Apple Music connects you to over 50 million songs, but how many of them are currently available in your country or region? Lots of iPhone, iPad, Mac, and iTunes users are getting this error message, which stops them from playing items in their music library. Follow the tips below to fix it.
“This song is not currently available in your country or region.”
For some users, this error message appears when they add new songs to their favorite playlists. Others come across it when revisiting albums they burned from a CD years ago. Sometimes, there’s no apparent pattern and the error message blocks random songs indiscriminately.
We’ve explained why you might see this error message and what you can do to fix it below.
Why are songs suddenly unavailable in my country or region?
This is a widespread issue with a lot of potential causes. If songs in your Apple Music or iTunes library are grayed out, saying they’re unavailable to you, it’s probably down to any one of the reasons below.
That song isn’t licensed for the country or region you’re in
The only reason you should ever see this error message is when you’re trying to play a song that isn’t licensed for the country you’re in. This is unlikely to be the case for most people, but if you’re traveling or using a VPN that could explain the problems.
Not all of Apple’s services are available worldwide, but most countries and regions work with Apple Music and iTunes. Find out on Apple’s website.
Occasionally, a song isn’t licensed for worldwide distribution through Apple Music and sometimes a national government censors songs from Apple’s platform. In either of these cases, you can’t listen to that song until you leave the country.
When you add music to your library using Apple Music, all it does is tell your device to stream or download those particular songs from Apple’s database. This means the music can’t get corrupted and is quicker to download.
This is also what happens when you import music. Apple Music or iTunes finds the matching song on Apple’s database and directs your device to that version instead. The only time this doesn’t happen is when you import wholly original music that Apple doesn’t have a match for.
All your devices stream or download music directly from Apple’s servers. Image from Apple.
Unfortunately, this means your devices sometimes get confused if Apple’s database is updated. Occasionally, an artist or a record label might edit the metadata for their music: the song name, release year, composer, or lyricist for example.
When this happens, Apple Music or iTunes can struggle to match the songs in your library to the updated songs in Apple’s database. Your device might believe this is because the song is not available in your country or region.
Updating the software introduced a bug to Apple Music or iTunes
Apple often lists “bug fixes” in iOS update notes.
It isn’t uncommon for Apple to release a bad software update. In the past, these have caused all manner of problems ranging from data loss to slow performance. It’s entirely likely — and not unheard of — that you can’t play songs in your library because of a new software bug.
Typically, the only permanent fix for a software bug is when Apple releases a new update patching up the problem. Unfortunately, it takes a bit of time for them to develop this update and it can replace the old problem with new ones.
In the meantime, use the troubleshooting steps laid out below to see what you can do to fix iTunes or Apple Music yourself!
What can I do if a song is not currently available in my country or region?
As you’ve seen, there are a few different reasons you might come across this problem. Because of that, there are also a few different ways to fix it.
Follow the tips below to vanquish this annoying message for good.
Try each of the methods below, testing Apple Music or iTunes again after each one. Sound off in the comments at the end to tell us which solution worked for you!
1. Turn off your VPN and check your country’s licensing
Turn off your VPN or change it to your home country.
Even if you’re in your home country, a VPN on your iPhone, iPad, computer, or router could trick Apple Music or iTunes into believing you’re somewhere else. Disable your VPN and try playing the unavailable songs again. If this works, edit the settings on your VPN to keep your Internet access local.
How do I disable a VPN on my iPhone or iPad?
Open Settings and toggle the VPN button near the top.
How do I disable a VPN on my Mac?
Go to > System Preferences > Network.
Select your VPN from the sidebar.
Click ‘Disconnect.’
How do I disable a VPN on my PC?
Go to Settings > Network & Internet > VPN.
Select your VPN connection.
Click ‘Remove.’
2. Quit all your apps and restart your device
This seemingly simple solution is often wildly effective. If you haven’t already, close down every app on your iPhone, iPad, Mac, or PC, then restart the device.
The act of forcing Apple Music or iTunes to stop all processes and close itself down can resolve any number of irritating software issues. As you open the app again, after restarting your device, it connects to your songs a second time. Sometimes that’s all you need.
Swipe up on the iPad Pro to quit all your apps before restarting your device.
How do I close down apps and restart my iPhone or iPad?
Double-click the Home button or swipe up from the bottom of the screen.
Push all your open apps of the top of the screen to close them.
Press and hold the Side button with either Volume button.
When prompted, slide to power off your device.
Wait at least 30 seconds before restarting it.
How do I close down apps and restart my Mac?
Use these two keyboard shortcuts to switch between and quit your apps:
Command+tab switches to the next open app.
