How to Fix Apple Music Not Playing Offline

Step 1. Make Sure Your Songs Are Downloaded

Offline Mode only works with songs that are fully downloaded, or sometimes recently played tracks with cached files. First, check that your Apple Music songs are actually saved on your device. Open your Library and go to the Downloaded section. Look for the download icon next to each song. If it's missing or shows a cloud, download it again. Occasionally, downloads may appear complete but aren't if your device ran out of storage or if automatic downloads were interrupted.

Mobile

Step 1 Open the Apple Music app.

Step 2 Go to the Library tab.

Step 3 Look for downloaded songs or albums; they should have a cloud icon with a downward arrow.

Step 4 If the icon is missing or shows a cloud, tap it to download.

Desktop (Mac/Windows)

Step 1 Open Apple Music (Mac) or iTunes (Windows).

Step 2 Go to your Library.

Step 3 Look for the download icon (cloud with downward arrow) next to each track.

Step 4 Click it to download any songs that aren't fully saved.

Step 2. Check Your Apple Music Subscription

Don't forget to check your Apple Music subscription. Offline playback only works with an active subscription. If it has expired, downloaded songs may refuse to play or even disappear. You can confirm your subscription in your Apple ID settings and renew it if needed.

Mobile

Step 1 Open the Settings app.

Step 2 Tap your name at the top.

Step 3 Select Subscriptions and find Apple Music.

Step 4 Make sure the subscription is active.

Desktop

Step 1 Open Apple Music/iTunes.

Step 2 Click Account > View My Account.

Step 3 Confirm that your subscription is active.

Step 3. Free Up Space on Your Device

Low storage can also block offline playback. Even if songs are downloaded, Apple Music may fail silently when your device is almost full. Free up space by deleting unused apps, old downloads, or clearing cached data.

Mobile

Step 1 Open Settings > General > iPhone/iPad Storage (or equivalent on Android).

Step 2 Check your available storage.

Step 3 Delete unused apps, old downloads, or clear cache to free space.

Desktop

Step 1 Check storage on your Mac (Apple menu > About This Mac > Storage) or Windows (Settings > System > Storage).

Step 2 Delete unnecessary files or apps to free up space.

Step 4. Turn Offline Mode Off and On

Try toggling Offline Mode off and on. On iOS, Offline Mode is tied to Airplane Mode in Apple Music, and there's no separate setting to toggle it. Refresh it by turning Airplane Mode off, connecting to Wi-Fi or Cellular, and then turning Offline Mode (or AirPlay Mode) back on to recover access to your downloaded songs.

Mobile

Step 1 Open Settings > Airplane Mode.

Step 2 Toggle it on for 30 seconds, then off.

Step 3 Open Apple Music and reconnect to Wi-Fi or Cellular.

Desktop

Step 1 Ensure Apple Music/iTunes is connected to the internet.

Step 2 Sign out and back into your Apple ID if necessary to refresh access.

Step 5. Close and Reopen Apple Music

Force-close and reopen Apple Music. Apps can get stuck, and Apple Music is no exception. Swipe the app away in the multitask menu and relaunch it. This simple step often fixes songs that won't play offline.

Mobile

Step 1 Swipe up from the bottom of the screen (or double-click Home on older devices) to open the app switcher.

Step 2 Swipe up on the Apple Music app to close it.

Step 3 Reopen the app and try playing offline songs.

Desktop

Step 1 Close Apple Music/iTunes.

Step 2 Wait for 30 seconds.

Step 3 Reopen the app from the Start menu or Dock.

Step 6. Turn Off Dolby Atmos and Lossless Audio

Dolby Atmos and Lossless Audio can sometimes cause problems with offline playback. If your downloaded tracks refuse to play, try disabling these settings in the Music app, helpful for Dolby Atmos tracks that may not fully work in offline mode.

Mobile

Step 1 Open Settings > Music.

Step 2 Scroll to Audio Quality.

Step 3 Toggle Dolby Atmos and Lossless Audio off.

Desktop

Step 1 Open Apple Music.

Step 2 Go to Music > Preferences > Playback.

Step 3 Uncheck Dolby Atmos and Lossless Audio options.

Step 7. Turn Sync Library Off and On

Reset Sync Library. Sync Library keeps your songs consistent across devices, but sync errors can block offline playback. Turn Sync Library off, wait a few seconds, and turn it back on. This refreshes your library and often fixes minor glitches.

