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Apple Music library out of sync

As of yesterday, my library on my iPhone is not synced up with what I see on my desktop or laptop. Any music I add or any playlists I create from my laptop do not show up on my phone. What's strange is that if I add songs or create playlists from my phone, they show up on my PC/laptop, and when I edit a playlist the changes carry over. So it seems like it's sending data, but not receiving any. Any ideas as to what might be happening? I've tried resetting my phone. I'm hesitant to log out of my Apple ID because my library has about 20,000 songs and I'm afraid it's too big to sync to my phone if I log out. I went through that process just a few months ago and it was a huge headache.

iPhone 14 Pro, iOS 16

Posted on Apr 14, 2023 9:44 AM

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5 replies

Apr 17, 2023 6:29 PM in response to Upset Komodo

Hey there and welcome to Apple Support Communities Upset Komodo,


We can certainly understand your concern and can help provide some insight.


We recommend checking out these steps on how to sync your device and see if that matches up with your procedure.


" Use iTunes to sync your iPhone, iPad, or iPod with your computer

Learn how to sync music, movies, and more using iTunes on your Mac or PC.


If you're using macOS Mojave or earlier or a Windows PC, use iTunes to sync content to your devices. Before you use iTunes to sync content to your iOS or iPadOS device, consider using iCloud, Apple Music, or similar services to keep content from your Mac or PC in the cloud. This way, you can access your music, photos, and more on your devices when you aren't near your computer. Learn more about using Apple Music or iCloud Photos instead of iTunes.

If you use iCloud or other services like Apple Music to keep your content up-to-date across all of your devices, some syncing features through iTunes might be turned off.

What you can sync with iTunes

  • Albums, songs, playlists, movies, TV shows, podcasts, and audiobooks.
  • Photos and videos.
  • Contacts and calendars.

iTunes features might vary by country or region.



Sync or remove content using iTunes

  1. Open iTunes and connect your device to your computer with a USB cable.
  2. Click the device icon in the upper-left corner of the iTunes window. Learn what to do if you don't see the icon

The device icon in the upper left corner of the iTunes window.


3. From the list under Settings on the left side of the iTunes window, click the type of content that you want to sync or remove.* To turn syncing on for a content type, select the checkbox next to Sync.

The checkbox next to Sync Music in iTunes.


4. Select the checkbox next to each item that you want to sync.

5. Click the Apply button in the lower-right corner of the window. If syncing doesn't start automatically, click the Sync button. "


For additional information, check out this link: Use iTunes to sync your iPhone, iPad, or iPod with your computer - Apple Support 


These steps will help ensure your device is working with ease and can fix common issues like the ones you’re experiencing.


Kindest regards!


Apr 18, 2023 8:57 AM in response to Upset Komodo

Hi Upset Komodo,


Have you attempted to restart both your computer and iPhone? This will allow both to refresh and reconnect. Here's how to restart your iPhone:


1. Press and hold either volume button and the side button until the power-off slider appears.
The volume button is located on the left side of the device, and the side button is located on the right
2. Drag the slider, then wait 30 seconds for your device to turn off. If your device is frozen or unresponsive, force restart your device.
3. To turn your device back on, press and hold the side button (on the right side of your iPhone) until you see the Apple logo.


This information is from Restart your iPhone - Apple Support.


Next, complete the guidance here to make sure th settings are correct between your iPhone and PC: If songs are missing from your music library after you turn on Sync Library - Apple Support


Take care.

Apr 22, 2023 9:18 AM in response to 1ssmith

I've tried all the obvious steps several times. I've reset both my phone and my laptop, made sure they're connected to the Internet, made sure I'm logged into both with my Apple ID, and turned on Sync Library for everything.


I still have the same problem: I can add to my library and edit playlists from my phone, but any changes I make from my laptop or desktop are not reflected on my phone. If I add an album to my library or create a new playlist on my phone, it will show up on iTunes on desktop. But when I add music or create or edit playlists on desktop, it doesn't carry over on my phone. So it's one of two things: either iTunes on desktop can read from my library but not write to it, or Apple Music on my phone can write to my library but not read from it. I'm almost positive it's the latter because if I create a playlist on my laptop, I can see it on my desktop.


I'd really appreciate some human assistance with this, not just a link to a generic support page I've already read.


Apr 22, 2023 4:01 PM in response to Upset Komodo

Hi Upset Komodo,


At this point, as you've done all of the troubleshooting suggested, we'd advise to contact Apple Support, so they can look further into why this is happening.

Get Support

Make sure to mention that you are an Apple Music subscriber, and that you have Sync Library enabled on all of your Apple devices, and iCloud Music Library enabled on your PC.

Include the troubleshooting you've done so far, as all these details will help.


All the best.

Apple Music library out of sync

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