Command+Q closes your active app.
From the menu bar, go to > Shut Down.
Confirm you want to shut down your Mac.
Wait at least 30 seconds before restarting it.
How do I close down apps and restart my PC?
Click the ‘X’ button on each app to close it.
Go to Start > Shut Down.
Confirm you want to shut down your PC.
Wait at least 30 seconds before restarting it.
3. Check for new software updates
A software bug is the most likely reason Apple Music or iTunes thinks a song is not available in your country or region. When you think this is the case, keep checking for new updates from Apple. The only permanent fix is a patch update that gets rid of the bug.
Check the box to automatically keep your device updated.
How do I update the software on my iPhone or iPad?
Connect your device to the Internet.
Go to Settings > General > Software Update.
Download and install any new software updates.
How do I update the software on my Mac?
Connect your Mac to the Internet.
Go to > System Preference > Software Update.
Download and install any new software updates.
How do I update iTunes on my PC?
Connect your PC to the Internet.
Open iTunes and go to Help > Check for Updates.
Or check for new updates in the Microsoft Store.
Download and install any new updates to iTunes.
If Apple hasn’t fixed your problem through a software update, you still might be able to resolve it using one of the other suggestions below.
4. Reset Warnings in Apple Music or iTunes and sync your device
Lots of users fixed this problem by resetting the dialogue warnings in Apple Music or iTunes and re-syncing their devices. This causes a few one-off alerts to appear, but all your music should be available again after the sync.
Don’t sync your device over Wi-Fi, make sure you use an official Apple cable instead. Third-party accessories are often missing crucial components, resulting in an incomplete sync.
Reset the dialogue warnings from the iTunes or Apple Music Preferences.
How do I Reset Warnings in Apple Music or iTunes?
Open Apple Music or iTunes on your computer.
On a Mac: Go to [Music/iTunes] > Preferences > Advanced.
On a PC: Go to Edit > Preferences > Advanced.
Click ‘Reset Warnings’ then click ‘OK.’
How do I sync my device with Apple Music or iTunes?
Use an official Apple cable to connect your iPhone or iPad to the computer.
Make sure your device is awake, unlocked, and on the Home screen.
On macOS Catalina or later: Open Finder and select your device from the sidebar, under Locations.
On macOS Mojave or earlier, or a PC: Open iTunes and select your device from the top-left of the window.
Click ‘Sync’ in the bottom-right and wait for it to complete.
5. Remove and re-add your music
If there are still songs in your Apple Music or iTunes library you can’t play, try removing them then adding them back to your library again. You can do this within Apple Music itself or by syncing your device to a computer.
Although it can be time consuming, we suggest you use a computer to remove all the music from your device. Even if some of it still works. This seems to have been the most effective solution based on other users’ experiences.
Use Finder or iTunes to unsync and resync the music on your device.
How do I remove and re-add music on my iPhone or iPad?
Use an official Apple cable to connect your iPhone or iPad to the computer.
Make sure your device is awake, unlocked, and on the Home screen.
On macOS Catalina or later: Open Finder and select your device from the sidebar, under Locations.
On macOS Mojave or earlier, or a PC: Open iTunes and select your device from the top-left of the window.
Go to the Music tab and deselect ‘Sync Music.’ If necessary, turn off iCloud Music on your device by going to Settings > Music > Sync Library (or iCloud Music Library).
On your computer, click ‘Sync’ in the bottom-right and wait for it to complete.
Eject your device and return to Step 1. This time, turn on the ‘Sync Music’ box and choose the music you want to add to your device.
6. Sign out of iTunes, Apple Music, and iCloud
Turn off your iCloud Music Library doesn’t delete the songs from Apple’s servers.
If you’re still getting messages that “This song is not currently available in your country or region,” we suggest you sign out of iTunes, Apple Music, and iCloud on your device. Doing this prompts your device to sync with Apple’s servers again when you sign back in.
After you sign out of iTunes, Apple Music, and iCloud you can’t access content on those services. But the data still exists on Apple’s servers. Everything should return after you sign in again, so there’s no need to download anything to your device first.
How do I sign out of Apple Music and iCloud on my iPhone or iPad?
Go to Settings > [Your Name] > Sign Out.
Enter your Apple ID password and confirm you want to sign out.
Now go to Settings > Music.
Tap your Apple ID address and choose to sign out.
Wait one minute before signing back in again.
How do I sign out of Apple Music, iTunes, and iCloud on my Mac?
From the menu bar, go to > System Preferences > Apple ID.
Click Sign Out and enter your Apple ID password.
