Whether on your Mac or mobile device, listening to music has long been an essential feature on Apple devices. With the Apple Music subscription service, it’s easier to download and consume more media. From the cloud to your device, album artwork sometimes goes missing. When this occurs, there are a few tips you can try to get them back.
In this first step, you’ll learn how to reset album artwork for albums in iTunes.
On Mac, open the iTunes app.
Select the Library.
Choose Albums on the left side of the screen.
Get Album Artwork
The first thing you can try to resolve your issue is to right-click on an album in iTunes that’s missing artwork and choosing Get Album Artwork. In the popup menu, confirm by selecting Get Album Artwork.
Repeat manually for every album in your collection that is missing artwork. This solution doesn’t always work, especially for singles and incomplete albums that you might have purchased years ago.
You can also select File > Library > Get Album Artwork if you’re missing a lot of artwork. This step also plays an important role below.
Start Playing a Song
Album artwork in iTunes often returns after you begin playing a song on an album where there is a problem. This solution usually works best for me.
Organize Library
Another option is to re-organize your iTunes library by selecting File > Library > Organize Library from the toolbar in iTunes.
Rebuild iTunes Music Library
Under this solution:
Exit iTunes on your computer.
Back up your iTunes Media folder on your computer. This folder can be found in Music on your home folder on Mac.
Copy iTunes Library.itl and iTunes Library.xml.
Delete the iTunes Library or iTunes Library.itl file.
Launch iTunes and then choose File > Library > Import Playlist.
Navigate to the iTunes Library.xml, click Choose.
After a few minutes, your iTunes music library is now rebuilt.
Clear the Cache
On macOS, iTunes creates a cache folder that includes artwork. Deleting and replacing this folder is another possible solution to the problem of missing album artwork.
To clear the album artwork cache:
Find the Music folder under Home on your Mac.
Inside, click the iTunes folder.
Next, choose the Album Artwork folder.
Delete the Cache folder inside.
Empty the Trash on your computer.
Restart iTunes.
Note: Don’t delete any other folder inside the Album Artwork folder.
For Something Different
You can also manually add album artwork through iTunes on your computer.
Search for the album on Google and download the appropriate artwork to your computer.
In iTunes, right-click on the album.
Select Album Info.
Choose Album.
Click Add Artwork.
Import the artwork you downloaded from Google.
The artwork added will eventually make its way across all of your iCloud-enabled devices.
Regardless of the iTunes solution you choose, give it time. Each of the options mentioned above sometimes takes a few minutes to complete. You may also want to reboot your computer after trying any of the solutions; sometimes that little step does the trick.
Using Apple Music
Album artwork occasionally goes missing in Apple Music too. To resolve this, you can make some tweaks on your computer in iTunes or on your iPhone.
On Your Computer
If you’re going this route, select File > Library > Get Album Artwork in iTunes as first mentioned above.
Next, choose File > Library > Update iCloud Music Library.
After the iCloud Music Library has been updated, open the Music app on your iOS device.
If there are still songs or albums missing artwork, remove the downloads from your device.
Next, tap the download icon to the right of the song (or album) to download the media again from the iCloud Music Library.
On Your Phone
Another option is to update the iCloud Music Library on your computer through iTunes and then:
Go into the Settings app on your iPhone and tap Music.
From there, turn off iCloud Music Library.
Tap Turn Off to confirm.
After waiting a few seconds, turn on iCloud Music Library again, and:
At the prompt, Merge your music.
Go into the Music app and see if the issue has been resolved.
Another iPhone Solution
Often, the music on our iOS devices is a mix of iTunes titles and downloaded content from Apple Music. Because of this, the missing artwork might not be related to Apple Music at all. Regardless of the reason, you can also try deleting all of the music off of your iOS device and seeing if that helps resolves the issue.
Before doing so, however, be sure that you’re using iCloud for backup. Otherwise, depending on the type of music, your titles could be lost forever.
On your iPhone, tap the Settings app.
Tap General.
Tap iPhone Storage.
Under Recommendations, choose Edit above All Songs.
Tap the red circle to the left of All Songs.
Tap Delete.
