How to Fix Apple Music/iTunes Songs Greyed Out

Part 1: Why Songs Are Greyed Out on Apple Music or iTunes

1. Regional or Licensing Issues

Some songs just aren't available in every country due to licensing or availability issues. For example, if a greyed-out song says "No Longer Available," it means it was added from Apple Music but has since been removed from the Apple Music catalog. Let's break down the common reasons:

Try searching for a different version of the track. Remastered or live versions are often still available.

2. iCloud Music Library or Sync Library Problems

Syncing between devices doesn't always go smoothly. If songs show up on one device but are greyed out on another, you're probably dealing with a sync hiccup. Try turning off Sync Library in Settings or Preferences, wait 10 seconds, then turn it back on. Still stuck? Sign out of Apple Music and sign back in (see Part 2 – Solution 1).

3. Manually Added Files or Broken Metadata

Songs from CDs or other sources that don't match Apple Music's version can become greyed out—like if you renamed or moved the file. Sometimes it's just missing altogether. Open iTunes or the Music app, right-click the track, and choose "Show in Windows Explorer/Finder," or go to Song Info > File > location. Make sure the file path is still valid. If it's missing, re-add it from your drive.

4. Content Restrictions (Explicit Music)

Parental controls can block songs marked as explicit. This applies whether you set the restriction or someone else did—like in Family Sharing. Go to Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions and check your settings (see Part 2 – Solution 8). You can also try adding a clean version of the same song.

5. DRM or Device Authorization Limits

Apple only allows a limited number of devices per Apple ID. If you've reached the limit or changed devices recently, you may need to reauthorize. Go to Account > Authorizations > Authorize This Computer in iTunes or Music on Mac (see Part 2 – Solution 4). Also, make sure your device is connected to the internet to verify your license.

Even downloaded songs need to verify their license from time to time. If you've been offline for too long, tracks might go grey until they're refreshed. Reconnect to Wi-Fi or cellular, open the Music app, and let it sync for a bit. That usually does the trick.

Part 2: How to Fix Greyed Out Songs on Apple Music or iTunes

1. Sign Out of Apple Music and Sign Back In

If your library looks fine but the songs won't play, there might be an account session issue. Sign out of your Apple ID on all devices, wait a few seconds, then sign back in. It sounds simple, but this step often triggers a re-sync that clears greyed-out tracks instantly.

Still not working? Restart your device after signing back in—it can help reset playback permissions.

• For iOS:

  

  1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
  2. Tap your Apple ID at the top.
  3. Scroll down and tap Media & Purchases.
  4. Choose Sign Out.
  5. After a few seconds, tap Sign In and enter your Apple ID credentials.
  6. Fully close the Apple Music app if it's open.
  7. Re-open the app to complete the re-authentication process.

• For Windows/Mac:

  

  1. Open iTunes or the Music app on your computer.
  2. From the menu bar, go to Account > Sign Out.
  3. Then go back to Account > Sign In and enter your Apple ID and password.
  4. After signing in, close and relaunch the app to ensure everything syncs properly.

2. Remove and Re-Add Greyed-Out Songs

Sometimes the song itself is the problem. If the file is corrupted or improperly linked, removing it from your library and re-adding it can fix things. Tap or right-click the greyed-out track and choose Remove from Library. Then search for the same song again and add it back. Some users say this worked gradually as it happened to them—but it's still frustrating to re-add nearly half the library.

• For iOS:

  

  1. Open the Apple Music app.
  2. Locate the greyed-out track in your library.
  3. Swipe left and tap Delete, or long-press and choose Remove from Library.
  4. Search for the song again in the Apple Music catalog.
  5. Tap the + icon or Add to Library to restore it.

• For Windows/Mac:

  1. In iTunes or Music, go to your library.
  2. Right-click the greyed-out song and choose Delete from Library.
  3. Confirm the deletion when prompted.
  4. Use search to find the same song in Apple Music.
  5. Click the + icon or Download to re-add it.

  Tip: If many songs are affected, you may need to do this gradually. Some users report needing to re-add a large portion of their library manually after updates or sync failures.

  Still stuck? Try updating your device to a new version, like iOS 17. Thankfully, related issues have been fixed in recent updates.

3. Update Apple Music and Your Device Software

Bugs happen. If your app or device software is out of date, certain features—like syncing or playback—can break. Check for software updates in Settings (on iOS) or System Preferences (on Mac). On Windows, update iTunes to the latest version manually.

If there's an update available, install it and restart your device. Many users report greyed-out songs fixing themselves after updates.

• For iOS:

  1. Go to Settings > General > Software Update and install any available updates.
  2. After updating, restart your iPhone to apply changes.

• For Windows/Mac:

  1. On Mac: Go to System Settings > General > Software Update.
  2. On Windows: Open iTunes and go to Help > Check for Updates, then install if available.
  3. Relaunch the app after updating.

4. Deauthorize and Reauthorize Your Computer

Using Apple Music on a desktop or laptop? Your computer needs to be authorized under your Apple ID to play DRM-protected tracks, like your iTunes purchases. Go to Account > Authorizations > Deauthorize This Computer, then restart iTunes or Music and authorize it again.

Make sure your device is online when you do this. The DRM check won't complete if your connection is down.

For Windows/Mac:

1. Open iTunes or Music on your computer.
2. Go to Account > Authorizations > Deauthorize This Computer.
3. Close the app, then reopen it.
4. Go back to Account > Authorizations > Authorize This Computer.
5. Enter your Apple ID and password to complete.

Note: Make sure your computer is connected to the internet, or the authorization check may fail.

