Have you ever wondered ‘why are songs greyed out in my iTunes library?’ Well, there are many reasons this happens, and more importantly, plenty of solutions to fix it.
Apple iTunes is used widely around the world. The service provides a platform to store, listen to, and backup all your tunes.
For some, iTunes is a complicated platform. Particularly if you also subscribe to iTunes Match and Apple Music.
If you can’t access songs in your iTunes library, then fear not.
We’re going to answer the question ‘why are songs greyed out in my iTunes library’, and get you access to your music again.
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Songs Greyed Out in iTunes Library: Quick Fix
Sync settings are one of the most common reasons songs are greyed out in your iTunes library.
You might have sync turned off on one device. Or, alternatively, your computer may have issues with the network connection.
To check this:
- First, go to iTunes on your Mac or PC and go to ‘Settings’.
- Make sure that you have ‘Sync Library’ turned on for all your devices.
- If not, update this setting by ticking the relevant boxes.
- Next, make sure all your devices have access to the internet.
- Finally, sync your devices and your music should no longer be greyed out on iTunes.
Are you still seeing songs greyed out in iTunes? You might need to check your permissions.
Check Permission Settings on Your Device
Another common reason for songs being greyed out in your iTunes library is your device permissions.
To check your permissions, you need to:
- On your iPhone, iPad or Mac go to ‘Settings’, then ‘Screen Time’.
- Here, you can edit your permissions and exclusions for explicit content.
- Alternatively, you can download the non-explicit version of the song through the iTunes store or Apple Music.
If your songs are still greyed out in your iTunes library, it could be related to Apple Music.
Read on to find out more.
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Songs Might be Unavailable in Apple Music
Songs might be greyed out in your iTunes library if you subscribe to Apple Music and a song you have downloaded is unavailable.
This could be because:
- You have downloaded an album that contains songs that aren’t released yet. They will be grey in your iTunes library but will be available after release.
- The song or album might have been removed from the Apple Music library and is no longer available to listen to using the music platform. In this case, there isn’t anything you can do to access the songs, unless you purchase them from the iTunes store, or elsewhere.
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Why is iTunes ‘Add to Library’ Greyed Out?
If you can’t add a song to your iTunes because ‘Add to library’ is grey, it might be because of the file format.
Check whether your file format is causing you a problem by using the following steps:
- First, open your iTunes Media folder.
- Next, drag the song you wish to add to your iTunes library into the folder.
- The song will appear in your library if iTunes accepts the file format.
- If not, you will need to reformat the song file to an accepted format, such as MP3, or find the song via the iTunes store or Apple Music.
So, there are many reasons a song is showing grey on iTunes. Luckily, you can resolve these issues quickly and easily and be listening to music again in no time.
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