The Music app is now free of content. You can download songs and albums again through Apple Music (or iTunes, when applicable). Check to see if the album covers have finally returned.
Odds and Ends
There are a few other things you can try to restore album covers in iTunes or Apple Music, including:
Stay Updated
First, be sure you’re using the newest version of macOS and iOS on your devices. On Mac, click on the Apple icon at the top right of your device. From there, select About This Mac. Click on the Software Update button and follow the directions if an update is available to download and install.
To update iOS, tap on the Settings app on your Home screen. Next, select General. From there, tap Software Update and follow the instructions.
Contact Apple
Still having problems? You should contact Apple iTunes support, and hopefully, they can resolve your issue quickly.
As you can see, there are numerous ways to add missing artwork to your iTunes or Apple Music collection. Your best bet is to start on iTunes and trying some of the would-be solutions there first. If none of those solutions work, move onto our iPhone suggestions.
Tried manually adding album artwork. Does not work any way I try! Image appears in the Info/Artwork window, then promptly disappears when i click OK. Album art downloaded from Apple is sometimes incorrect – and cannot be deleted manually.
This can’t be so difficult to program correctly, guys.
Hi and thanks for your article.
I have a different problem: I was going through the “Recently added” tracks and I uploaded a track cover only to one of them, let’s call it T1.
Now,
1) all of them have the same cover.
2) If I add another cover to the ones which didn’t have any before, it won’t change the displayed one (and keeps using the cover added to T1, although by Info I see the one I choose!
I tried, of course, to delete the Cache but it didn’t work.
I’d like, as a workaround, to delete the list (only as a recent added, not physically) but it wants to delete them from the library.
When using iTunes on my iPhone, the album artwork is random, and the wrong artwork appears with the wrong albums. I’ve tried syncing, restarting, cache clearing but nothing seems to work. The artwork is all correct on iTunes on my Mac. Please can you explain why it is random on the iPhone and how I can correct this?
Before any of this simply try turn off any AirPlay Speakers that are connected. (use the Doo Dah beside the volume control at the top). Now try adding artwork, it worked for me.
My itune library had all the album covers but they woudn’t download on my phone so i removed the album from my phone and i’ve synchronise my iphone again and the album cover were there 🙂
The Cached folder simply doesn’t exist for me. Does it no longer exist at all with the latest software update?
I’ve tried dozens of different ways to fix this, but all I can get now is for the songs I download in the future to show up in iTunes and for some of the older album covers to show up — IF I hit Get Info and go into the metadata, but only there and not in any other window or when the songs play.
I’m having an issue with iTunes artwork. I recently bought a SONY Walkman and wanted to transfer some albums to it. The artwork from iTunes does not appear. After some research, I now discover that all jpeg artwork is converted to PNG by iTunes. The Sony will not accept PNG, only jpeg. Any advice on this one?
Apple does not offer a way to convert iTunes artwork to jpg through iTunes. There are some third-party apps that claim to do this. We haven’t tried or tested these but they may be the way to go.
You can also lookup how to add or change the album or cover art in the Walkman app itself on Sony’s Walkman support site.
Am I missing something here. We are talking about a software system provided by a multibillion dollar company, but they cannot organise a simple database to work efficiently. This does not bode well for USA’s next trip to the moon let alone Mars. I watched their last event (June 2019) and was bored to distraction by their announcements of trivial, gimmicky applications. My message to Apple is get the basics right first and not before time.
agreed about solving this artwork problem, but Apple does not have any connection with NASA, nor do they have any involvement with NASA’s attempt to connect with our solar system.
it makes no sense to connect apple’s inability or unwillingness to fix this problem with NASA’s efforts to learn about the planets and moons within our current technological reach.
they are no more related than fox sports and kraft (non)foods.
Ken says
Tried manually adding album artwork. Does not work any way I try! Image appears in the Info/Artwork window, then promptly disappears when i click OK. Album art downloaded from Apple is sometimes incorrect – and cannot be deleted manually.
This can’t be so difficult to program correctly, guys.
Alex says
Hi and thanks for your article.
I have a different problem: I was going through the “Recently added” tracks and I uploaded a track cover only to one of them, let’s call it T1.
Now,
1) all of them have the same cover.