5. Make Sure the Song Is Selected for Playback

In iTunes and some Mac versions of Music, songs can be unchecked—which means they won't play or sync. Right-click on any greyed-out track and make sure Check Selection is enabled. You can also go to Songs view, select all, and re-check everything at once. If your songs still don't play after that, try refreshing the cloud library again.

For Windows/Mac:

1. Switch to the Songs view in iTunes or Music.
2. Find any greyed-out tracks.
3. Right-click and look for Check Selection or manually check the box next to the song title.
4. If you have many unchecked songs, use Command + A (Mac) or Ctrl + A (Windows) to select all and re-check them.
5. Once checked, go to File > Library > Update Cloud Library again to sync changes.

6. Manually Refresh Your Cloud Music Library

Apple Music's cloud syncing doesn't always update on its own. If you've recently added songs or imported local files, open Music (on Mac) or iTunes (on Windows), and go to File > Library > Update Cloud Library. This will force a fresh sync across your devices.

If songs are stuck in a "Waiting" state or never fully upload to the cloud, give it a minute or two. You should see the grey icons turn back to normal once matching is complete. It triggers a forced sync with Apple's servers and music catalog and helps resolve songs stuck due to mismatched metadata or incomplete uploads.

• For iOS:

  

  1. Open Settings, then scroll down and tap Music.
  2. Toggle Sync Library off, wait a few seconds, then toggle it back on.
  3. Close Settings and re-open the Apple Music app.

• For Windows/Mac:

  

  1. Open iTunes (Windows) or Music (Mac).
  2. Go to File > Library > Update Cloud Library to trigger a forced sync.
  3. You can also double-check Preferences > General to ensure Sync Library is enabled.
  4. After that, close and relaunch the app.

  After a minute or two, greyed-out songs should resolve once Apple's cloud re-matching is complete.

7. Use a New Apple ID Set to Another Region (Optional)

If a song is greyed out because it's not available in your region, you're out of luck—unless you switch to a different region. You can create a secondary Apple ID and set its region to the country where the song is available. Keep in mind, this only works for streaming, and you'll need to log out of your main account to switch. Not ideal, but it works if you're after hard-to-find international tracks.

1. Sign out of your main Apple ID on your device.
2. Create a new Apple ID at apple.com/apple-account and set the country to the one where the song is available.
3. Log into the new Apple ID on your device and open Apple Music.
4. Search for and stream the region-locked track.

8. Turn Off Content and Privacy Restrictions

Greyed-out explicit songs? Screen Time settings might be to blame—especially on family-shared devices. Go to Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions, and under Music, Podcasts & News, make sure Explicit content is allowed.

Try playing the song again once you lift the restriction. If it's still grey, remove and re-add it to your library.

For iOS:

1. Go to Settings > Screen Time.
2. Tap Content & Privacy Restrictions.
3. Tap Music, Podcasts & News, then set to Allow Explicit Content.
4. You can also temporarily turn off all restrictions to test playback.
5. Re-open Apple Music to see if the song plays normally. If not, try re-adding the track.

Part 3. How to Find and Track Greyed Out Songs

1. Create a Smart Playlist for unavailable songs

Apple Music doesn't make it obvious when songs go missing—but a smart playlist can help. If you're seeing greyed-out tracks scattered across your library, try creating a Smart Playlist that filters them automatically.

Open iTunes or the Music app, then set the rule to: "iCloud Status is No Longer Available." This tells your music app to find every song that's been removed or can't be played anymore. If you want to narrow it down even more, add another rule like "Location is On This Computer" to see only songs stored on your device. Many Reddit users say this trick is super helpful for sorting through older songs or large libraries.

2. Use the Music Library Tracker app (iOS only)

If you're using an iPhone or iPad, there's a paid tool called Music Library Tracker. It costs around $3.99 but can save you a lot of time.

This app watches your Apple Music library in the background. If a song disappears, gets changed, or turns greyed out, the app will show you exactly what happened. It keeps a list of all updates—so nothing slips through without you knowing. This is great for people who add a lot of music or don't want to keep checking everything manually. If you're still relying on memory to figure out what's missing, Music Library Tracker might just save you from hours of detective work.

Part 4. Best Alternative to Keep Apple Music Songs Forever

If you're tired of songs going grey or disappearing from your library without warning, you're not alone. The reality is, Apple Music is a rental service—you're streaming access, not ownership. Once your subscription ends, so does your access. Even songs you've saved, downloaded, or carefully organized could become unplayable if they're tied to DRM (Digital Rights Management).

So what's the long-term fix? ViWizard Apple Music Converter. It's a powerful tool that lets you download and keep your Apple Music songs as regular audio files—even after your subscription ends. ViWizard is built for users who want more control. Whether you're using the Apple Music web player or your iTunes library, it picks up your songs right away. Just choose what you want—albums, playlists, or individual tracks—then select the format you prefer, like MP3, and click Convert. It works fast, too—up to 15× faster than most audio recorders.

Need something other than MP3? ViWizard also supports FLAC, WAV, M4A, and more. Even better, it keeps your album art, song title, artist info, and other details intact. You can even customize how your files are named or sorted by heading to Preferences > Output. And yes, it works with older iTunes purchases as well. If a song says "Protected" in the Get Info window, ViWizard can still handle it.

ViWizard Apple Music Converter is available for both Mac and Windows, and you can give it a try for free. If your music collection means something to you, it's a tool worth having.

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Conclusion

Now you may know how to fix greyed out songs on iTunes. You can try the guides above one by one to fix the problem. While most songs can be fixed, if the song has copyright issues, that may not be recoverable, so you'd better back up your playlist in time. The best tool to save your playlists is ViWizard Apple Music Converter which can save your Apple Music playlists in MP3 format and can be transfer to any device you like.