When you open your Apple Music library, you expect to see all your favorite albums looking just right. But sometimes, you'll notice something's off. The colorful album covers you're used to might be missing, replaced by a blank square or nothing at all. It's a small thing, but it can make a big difference. Album art isn't just there for decoration — it helps you find albums faster and adds to the whole experience of browsing and listening. Without it, your library can feel a little empty, even if all your music is still there.
This is something a lot of users run into, whether they're on an iPhone, iPad, Mac, or even a Windows PC. It's a common hiccup that can take some of the joy out of using the service. The good news is that there are simple ways to fix it. Whether your album art disappeared after an update, a sync, or seemingly at random, these steps will help you bring it back.
Part 1. Why Is Apple Music Album Art Not Showing Up?
Apple Music promises a great music library, but sometimes it doesn't work as expected. Imagine opening your library, ready to play your favorite albums, only to find the album covers are missing. It's a small thing, but it makes the whole experience feel off.
Main Causes:
After iOS Updates: This isn't a rare problem. Many users talk about it on Reddit and Apple Discussions. A big cause seems to be software updates. After the iOS 18.2 update, many people noticed that their album art disappeared. Bugs like this can happen at any time, even with something as simple as album covers.
Syncing Issues: Syncing between devices can also cause problems. If you add artwork to albums on your Mac, it might not show up on your iPhone. Apple's iCloud Music Library is supposed to sync everything, but it doesn't always do it right, especially if the artwork isn't saved directly in the music file.
Migrating Libraries: If you moved your old iTunes library to the new Music app on Mac, you may have noticed missing album art and even missing files. Many people have faced this issue after migrating their iTunes library.
iCloud Music Library Sync Errors: iCloud Music Library itself can also be a problem. If your internet connection is weak or there's a syncing error, your album art might not appear. It can get stuck somewhere between your devices and Apple's servers.
Corrupted Cache: Another issue is the system that handles album artwork, called AMPArtworkAgent. If its data gets corrupted, your albums might show up without any artwork, just blank squares.
Manual Artwork Additions: Manually adding album art can also lead to problems. If the artwork looks fine on your Mac, it might not sync to your iPhone because of syncing issues.
In the end, missing album art isn't just about missing images. It's about your library feeling incomplete. But don't worry — fixing it is possible. In the next part, we'll show you how to get your album art back.
Part 2. How to Fix Album Art Not Showing on Apple Music
1. Turn Off Content Restrictions
The Explicit Filter in Apple Music may be causing album art issues. While it's meant to block explicit content, sometimes it can incorrectly flag album metadata, preventing the artwork from displaying.
How to Turn Off the Explicit Filter:
- On iOS (Music App):
- Open the Settings app.
- Tap Screen Time.
- Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions.
- Enter your Screen Time passcode if prompted.
- Tap Content Restrictions.
- Select Music, Podcasts & News.
- Choose Explicit to allow explicit content.
- On macOS (Music App):
- Open System Preferences.
- Click Screen Time.
- Make sure Screen Time is turned on.
- Go to Content & Privacy and disable restrictions on explicit content.
- On Windows (iTunes):
- Open iTunes.
- Go to Edit > Preferences.
- Click the Restrictions tab.
- Ensure the Explicit Content option is unchecked.
How to Turn On/Off Apple Music Explicit on Windows/Mac/iPhone
2. Update iOS and the Apple Music App
Sometimes, bugs in Apple Music or iOS can cause album art to disappear. Make sure your device's software is up to date.
How to Update:
- On iPhone/iPad: Go to Settings > General > Software Update.
- On Mac: Go to System Preferences > Software Update.
- Also, update the Apple Music app through the App Store for iPhone or iPad.
3. Delete All Downloaded Apple Music
Corrupted music files might cause album art to go missing. Try deleting and re-downloading the music.
How to Delete Downloaded Music:
- On iOS:
- Open the Music app.
- Go to Library and tap Downloaded Music.
- Find albums or songs missing album art, tap and hold, then tap Remove.
- Choose Remove Download to delete it.
- Re-download the album or song from Apple Music.
- On macOS:
- Open the Music app.
- Click on Library and choose Only Downloaded Music.
- Right-click the affected album and select Remove Download.
- Re-download it from Apple Music.
- On Windows:
- Open iTunes and click Library.
- Choose Downloaded from the sidebar.
- Right-click the album and select Remove Download.
- Re-download it from Apple Music.
How to Remove Songs from Apple Music Playlists/Library
4. Sync Apple Music Library
Syncing your Apple Music library can help fix album art issues by ensuring everything is up to date across devices.
How to Sync Library:
- On iPhone/iPad:
- Go to Settings > Music.
- Toggle off Sync Library, wait a few seconds, and toggle it back on.
- On macOS:
- Open the Music app.
- Go to Preferences > General and uncheck Sync Library.
- Wait a few seconds and check it again.
- On Windows:
- Open iTunes.
