Top 6 Ways to Fix Songs Greyed Out on iPhone Apple Music

Songs greyed out on iPhone? This guide will tell you why are some songs greyed out in Apple Music and the solution.

By @Lena Last Updated September 12, 2024

Apple Music is a great music player. However, all applications have problems, and Music is no exception. From time to time, we will receive letters from users asking questions about the Music app. Here in this guide, we will focus on one most common problem: songs greyed out on iPhone Apple Music.

You open your favorite playlist but find that some songs greyed out - you cannot tap them to play. It seems that Apple Music has lost the right to play them. But don’t be too worried, there are methods to fix the songs greyed out on iPhone problem. Keep reading to learn more.

Why Are Some Songs Greyed Out in Apple Music?

Before we get to the solutions, let us first look at the possible causes of this problem. Knowing the cause will make it easier to solve the problem.

> Sync Problem. This may be the main reason. Songs are not syncing properly between your devices.

> Original Files Are Missing. You may have synced some missing songs to iPhone (They still list in iTunes).

> Songs Are Corrupted. The files are damaged or modified in some way so that the iPhone cannot read them.

> Unsupported Format. The songs may be DRM protected or in an unsupported format so Music cannot play them.

> Songs Are Not Currently Available. If songs are not available in your country, then they will appear in gray text.

How to Fix Songs Greyed Out on iPhone Apple Music

Various reasons may cause the problem of songs greyed out on iPhone. Here are all the possible solutions that can help you get out of the trouble.

β–Ί Works for all iPhone models including: iPhone 6s/6s Plus, iPhone 7/7 Plus, iPhone 8/8 Plus, iPhone X/XR/XS (Max), iPhone 11/11 Pro (Max), iPhone SE 2020, iPhone 12/12 Pro (Max)/12 mini, iPhone 13/13 Pro (Max)/13 mini, iPhone 14/ 14 Pro (Max)/14 Plus, iPhone 15/ 15 Pro (Max)/15 Plus

Fix 1. Log Out and Log in Apple Music

Go Settings > Tap [your account] > Tap iTunes & App Store > Tap your ID > Tap Sign Out. Then Sign in after 10-20 seconds. This can help refresh the sync of the music.

Fix 2. Check Sync Settings

If you have subscribed to Apple Music or iTunes Match, make sure that you have enabled the Sync Library option on your iPhone.

● On iPhone: Go to Settings > Tap Music > Turn on Sync Library.

● In iTunes, Click Edit > Select Preferences > Choose General > Check the box for iCloud Music Library.

Fix 3. Check Songs Format

If iTunes songs greyed out, you should have a check whether they are DRM protected. In iTunes, choose the greyed-out song > right-click it and select Get Info > check out Kind under File tab. It if shows “ Protected” next to kind, this means the song is DRM protected or not supported. In this case, you can subscribe to iTunes Match or Apple Music to enjoy the music.

Fix 4. Re-add Songs to iPhone

If something goes wrong during the sync, you may meet the songs greyed out on iPhone Apple Music issue. Just re-sync songs from iTunes to iPhone. If you want to sync purchased songs, make sure that you have downloaded songs from iTunes Store. If you want to sync non-purchased songs, make sure that you have the original files saved on computer.

Besides using iTunes, you may also let third-party transfer tools such as AOMEI FoneBackup help you transfer music from computer to iPhone. The tool lets you transfer selected songs instead of sync all songs. What’s more, it will not erase any existing audio files or other data on device.

1. Download, install and launch AOMEI FoneBackup > Plug in your iPhone.

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2. Click the PC to iPhone option > Choose the needed songs.

3. Click Start Transfer to start. And that’s it! It also allows you to transfer non-purchased music from iPhone to computer.

Fix 5. Re-download Songs on iPhone

If you have downloaded the songs on iPhone directly, you can try to delete greyed songs and then re-downloaded them.

1. Go to Settings app > Tap General > Tap Storage > Tap Music.

2. Press Music > Tap Edit button.

3. Tap the red icon to delete songs.

4. Re-download songs or sync songs to iPhone via iTunes.

Fix 6. Update iOS to the Latest Version

iOS update brings new features as well as bug fixes. If songs greyed out on iPhone Apple Music because of some bugs or system data corruption, updating to the latest software version is the key to solve the problem.

Go to Settings > Tap General > Tap Software Update and see if there is a new version of iOS available. If there’s a new version, just tap Download and Install and follow the on-screen prompts to install it.

Conclusion

That’s all about how to how to fix songs greyed out on iPhone Apple Music. Hope this article answers your doubts. If you think this guide is helpful, don’t hesitate to share the guide to help more people.