On macOS Catalina or later: Open Apple Music.
One macOS Mojave or earlier: Open iTunes.
From the menu bar, go to Account > Sign Out.
Wait one minute before signing back in again.
How do I sign out of Apple Music, iTunes, and iCloud on my PC?
Open iTunes and go to Account > Sign Out.
If you use iCloud for Windows, open it and click Sign Out.
Wait one minute before signing back in again.
iPadOS and iOS 13 Beta users
If you’re running the beta version of iPadOS or iOS 13, you might need to restore the software on your device to fix this issue. The best way to do this is using an IPSW file from a computer.
This is the file format Apple uses for software updates. It’s short for ‘iPod Software,’ but IPSW files are also used for iPhones, iPads, and other Apple devices as well. You can download IPSW files from iTunes or third-party websites across the net, like IPSW.me.
Your computer downloads IPSW files whenever you update your devices. Image from Lifewire.
How do I use an IPSW file to restore my iPhone or iPad?
Use an official Apple cable to connect your iPhone or iPad to the computer.
Make sure your device is awake, unlocked, and on the Home screen.
On macOS Catalina or later: Open Finder and select your device from the sidebar, under Locations.
On macOS Mojave or earlier, or a PC: Open iTunes and select your device from the top-left of the window.
Download the latest IPSW file for your beta software from IPSW.me or another third-party source.
Open that file in iTunes or Finder and restore your iPhone or iPad with it.
After the restore is complete, recover the backup you made of your device.
Let us know in the comments if everything is working in sweet harmony now. Hopefully you aren’t still getting messages that “This song is not supported in your country or region” from iTunes or Apple Music.
Dan writes tutorials and troubleshooting guides to help people make the most of their technology. Before becoming a writer, he earned a BSc in Sound Technology, supervised repairs at an Apple Store, and even taught English in China.
This is maddening. I burned a CD to itunes. Some of the songs are available and some aren’t. How in the world does that make sense? None of the songs in my library are from Apple music. I’ve even experienced this problem on a song I made with my own software on my own computer.
Many thanks! The “Reset Warnings” method in Apple Music works right away in my case, where the grey out songs in my iPhone instantly change back to black after sync and playable again!
I know some people don’t want to do this but if you go into iTunes Store and find the music you’re looking for you can buy it and then you will have it on Apple Music.
Thank you thank you thank you! I had added an album to my iPhone and it said it was not available in my country or region. Very frustrating! Your fix to delete all music from the iPhone and resync worked!
Iphone 8 – recently wiped, mint condition. I loaded my music from PC Itunes to Iphone. One album in two releases – original and remastered will not play on the iphone. I ripped these two CDs into my PC. I own the music. I followed ALL of your suggestions but it will not play. It says the music is not available in my region.
These problems / bugs, among many, are just an example of how Apple QA has suffered and the company as a whole has become the product of third world developers that are not held accountable for software releases riddled with bugs. They’ve become a total disgrace and embarrassment. Every professional money manager or brokerage I’ve consulted all agree the stock is overvalued. Middle management has become bloated to the point of 3 or more layer deep.
This is SOOOOO infuriating. Increasingly more of my songs are unavailable to play. I have tried to log out of itunes, and the cloud, waited and logged back in. WHY IS APPLE NOT FIXING THESE BUGS IN THE SYSTEM? They are very happy to take your money but the customer service is non-existent. All style and no substance. Please fix this bug!!!!!!!!!!!!!
This doesnt really make sense to me as I got the song in my own country and then a month or so later I got the message that the song is no longer available in my country, so I am not exactly sure how or why this has happened
Even when I search for this song now it doesn’t appear on any of my searches
I have lost most of my music library on my phone…. over 11gb of music from different sources over the years!!! Some CD’s, and over 10 yrs of purchases from ITunes ….. greyed out songs are “unavailable in my country”.
I no longer have a laptop to sync with and this is my ONLY DEVISE!!!! I AM PISSED!!! I am not a computer tech savvy person!!! Have been trying to fix this issue….. Apple stores are HUNDREDS of miles away!!!! And are they even open with this Covid crap!!!!
Would love help as I don’t know who to turn to!!!
David Gross!!!!
I found a fix separate to those listed here, so if none of those work, hopefully, this can.
In iTunes, the songs that would get the error message when attempted to play on iPhone had a cloud symbol next to them, specifically a “dotted-line cloud”
That meant that the song(s) wasn’t matched and hadn’t uploaded. Choose File > Library > Update Cloud Music Library to fix this problem
I have maybe 2 albums I have purchased from the Apple Store in iTunes, the other 5000 odd songs are all from CDs I have copied.