- Go to Preferences > Advanced and uncheck iCloud Music Library.
- Wait a few seconds and check it again.
How to Turn Off iCloud Music Library on iPhone, Mac, and PC
5. Re-add Affected Songs
After deleting and syncing your music, try re-adding the songs that were missing album art.
How to Re-add Songs: Go to your Library, find the songs missing album art, and tap the cloud icon to re-add them.
How to Create an Apple Music/iTunes Playlist Easily
6. Clear Artwork Cache
Apple Music stores album artwork in a cache, and if this cache gets corrupted, it can prevent album art from appearing. Clearing the cache can resolve this issue.
- On iOS: There is no direct way to clear the cache. However, restarting your device may help.
- On macOS: Open the Music app, right-click the album, and choose Get Album Artwork to refresh the artwork.
7. Manual Artwork Management
Get Album Art Automatically
- On macOS (Music App):
- Open Music.
- Right-click the album or song missing artwork.
- Select Song Info or Album Info.
- Go to the Artwork tab and click Get Album Artwork.
- On Windows (iTunes):
- Open iTunes.
- Right-click the album or song missing artwork.
- Choose Song Info.
- Click the Artwork tab, then select Get Album Artwork.
Add Album Art Manually
- On macOS:
- Right-click the song or album in Music.
- Select Song Info.
- Go to the Artwork tab and click Add Artwork.
- Select the album art file from your computer.
- On Windows:
- Right-click the song or album in iTunes.
- Choose Song Info.
- Click the Artwork tab and select Add Artwork.
- Choose the album art file.
How to Change Apple Music Album/Playlist Artwork
8. Sync Apple Music Library Locally
If syncing with iCloud doesn't resolve the issue, try syncing locally to ensure album art and metadata are updated properly across devices.
- On macOS:
- Open the Music app on your Mac.
- Connect your iPhone or iPad via USB.
- Drag the song or album to the Device section in the sidebar.
- Select Sync to transfer the music and artwork correctly.
- On Windows (iTunes):
- Open iTunes and connect your iPhone via USB.
- Locate the song or album you want to add.
- Drag the track to your device's icon in the sidebar.
- Click Sync to complete the transfer.
Bonus: How to Download Apple Music with Album Arts
If you want to download Apple Music tracks and preserve the album art and metadata, ViWizard Apple Music Converter is an excellent option. This tool lets you convert Apple Music songs to MP3 format while keeping essential details like album art, song titles, artist names, and album information intact.
ViWizard is perfect for creating a permanent backup of your Apple Music library. By converting your songs to MP3, you ensure they're compatible with a variety of devices and media players, even if your Apple Music subscription ends or you switch to a non-Apple device. The best part is that ViWizard doesn't just convert the audio; it also keeps the album artwork intact, so your music collection stays organized and visually appealing. Once converted, you can easily manage your files on any device, ensuring both the music and its artwork are preserved. If you're getting interested, you can try it for free:
A full-featured Apple Music converter that easily converts Apple Music songs, albums, playlists—including iCloud Music Library content, personalized recommendations, and curated playlists—into MP3, M4A, M4B, WAV, AIFF, and FLAC so you can keep your Apple Music forever or transfer it to any device without restrictions.
Step 1Install ViWizard and Connect Your Apple Music Account
Start by downloading ViWizard Apple Music Converter from the official website. The software is compatible with both Windows and macOS. Once installed, launch the application and log in using your Apple ID that's linked to your Apple Music subscription. This login allows ViWizard to access your full music library, including songs, playlists, and albums, directly from the interface.
Step 2Choose MP3 as the Output Format
Next, select MP3 as the output format to ensure your music is compatible with most devices. To do this, click on the settings icon in the upper-right corner of the interface. In the audio preferences window, choose MP3 as your preferred format, and adjust the sample rate, bit rate, and channels to suit your audio quality preferences. Once everything is set to your liking, click "OK" to save your settings.
Step 3Add Your Music to the Conversion List
With your settings configured, it's time to add music to your conversion list. Click the "+" button to load your music library, which will display all the available content linked to your Apple Music account. You can select specific playlists, albums, or even the entire library. Once you've made your selection, add the songs to the conversion queue by clicking "Add to Conversion List." When you're ready, press the "Convert" button to start the conversion process.
ViWizard will automatically convert multiple tracks at once. The speed of the conversion will depend on your computer's performance and the size of the music files. Let the tool work its magic while you wait.
Step 4Find Your MP3 Files and Backup
After the conversion is complete, click on the "History" button to view all your converted MP3 files. From there, you can easily access the output folder containing your music files. Now, you have your Apple Music tracks saved as MP3 files, free from any subscription or DRM restrictions. You can back them up to other devices, upload them to cloud storage, or organize them in any music player, such as VLC or Windows Media Player, for offline listening.
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Adam Gorden, the digital media specialist at ViWizard, is dedicated to providing the best solutions for digital media management, including audio and video conversion, file optimization, and media workflow enhancements.
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