedule a callback request, or find a local store’s support number to call. Be ready to provide details about your account, device, iOS version, and the steps you’ve already tried.
Working directly with Apple gives you the best chance of restoring your Apple Music library when all else fails. Their technicians have access to tools and insight beyond what normal users can access. Don’t hesitate to contact them if you’ve hit a wall troubleshooting on your own.
Check Streaming Cellular Settings
One common reason Apple Music may not be showing your library or downloading songs properly when on cellular data is if cellular data usage is disabled for Apple Music. To enable cellular data usage for Apple Music:
- Go to the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
- Tap on “Cellular” or “Mobile Data.”
- Scroll down and tap on “Music.”
- Make sure the switch next to “Music” is turned on and green.
This allows Apple Music to use your cellular data connection to stream or download songs. If cellular data for Apple Music was disabled, enabling it should allow you to access your full Apple Music library even when not on WiFi.
As noted in this Apple Support thread, toggling cellular data on and off for Apple Music can sometimes fix library syncing issues.
Create a New Apple ID
If you still can’t see parts of your library after trying the other troubleshooting steps, creating an entirely new Apple ID can help isolate the issue. Sign out of your current Apple ID account everywhere it’s used – on your iPhone, iPad, Mac, and any other Apple devices. Then create a brand new Apple ID and sign in with it on your devices.
Re-download any purchased or uploaded music using the new account. If your full library shows properly under the new ID, the issues likely lie with your original account. You may need to contact Apple Support for further help troubleshooting and restoring your purchases and uploads.
If you’d still rather use your original ID, you can try signing back in after testing with the new account. Sometimes clearing out and resetting your Apple ID by creating a temporary new one is enough to resolve sync problems. Just be sure to write down the details for the new account beforehand in case you need it again later for more troubleshooting.
Source: https://www.salvagedata.com/how-to-restore-apple-music-library/