Mobile

Step 1 Open Settings > Music > Sync Library.

Step 2 Toggle it off, wait a few seconds, then toggle it on.

Desktop

Step 1 Open Apple Music/iTunes.

Step 2 Go to Preferences > General > Sync Library.

Step 3 Uncheck Sync Library, wait a moment, then check it again.

Step 8. Sign Out of Apple ID and Sign Back In

Sign out of your Apple ID and sign back in. Offline playback relies on account permissions. If the app isn't fully recognizing your account, this step can reset access and fix stubborn songs.

Mobile

Step 1 Open Settings > [Your Name] > Media & Purchases > Sign Out.

Step 2 Enter your Apple ID password and confirm.

Step 3 Tap Sign In and log back into your Apple ID.

Desktop

Step 1 Open Apple Music/iTunes.

Step 2 Click Account > Sign Out.

Step 3 Sign back in with your Apple ID.

Step 9. Redownload Songs That Don't Play Offline

Redownload any songs that still won't play. Corrupted or incomplete downloads are a common cause of offline playback issues. Delete the song, download it again, and try playing it. Avoid downloading in Dolby Atmos if it previously caused issues.

Mobile

Step 1 Open Apple Music and go to the Library tab.

Step 2 Find the song or album that isn't playing.

Step 3 Tap the three dots > Remove/Delete from Library.

Step 4 Open Settings > Music > Downloads > Download in Dolby Atmos.

Step 5 Unselect Download in Dolby Atmos to avoid compatibility issues.

Step 6 Return to Apple Music and tap the cloud icon to redownload the song or album.

Desktop

Step 1 Open Apple Music/iTunes.

Step 2 Delete the song from your Library.

Step 3 Go to Preferences > Playback and make sure downloads use AAC 256 kbps instead of Lossless Audio.

Step 4 Return to your Library and click the download icon to redownload the song.

Step 10. Restart Your Device

Restart your device. A simple restart clears system caches and refreshes connections. Even if the problem seems app-specific, restarting your iPhone, iPad, or Mac can fix lingering glitches.

Mobile

Step 1 Press and hold the side and volume buttons until the slider appears.

Step 2 Slide to power off, wait a few seconds, then turn it back on.

Desktop

Step 1 Close all apps and restart your Mac or PC.

Step 2 Reopen Apple Music/iTunes.

Step 11. Update Apple Music and Your Device

Update Apple Music and your device software. Apple regularly releases updates that fix bugs affecting offline playback. Keeping both the app and your device current ensures you benefit from the latest fixes.

Mobile

Step 1 Open the App Store and tap your profile icon.

Step 2 Scroll to pending updates and tap Update for Apple Music.

Step 3 Open Settings > General > Software Update to update your device OS if available.

Desktop

Step 1 On Mac, open the App Store > Updates and update Apple Music.

Step 2 On Windows, open iTunes > Help > Check for Updates.

Advanced Solutions:

Tip 1: Restore Device OS through iTunes:

1. Connect your iPhone to your computer and open iTunes (or Finder on macOS Catalina and later).
2. Select your device when it appears.
3. Click Restore iPhone and follow the prompts. Make sure to back up your data first.

Tip 2: Reset iCloud Settings:

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap your name > iCloud.
3. Scroll down and tap Sign Out.
4. Follow the prompts to sign out, then sign back in.

Tip 3: Reset Network Settings:

1. Open Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone > Reset > Reset Network Settings.
2. Enter your passcode and confirm. (Note: this erases saved Wi-Fi passwords.)

Tip 4: Offload Apple Music:

1. Open Settings > General > iPhone Storage.
2. Find Apple Music and tap it.
3. Tap Offload App, then confirm.
4. Reinstall Apple Music from the App Store.

Step 12. Convert Songs to MP3 for Offline Use

One issue many Apple Music users overlook is DRM (Digital Rights Management), which can cause problems with offline playback. DRM not only protects streamed music but can also require an internet connection to validate downloaded tracks, sometimes preventing them from playing offline.

Don't worry—there's a solution. ViWizard Apple Music Converter is a professional tool designed to help Apple Music subscribers download and convert their tracks into flexible formats like MP3 while removing DRM at the same time. With DRM-free MP3 files, your songs can be used offline across devices without relying on an active Apple Music subscription or the Apple Music app. This ensures a more stable offline listening experience and makes managing your music much easier. It's a practical option if all other steps fail and your offline playback is still giving you trouble.