7 Best Fixes for Apple Music Not Working on Mac

There are several issues that can arise with Apple Music on your computer and smartphone. We have written a handful of troubleshooting guides to resolve many Apple Music issues; You can consult them at this page. In this guide, the goal is to get Apple Music to work properly on your Mac.

So, if there are some sections, features or functionality of Apple Music not working properly on your Mac, refer to the solutions below.

Note: These solutions apply to both iTunes and Apple Music. It depends on how the app is labeled on your Macbook (or macOS version).

1. Force quit Apple Music

Suppose you are unable to play songs on Apple Music or the app freezes or generally performs poorly, we recommend that you force close the app as the first line of action. You can do this from the Macbook dock or from the activity monitor.

If there is a small dot below the Apple Music icon on the Dock, it means the app is still running in the background. To force quit the app, just tap the icon with two fingers and select Exit.

To force quit Apple Music from Activity Monitor, follow the steps below.

Step 1: Tap the search icon in the upper right corner of the menu bar to start the Spotlight search. Alternatively, Spotlight search can also be started quickly using the Command + Spacebar keyboard shortcut.

2nd step: Then type Activity Monitor in the Spotlight search bar and hit Return on your keyboard or just double click Activity Monitor in the result.

Step 3: Find and select Apple Music or iTunes from the list of apps in the CPU section of Activity Monitor. Next, tap the x icon in the top left corner.

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

This will close all processes related to Apple Music on your Mac. Now launch Apple Music again and check if the app is now working and playing songs correctly.

2. Reactivate the synchronization library

Apple Music syncs your song library with other devices signed in to your account. You may not be able to play the songs if there is a problem with the app syncing process. However, an easy way to fix this is to restart library sync, that is, turn off and on the sync library. It also helps in fixing 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.

2nd step: Then select Preferences from the context menu.

This will open the iTunes settings menu.

Step 3: In the General tab, uncheck the option “iCloud Music Library” and press OK.

Step 4: Wait a few seconds and then repeat step 1 – step 3. After that, check the option “ iCloud Music Library ” and press OK to save the changes.

This will identify and update your iCloud Music Library and eliminate any sync related errors preventing Apple Music from working properly.

3. Clear Apple Music Library Cache

Some users might get Apple Music to work again on their Mac by deleting the app cache files / folders. You should try this if none of the above methods help. Before continuing, make sure the iTunes app is closed.

Step 1: Use the “Command + Spacebar” keyboard shortcut to start the Spotlight search. Paste the directory (~ / Library / Caches) in the search bar and press Return on your keyboard.

This will launch the folder containing the cached files for all the apps installed on your Mac.

2nd step: Then find the folder with iTunes or Apple_Music at the end and double click to open it.

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

You can also save them by moving them to another folder on your computer.

4. Update macOS

The iTunes application is optimized to work on Macs running OS X version 10.10.5 or higher. Apple Music may not work properly if your device is running something lower. Additionally, Apple is rolling out software updates to eliminate bugs affecting Apple Music and other applications. And it’s your best chance to get Apple Music to work again if all other solutions fail.

Follow the steps below to update your device’s macOS.

Step 1: Tap the Apple logo in the upper left corner of the menu bar and select “About This Mac”.

2nd step: Then select Software Update.

Make sure your device is connected to the internet.

Step 3: Tap Upgrade Now on the Software Update page to download and install any available updates.

5. Check storage

Like all other apps, Apple Music has a minimum storage requirement for efficient performance. To use Apple Music or iTunes, Apple recommends that you have at least 400MB of free hard disk space on your computer. Here’s how to check your Mac’s storage status.

Step 1: Tap the Apple logo in the upper left corner of the menu bar and select “About This Mac”.

2nd step: Go to the Storage section and check the amount of available storage space.

If the volume is close to 400MB or less, you should remove the redundant files to free up storage space on your Mac. We have a few helpful guides that we’ve linked below. Check them.

6. Check the Apple Music subscription

It’s pretty clear: you can’t access / play songs on Apple Music with an expired subscription. Launch the App Store and verify that your Apple Music subscription is active.

Step 1: Open Apple Music and tap your profile name in the lower left corner.

2nd step: Then click on Show Info in the upper right corner.

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

This will reveal the status of your Apple Music subscription.

Step 4: Make sure your Apple Music subscription reads On. Otherwise, press the Edit button to subscribe or renew your subscription.

7. Check the server status

Finally, verify that the Apple Music server is operational. Apple side downtime or service outages can cause iTunes or Apple Music to malfunction. Check the Apple System Status page to verify that Apple Music and other related services (for example, Apple ID, iTunes Match, Apple Music Radio, Apple Music subscriptions, and the iTunes Store) are online / available .