You tap the download button and nothing happens. Or the song sits on “Waiting” forever, or it downloads and then vanishes a week later. Apple Music download problems usually come down to a handful of causes: connection, storage, a setting or two, or your subscription. Work through these fixes in order; most people are sorted by the fourth.
1. Check your connection (and Apple's)
Downloads need a steady connection. Switch between Wi-Fi and mobile data, turn off any VPN, and try another network if you can. If nothing downloads on any device, check Apple's System Status page: when Apple Music itself is having problems, there's nothing to fix on your end.
2. Allow downloads over mobile data
By default, Apple Music may only download on Wi-Fi. On iPhone, go to Settings › Apps › Music › Cellular Data and turn on Downloads. On Android, open Apple Music's settings and allow downloads over mobile data. If songs download at home but not on the move, this is almost always the reason.
3. Free up storage space
Apple Music won't download when your device is nearly full, and it doesn't always say so. Check Settings › General › iPhone Storage (or your Android or Windows storage settings) and clear a few gigabytes. Each song takes several megabytes, and more in Lossless.
4. Turn off Optimize Storage (if your downloads keep disappearing)
Optimize Storage (Settings › Apps › Music) automatically removes downloaded songs you haven't played recently when your iPhone runs low on space. It's the usual reason downloads seem to vanish on their own. Turn it off, or raise its minimum so more music stays put.
5. Make sure Sync Library is on
With Sync Library off, Apple Music can't add catalogue songs to your library, and songs that aren't in your library can't be downloaded. Turn it on in Settings › Apps › Music on iPhone, in Music › Settings › General on a Mac, or in the Apple Music app's settings on Windows and Android.
6. Check your subscription
A failed payment or an expired trial stops downloads, and already-downloaded songs stop playing. On iPhone, check Settings › your name › Subscriptions. If you're on a family or Apple One plan, make sure the plan itself is still active.
7. Check whether the song is available where you are
A greyed-out song usually isn't available in your country or region, or the rights holder has removed it from Apple Music. There's no setting that fixes that; look for another version of the song (a different album, single or deluxe edition) that is available.
8. Check Screen Time restrictions
If Screen Time limits explicit content, explicit songs won't download or play. Look in Settings › Screen Time › Content & Privacy Restrictions for the Music setting under content restrictions (Apple renames this menu between iOS versions) and allow Explicit. Family members' devices are the usual suspects.
9. Sign out and back in
A stale sign-in can block downloads. On iPhone, go to Settings › your name › Media & Purchases › Sign Out, restart, and sign back in. Be aware that this can remove songs you've already downloaded, so you may need to download them again afterwards.
10. Restart and update everything
Restart your device, then update the operating system and Apple Music: iOS in Settings › General › Software Update, the Android app from Google Play, and the Windows app from the Microsoft Store. On Windows 11, if downloads still fail after updating, sign out of the app, sign back in, and make sure the drive holding your Music folder has free space.
11. Remove the stuck download and try again
For a single stubborn song, touch and hold it, choose Remove › Remove Download, then download it again. On Android, clearing the app's cache (Settings › Apps › Apple Music › Storage › Clear cache) often helps, and if you save downloads to an SD card, check the card is inserted and has space in Apple Music's download location setting.
When you need a file, not an in-app download
Apple Music downloads only ever play inside Apple's apps. If what you actually need is a file, for a car's USB port, a video editor or a device without Apple Music, the download button was never going to give you that. TunesLoader makes MP3 or M4A files from publicly available recordings of the same songs, in the browser and without an account. Paste a link into the song downloader or the playlist downloader. It's a separate tool, not part of Apple Music, so it won't fix the app; but it doesn't depend on it either.
As always, keep downloaded files to personal, non-commercial use. The rules depend on where you live and on the rights to each song.
