7 Best Fixes for Apple Music Not Working on Mac

Several things could go wrong with Apple Music on your computer and smartphone. We’ve written troubleshooting guides for fixing Apple Music issues; you can check them out on this page. This guide focuses on getting Apple Music to work on your Mac.

If Apple Music is not working properly on your Mac, refer to the following solutions:

– Note: These solutions apply to both iTunes and Apple Music, depending on how the app is labeled on your Macbook or macOS version.

1. Force Quit Apple Music

If you’re unable to play songs on Apple Music or if the app is freezing or malfunctioning, we recommend force-quitting the app as the first course of action. You can do this from the Macbook’s dock or the Activity Monitor.

If there’s a dot beneath the Apple Music icon on the Dock, it means the app is still running in the background. To force-quit the app, tap the icon with two fingers and select Quit.

To force-quit Apple Music from the Activity Monitor, follow these steps:

Step 1: Tap the search icon at the top-right corner of the menu bar to launch Spotlight search. Alternatively, you can quickly launch Spotlight search using the Command + Space bar keyboard shortcut.

Step 2: Type Activity Monitor into the Spotlight search bar and hit Return or double-click Activity Monitor from the result.

Step 3: Locate Apple Music or iTunes in the Activity Monitor’s CPU section. Then, tap the x icon at the top-left corner.

Step 4: Select Force Quit on the pop-up that appears on the screen.

Close all Apple Music processes on your Mac. Then, reopen the app and see if it functions properly.

2. Re-Enable Sync Library

Apple Music syncs your song library with other devices connected to your account. You might be unable to play songs if there is an issue with the app’s synchronization process. A simple way to fix this is re-initiating the library sync by disabling and re-enabling sync library. This also helps to fix Apple Music issues on iPhone and iPad. Here’s how to do it on Mac.

Step 1: Launch Apple Music and tap iTunes in the top-left corner of the menu bar.

Step 2: Select Preferences from the context menu.

To open the iTunes settings menu, follow these steps:

1. Open iTunes.

2. Click on the “Settings” option.

3. In the General tab, uncheck the “iCloud Music Library” option.

4. Tap OK.

Step 4: Repeat step #1 – step #3. Then, check the ‘iCloud Music Library’ option and tap OK to save the changes.

Reupload and update your iCloud Music Library to eliminate synchronization-related errors causing Apple Music issues.

3. Delete Apple Music Library Cache

Users can make Apple Music work on their Mac by deleting the app’s cache files. Try this if the previous methods don’t help. Before proceeding, make sure to close the iTunes app.

Step 1: Launch the Spotlight search by pressing ‘Command + Space bar’ on the keyboard. Paste the directory (~/Library/Caches) into the search bar and press Return.

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Step 3: Select all files in the folder and move them to trash.

Alternatively, you can back them up by moving them to another folder on your computer.

The iTunes app is optimized for Macs running OS X version 10.10.5 or higher. Apple Music may not function properly on older versions. Furthermore, Apple regularly releases software updates to fix bugs affecting Apple Music and other apps, providing the best chance for getting it to work again if other solutions fail.

To update your macOS, follow these steps:

1. Tap the Apple logo in the top-left corner of the menu bar and choose ‘About This Mac’.

Step 2: Select Software Update.

Step 3: Tap Upgrade Now to download and install available updates.

5. Check Storage

Apple Music has a minimum storage requirement for efficient performance. To use Apple Music or iTunes, you need at least 400MB of free disk space on your computer. Here’s how to check your Mac’s storage status:

Step 1: Tap the Apple logo at the top-left corner of the menu bar and select ‘About This Mac.’

Navigate to the Storage section and check the available storage space.

If the file size is 400MB or less, delete redundant files on your Mac to free up storage space. Here are some helpful guides:

– 8 Ways to Free Up Disk Space on Your 128 GB Mac

– How to Permanently Delete Files From a Mac

– 2 Best Ways to Find and Delete Duplicate Files on Mac

– 5 Surprising Ways to Run Your Mac Like New With CleanMyMac X

– Top 7 Useful macOS Apps to Optimize Your Mac

– How to Delete Attachments the Right Way in Mac’s Mail App to Free Up Disk Space

6. Check Apple Music Subscription

You cannot access or play songs on Apple Music without an active subscription. To check the status of your subscription, follow these steps:

1. Open Apple Music.

2. Tap on your profile name at the bottom-left corner.

Step 2: Click on View Information at the top-right corner.

Step 3: Go to the Account Information page, scroll to the Subscription section, and tap Manage.

To reveal your Apple Music subscription status, check if it is Active. If not, tap Edit to subscribe or renew.

7. Check Server Status

Finally, check if Apple Music’s server is operational. Service downtime or outages on Apple’s end can disrupt iTunes or Apple Music. Visit the Apple System Status page to verify that Apple Music and other related services (such as Apple ID, iTunes Match, Apple Music radio, Apple Music Subscriptions, and iTunes Store) are online.

Get the Music Playing

Many things could go wrong with Apple Music on your Mac, but the issues are always fixable. At least one of the methods above should work for you. Try them out and let us know which one it is.

Next up: Did you know you can stream Apple Music on any web browser? Read the article below to learn what sets the Apple Music Web player apart and if you should start using it.