Apple Music won't add music to my library on MacBook Pro

I am incredibly frustrated with Apple Music on Mac. It's unacceptably unreliable, especially with regards to adding music to my library. When I try to do so, there's (approximately, obviously) a 75% chance that it won't work. I click "+ Add", the spinner spins, and nothing happens. I don't even get an error message in the lower-left; just no feedback whatsoever on what went wrong. Sometimes, when I quit Music and restart it, I find that it was added, but usually, it's like I never tried.


This is one specific issue that has gotten so frustrating that I was compelled to post here, but in general, I find Music on Mac to be extremely frustrating - it forgets that albums were added to my Library, it throws errors when I try to do things, and it generally acts like a poorly-designed and -written app that is out of character with Apple's usual standards for software.


If anyone has any suggestions, I'd love to hear them. Thanks in advance.


Additional information: I'm on a MBP (13", late 2022, less than two years old, M2 / 16GB) and using Music version 1.5.1.24. I have high-speed and generally quite stable Internet at home.


[Re-Titled by Moderator]



MacBook Pro 13″, macOS 15.1

Posted on Jan 14, 2025 2:06 PM

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Jan 26, 2025 9:36 AM in response to crog62

If your library is misbehaving it may help to hold down option while launching and explicitly reselect the .musiclibrary database, normally in ~/Music/Music where ~ is your user's home folder.


You can also try holding down option+cmd as you launch Music, which opens it in its safe mode and may do some internal housekeeping.


If you have a subscription to the Apple Music service then you would normally enable Sync Library in both your computer and your device so that your music and playlists can sync over the air. See Use Sync Library with your Apple Music subscription - Apple Support. Otherwise with Music syncing duties have been moved into Finder. See Sync music between your Mac and iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch - Apple Support.


tt2

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Jan 26, 2025 9:06 AM in response to btroy

I can get my iPad to show up in the Music app (terrible, terrible name, Apple - what were you thinking?) but I cannot add music. It shows up in the "Add to" device screen but still can't add. Can't drag and drop anymore either.



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Apple Music won't add music to my library on MacBook Pro

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