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Delay between iTunes Store purchase and Music app on iOS

Having an issue where there is a long delay between purchasing a song on the iTunes Store app and the song showing up in the Music app on iOS. Sometimes the delay is minutes, other times the delay is tens of minutes but never more than an hour in my experience.


Some other symptoms of this behavior:


In the iTunes Store app:

Sometimes a purchased song's price/purchase button will revert to the price other times the button will say "PURCHASED". If the button reverts to the price of the song, tapping a second time will prompt that I own the song and ask if I want to purchase again. While tapping on "PURCHASED" does nothing. (same for entire albums).


Tapping on the song title just plays the snippet of the song, not the song itself even after purchase (not sure if that is abnormal behavior).


Going to "More" (... icon) > Purchased > Music > [artist name] shows the album/songs with the download icon (cloud with arrow pointing down). When tapped switches to "Downloaded" then after a few moments, flips back to the download icon.


Happening on iPhone SE latest gen iOS 16.x, though this may have happened in 15.x as well? Can't remember, but it has been happening awhile. "sync library" in settings is on.


Using apple card in apple pay for purchases (thought maybe they won't give me the song until the transaction processes and that is happening slowly?)


Curious if anyone else is experiencing this or if there is a fix that I'm unable to find because I've searched about this several times with no solution.

iPhone SE

Posted on Sep 5, 2023 8:27 AM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Feb 2, 2024 12:51 PM

I have the same issue, except in my case I find the music can take one or two days to finalize. It often sits as "pending" in purchases overnight. I use the Moises music app and have to buy the music to load it into Moises. I have all kinds of issues with when the music actually shows up, and when it actually becomes available to use in Moises. I'm buying the music from Apple to use on my Apple devices, nowhere else, so why on earth does it take so long to have the music fully available in the Music app?


There's some serious discombobulation here Apple! This should have been fixed long ago.

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17 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Feb 2, 2024 12:51 PM in response to ImminentTechnologies

I have the same issue, except in my case I find the music can take one or two days to finalize. It often sits as "pending" in purchases overnight. I use the Moises music app and have to buy the music to load it into Moises. I have all kinds of issues with when the music actually shows up, and when it actually becomes available to use in Moises. I'm buying the music from Apple to use on my Apple devices, nowhere else, so why on earth does it take so long to have the music fully available in the Music app?


There's some serious discombobulation here Apple! This should have been fixed long ago.

Oct 5, 2023 7:49 PM in response to ImminentTechnologies

Hello - same situation here. Few extra points :

  • purchases made in the phone are not immediately available in the music app…(just like you)
  • those same purchases, on the other hand, are IMMEDIATELY downloaded into my Mac….


also

  • using Apple Card… and
  • with a Apple Music subscription active…


noted that if you log off the music app and back on purchase becomes visible.


Apr 18, 2024 9:43 PM in response to ImminentTechnologies

Same problem. Wish someone would do something about this. Apple store, Apple music app, Apple phone. You’d think it would all integrate seamlessly since it’s the default apps on the device, all with the same account. But I purchase something and it takes at least a full day to appear in my itunes library. So annoying. Makes me want to use a different service. I don’t buy an album because I want to listen tomorrow. I want to listen on this road trip starting now!

Aug 25, 2024 7:44 PM in response to ImminentTechnologies

Cmon Apple! This is unsat for a corporation that is so advanced! This issue has been going on much longer than this thread is old. And why haven’t you at Apple chiming on this thread and at least given us a potential fix or some type of resolution? There is absolutely no excuse for not responding back to the consumer when they have issues or questions!

Delay between iTunes Store purchase and Music app on iOS

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