2) If I add another cover to the ones which didn’t have any before, it won’t change the displayed one (and keeps using the cover added to T1, although by Info I see the one I choose!
I tried, of course, to delete the Cache but it didn’t work.
I’d like, as a workaround, to delete the list (only as a recent added, not physically) but it wants to delete them from the library.
What can I try?
Thanks
Ray Huntley says
When using iTunes on my iPhone, the album artwork is random, and the wrong artwork appears with the wrong albums. I’ve tried syncing, restarting, cache clearing but nothing seems to work. The artwork is all correct on iTunes on my Mac. Please can you explain why it is random on the iPhone and how I can correct this?
Allen Lutting says
Before any of this simply try turn off any AirPlay Speakers that are connected. (use the Doo Dah beside the volume control at the top). Now try adding artwork, it worked for me.
Steve Buck says
Alway make your album cover 400 x 400 pixels. No more problems ever.
Replace your existing album covers with 400 x400s.
Rachel says
My itune library had all the album covers but they woudn’t download on my phone so i removed the album from my phone and i’ve synchronise my iphone again and the album cover were there 🙂
Brian Fairbanks says
The Cached folder simply doesn’t exist for me. Does it no longer exist at all with the latest software update?
I’ve tried dozens of different ways to fix this, but all I can get now is for the songs I download in the future to show up in iTunes and for some of the older album covers to show up — IF I hit Get Info and go into the metadata, but only there and not in any other window or when the songs play.
AJ says
One year old article, but maybe I get help on a very annoying thing in iPhone.
– How to remove Recently Added category from iPhone Music app?
Elizabeth Jones says
Hi AJ,
You cannot remove that category from the Music App at this time. Sorry!
doug in STL says
It is my belief that you can only obtain artwork from Apple for albums which are available in their iTunes store.
If they don’t sell it, they are not allowed to distribute the image to you because of copyright issues.
Stew says
What about the real problem millions of Apple users have been having for the last 5 years with missing ARTIST ARTWORK, not album artwork.
Why not suggest a way to replace apples’ generic microphone of death with regards to the artist?
Mike Madden says
I’m having an issue with iTunes artwork. I recently bought a SONY Walkman and wanted to transfer some albums to it. The artwork from iTunes does not appear. After some research, I now discover that all jpeg artwork is converted to PNG by iTunes. The Sony will not accept PNG, only jpeg. Any advice on this one?
Elizabeth Jones says
Hi Mike,
Apple does not offer a way to convert iTunes artwork to jpg through iTunes. There are some third-party apps that claim to do this. We haven’t tried or tested these but they may be the way to go.
You can also lookup how to add or change the album or cover art in the Walkman app itself on Sony’s Walkman support site.
Luke Hammer says
When Syncing music to computer, some songs don’t come up.
Also, album artwork is missing on some songs on iPhone, not on mac.
After I updated my Mac, this started happening.
I did read ur tips to resolve this but I’m really not looking into deleting my entire library than trying to sync it again, just makes me uneasy.
Elizabeth Jones says
Hi Luke,
It’s possible that your device did not complete the process of syncing and indexing all your information after updating.
Go to Settings > Music
Toggle Sync Library off, wait 30 seconds, and toggle back on
If you don’t subscribe to Apple Music or iTunes Match, you won’t see an option to turn on Sync Library.
BrianR says
Am I missing something here. We are talking about a software system provided by a multibillion dollar company, but they cannot organise a simple database to work efficiently. This does not bode well for USA’s next trip to the moon let alone Mars. I watched their last event (June 2019) and was bored to distraction by their announcements of trivial, gimmicky applications. My message to Apple is get the basics right first and not before time.
brian pelton says
agreed about solving this artwork problem, but Apple does not have any connection with NASA, nor do they have any involvement with NASA’s attempt to connect with our solar system.
it makes no sense to connect apple’s inability or unwillingness to fix this problem with NASA’s efforts to learn about the planets and moons within our current technological reach.
they are no more related than fox sports and kraft (non)foods.
peter szalay says
Why is this so difficult? It is after all a database. Links and lookup. Has apple complicated a simple program?
Isa says
Thank you so much for this tutorial! Really helped me!!!!