Apple Music Playlist Not Syncing? 6 Ways to Fix It Easily

Apple Music is one of the most popular music streaming services on the market. It is able to sync playlists across devices. This technology ensures that, without any cumbersome manual intervention on your part, the playlist is automatically and effortlessly synced to your iPad, Mac, or other compatible Apple devices, making your music-listening experience not only more enjoyable but also incredibly convenient and cohesive.

However, many users have reported encountering an issue where their Apple Music playlists are not syncing. What exactly is causing this issue? Are there any solutions? If you're reading this article, you're probably struggling with the same problem. Don't worry — this article will guide you through the Apple Music playlists not syncing issue. We'll explore all the possible causes and provide effective solutions. Just keep reading.

Part I: Why Apple Music Playlist Is Not Syncing

There are various reasons why Apple Music playlists are not syncing between devices. In this section, we've summarized 5 possible causes. Take a look and see if any of them apply to your case.

1. Network Issues on the Device

If your device has an unstable network connection, such as a weak Wi-Fi signal, disrupted mobile data, or slow internet speed, the syncing process may be interrupted, or your device might fail to connect to iCloud servers.

2. Apple Music Subscription Expired

The syncing feature relies on an active Apple Music subscription. Only subscribers can use this function to sync playlists and music library content across devices. So, if your subscription has expired or been canceled, the sync service will stop working.

3. Inconsistent Apple ID Login

Syncing playlists requires the same Apple ID login across devices. So, if you are logged into different Apple IDs on different devices, or if one of your devices has accidentally signed out of the correct Apple ID, the devices will not be able to share or sync playlist information.

4. Sync Library Not Enabled

"Sync Library" is an option in Apple Music settings. If this feature is not enabled, the music libraries on your different devices remain separate and won't sync automatically. When switching between devices, you'll need to manually reselect songs and playback positions.

Once this feature is turned on, your music library—including songs, playlists, favorites, and listening history—will automatically sync with iCloud. Any additions, deletions, or edits made on one device will be reflected on your other devices. So, if your playlists aren't syncing properly, it might be because the "Sync Library" feature hasn’t been enabled.

5. Outdated System and Software

Whether it's the device's operating system or the Apple Music app itself, running an outdated version could cause compatibility issues that may interfere with playlist syncing.

Part II: 6 Ways to Fix Apple Music Playlist Not Syncing

Based on the previous section, you should now have a basic understanding of why the Apple Music Playlist Not Syncing issue occurs. Now, let's dive into some specific solutions to help you fix them.

Solution 1 Restart Your Device

Before trying the methods below, start with the universal fix: restarting your device. Often, this simple step can clear out any temporary glitches. Turn off your device, wait for about a minute, and then turn it back on. Open Apple Music again to see if the playlists have synced.

Solution 2 Check Network Connection

If restarting doesn't work, the next step is to check your network connection. A stable internet connection is essential for updating and syncing your music library, especially if you have a large collection. If you're using Wi-Fi, try disconnecting and reconnecting. If you're using cellular data, make sure your data plan hasn't hit its limit, then try turning cellular data off and back on again.

Solution 3 Check Subscription Status

If you're unsure whether your Apple Music subscription has expired, follow these steps to check:

1. Open the "Settings" app on your device, tap your profile picture, then select "Subscriptions".
2. Tap "Apple Music" to view the details of your subscription, including the renewal date. If your subscription has expired, simply renew it to resume syncing.

Solution 4 Sign In to the Same Apple ID

To sync playlists across devices, make sure all your devices are signed in with the same Apple ID. Try signing out and back in using the steps below:

1. On your iPhone or iPad, open the "Settings" app, tap your profile picture, scroll to the bottom, and tap "Sign Out".

2. On Mac, click the "Apple Menu" and choose "System Settings". Then click your name and then click "Sign Out".

On Windows, open iTunes or the Apple Music app, click "Account" from the menu bar and choose "Sign Out".

3. Then, sign back into the same Apple ID on all your devices.

Solution 5 Enable "Sync Library"

Besides using the same Apple ID, you must also enable "Sync Library" on all devices:

1. iPhone/iPad: Go to Settings > Music and ensure that Sync Library is turned on.

2. Mac: Open Apple Music, go to Music > Settings, click the "General" tab, and check the box for Sync Library.

3. Windows: Open Apple Music/iTunes, click the "…" in the top sidebar, then go to Settings > General, and toggle the Sync Library button.

Solution 6 Update Device and Software

Outdated device firmware or software versions may lead to bugs that prevent playlist syncing. Here's how to update it:

To update your device:

1. On iPhone/iPad: Go to Settings > General > Software Update to check for available updates.
2. On macOS: Click the "Apple menu" in the upper-left corner, choose "System Settings", then click "General" in the sidebar and "Software Update" (Or choose Apple menu > System Preferences > Software Update).

    

   

3. On Windows: Go to Settings > Update & Security > Windows Update to check for available updates.

To update the Apple Music app:

1. On iPhone/iPad: Open the App Store, tap your profile icon in the top-right corner to access your account. In the Updates section, look for Apple Music and tap Update if available.
2. On Mac: Open the App Store, click Updates in the sidebar, and look for Apple Music. Click Update if it's listed.

Bonus: Sync Apple Music to iPhone & Enjoy Forever

If you're looking to sync music across devices, there's actually another method aside from using Apple Music's built-in features — converting Apple Music to MP3. Compared to the official sync option, this approach is more stable and free from limitations like network connection or subscription status. That's because it lets you download songs directly to your local device. Then, you'll be able to sync and play Apple Music tunes anytime, permanently.

To use this method, you'll need the help of a professional and efficient tool — TuneFab Apple Music Converter. It comes with a built-in Apple Music Web Player, so all you need to do is log into your account within the software. You can then drag and drop or directly add songs, albums, or playlists to convert and download them quickly into formats like MP3, M4A, FLAC, WAV, AIFF, and more.

Apple Music has DRM protection, but TuneFab Apple Music Converter can bypass that with ease. Whether it's a single track, a full album, or a playlist, everything can be downloaded or converted with just one click. Even better, the output files retain full ID3 tags, including the artist's name, album cover, album title, and more — helping you organize your music library effortlessly.

Here's a quick guide on how to use TuneFab Apple Music Converter to sync Apple Music to your iPhone:

STEP 1. Download and launch the software on your computer. On the main page, choose "Apple Music."

STEP 2. Click "Sign In" to log into your Apple Music account.

STEP 3. Search for your favorite songs, albums, or playlists directly in the software. Then, drag them to the red "+" on the right to add them to the conversion queue.

STEP 4. In the queue, click "Audio Quality" next to each track to choose the output format and quality.

STEP 5. Click "Convert All" in the bottom-right corner to start the conversion. Once done, go to the "Finished" tab and open the output folder. Connect your iPhone to your computer via USB to transfer the Apple music to your iPhone.

Conclusion

It can be really frustrating when the Apple Music playlists are not syncing. In this article, we've not only covered several possible causes for this issue but also listed effective solutions to help you fix it. Additionally, we introduced another way to sync Apple Music to your iPhone: converting Apple Music to MP3 using TuneFab Apple Music Converter. This allows you to permanently keep the music you love without worrying about losing access after your subscription expires. If that sounds appealing, go ahead and give it a try!