iTunes Match hanging up on you? Here's how to fix it!

[Guest Allyson Kazmucha]

 

iTunes Match lets you sync all of your music with iTunes in the Cloud so you can stream it to any iPhone, iPad, or Apple TV without having to take up any physical storage space. While iTunes Match is incredibly convenient when it works, it isn't completely error proof either. Whether it's hanging up while trying to sync music in iTunes or your music isn't showing up on your iPhone or iPad, here are some steps you can take to try and remedy the issue.

 

1. Check iTunes Match service status

 

 

 

Sometimes Apple does routine maintenance on specific iCloud services. If you're getting stuck on the "Sending information to Apple" stage in iTunes, this is most likely the reason. Before trying to troubleshoot the problem, be sure to make sure no issues are reported for iTunes Match for your country. Here are some links that may help:

 

• United Stated Apple Services, Stores, and iCloud system status
  

 

If you live in a different country that offers iTunes Match, a simple Google search for iCloud system status followed by your country name should bring up a direct link. If the indicator next to iTunes Match is green, continue on to the next step. If it isn't, check system status again later and when it's back up, your issue should be resolved on its own.

 

2. Turn iTunes Match on and off on all iOS devices

 

 

If you're having an issue with iTunes Match coming down on your devices, or if you're missing a bunch of stuff that should be there, turning it on and off again in Settings could resolve the issue.

 

1. Launch the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad.
   
2. Tap on Music.
   
3. Turn Off the option for iTunes Match.
   
4. Turn back On the option for iTunes Match and when prompted, tap on Enable.
   
5. Launch the Music app and wait for iTunes Match to load.
   

 

 

If you still aren't seeing music that should be there, the issue may lie with how iTunes is syncing iTunes Match results. Continue on to try and resolve it.

 

3. Update iTunes Match within iTunes

 

 

 

Even though iTunes Match should update itself regularly, there are occasions that it doesn't happen for one reason or another. Before trying anything else within iTunes, try updating iTunes Match manually.

 

1. Launch iTunes on your Mac or PC.
   
2. Click on Store at the top.
   
3. Click on Update iTunes Match.
   
4. Wait for iTunes Match to update and then check all your devices to see if missing music is now available.
   

4. Turn iTunes Match on and off in iTunes

 

 

 

Disabling iTunes Match from within iTunes is typically the failsafe way of forcing iTunes in the Cloud to re-sync all your music. I'd recommend this step for anyone who is experiencing constant freezes or hangups when trying to sync with iTunes Match, especially if you've already tried all the above steps. Just be aware that your whole library may have to be scanned again and depending upon the size, could take hours, or even days.

 

1. On your Mac or PC, launch iTunes.
   
2. Click on Store at the top.
   
3. Click on Turn Off iTunes Match.
   
4. Now repeat the same process but turn it back on.
   
5. Follow the prompts to re-enable iTunes Match.
   

5. Sign in and out of iTunes on all devices

 

 

 

If simply turning iTunes Match itself off and then back on doesn't seem to fix the issue, try signing out of iTunes completely on all your devices, including your Mac or PC. Then sign back in and try syncing iTunes Match again.

 

More iTunes Match help

 

 

If you're still experiencing trouble with iTunes Match after trying all of the above steps, our iTunes forums are a great place to ask for help. If you still can't find what you're looking for, it may be time to contact Apple to see if they can directly solve your problem.

 

And as always, if you've come across any helpful tips and tricks for troubleshooting iTunes Match issues, be sure to leave them in the comments!

 

 

 

 

 

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