I carefully curate each to suit my usage patterns.
Suddenly getting these errors and reading your post about how Apple is matching the songs to its database and then using that version makes me wonder if this is the source of my problem — that I’m thinking it will use the m4a file that is on my iPhone regardless of what may or may not be in the Apple Store.
Thoughts as to how your post applies to my ‘old fashioned’ presumptions?
Apple Music streaming music playing nice w CD ripped songs in playlists on my iPhone is the reason I came to this article. Since It’s been a year since you asked; we must look elsewhere for answers
Follow these quick tips to fix unavailable songs in your music library:
This is maddening. I burned a CD to itunes. Some of the songs are available and some aren’t. How in the world does that make sense? None of the songs in my library are from Apple music. I’ve even experienced this problem on a song I made with my own software on my own computer.
Many thanks! The “Reset Warnings” method in Apple Music works right away in my case, where the grey out songs in my iPhone instantly change back to black after sync and playable again!
I know some people don’t want to do this but if you go into iTunes Store and find the music you’re looking for you can buy it and then you will have it on Apple Music.
Thank you thank you thank you! I had added an album to my iPhone and it said it was not available in my country or region. Very frustrating! Your fix to delete all music from the iPhone and resync worked!
Iphone 8 – recently wiped, mint condition. I loaded my music from PC Itunes to Iphone. One album in two releases – original and remastered will not play on the iphone. I ripped these two CDs into my PC. I own the music. I followed ALL of your suggestions but it will not play. It says the music is not available in my region.
These problems / bugs, among many, are just an example of how Apple QA has suffered and the company as a whole has become the product of third world developers that are not held accountable for software releases riddled with bugs. They’ve become a total disgrace and embarrassment. Every professional money manager or brokerage I’ve consulted all agree the stock is overvalued. Middle management has become bloated to the point of 3 or more layer deep.
This is SOOOOO infuriating. Increasingly more of my songs are unavailable to play. I have tried to log out of itunes, and the cloud, waited and logged back in. WHY IS APPLE NOT FIXING THESE BUGS IN THE SYSTEM? They are very happy to take your money but the customer service is non-existent. All style and no substance. Please fix this bug!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Why am I paying for the use of Apple Music
When many of my already downloaded songs
are now unavailable?
Hello
This doesnt really make sense to me as I got the song in my own country and then a month or so later I got the message that the song is no longer available in my country, so I am not exactly sure how or why this has happened
Even when I search for this song now it doesn’t appear on any of my searches
So I must now forget about this song right???
I have lost most of my music library on my phone…. over 11gb of music from different sources over the years!!! Some CD’s, and over 10 yrs of purchases from ITunes ….. greyed out songs are “unavailable in my country”.
I no longer have a laptop to sync with and this is my ONLY DEVISE!!!! I AM PISSED!!! I am not a computer tech savvy person!!! Have been trying to fix this issue….. Apple stores are HUNDREDS of miles away!!!! And are they even open with this Covid crap!!!!
Would love help as I don’t know who to turn to!!!
David Gross!!!!
I found a fix separate to those listed here, so if none of those work, hopefully, this can.
In iTunes, the songs that would get the error message when attempted to play on iPhone had a cloud symbol next to them, specifically a “dotted-line cloud”
That meant that the song(s) wasn’t matched and hadn’t uploaded. Choose File > Library > Update Cloud Music Library to fix this problem
As I say, hopefully this can help someone!
Hey Dan,
I have maybe 2 albums I have purchased from the Apple Store in iTunes, the other 5000 odd songs are all from CDs I have copied.
I carefully curate each to suit my usage patterns.
Suddenly getting these errors and reading your post about how Apple is matching the songs to its database and then using that version makes me wonder if this is the source of my problem — that I’m thinking it will use the m4a file that is on my iPhone regardless of what may or may not be in the Apple Store.
Thoughts as to how your post applies to my ‘old fashioned’ presumptions?
Apple Music streaming music playing nice w CD ripped songs in playlists on my iPhone is the reason I came to this article. Since It’s been a year since you asked; we must look elsewhere for answers
Oops, I read the date wrong above. I don’t see any way to edit my comment. Sorry folks
How do I backup my iPhone to iCloud if there is no backup button? I go to my name, then iCloud and there’s no “backup”…
Hi Gail,
There are a couple of things that need to be turned on for it to show up.
First, restart your device to clear its cache. Then go to:
Settings > Apple ID (name at the top of Settings menu) > scroll down the list and tap iCloud Backup > toggle on iCloud Backup > then choose Backup Now