Apple Music Stops Playing? 6 Common Reasons (SOLVED)

Tucking into a customized playlist is a great way to help you stay focused as well as unwind after a long day. Nothing can break your daily rhythm more than your Apple Music stopping in the middle of your flow.

So, why does Apple Music stop playing randomly? Here are the top reasons why and what you can do to fix it.

1. You Have A Weak Internet Connection

The number one reason why you may find that Apple Music stops working is simply that your internet connection is not strong enough.

With a weak connection, Apple Music will have a hard time streaming the music you like without any interruptions.

The reason the music stops is that the application needs time to buffer the song when the connection isn’t strong enough. While this only takes a minute or two, you may find that the song you are playing will keep skipping.

The best solution to this problem is to check your WiFi or to switch your device over to data.

However, there is a much easier way to seamlessly stream your playlist on Apple Music whether or not your internet is strong.

Because Apple Music is a pay-service platform, it allows you to download songs, albums, and playlists directly to your device.

Since this music will be saved on your iCloud, you don’t have to worry about it taking up your phone’s storage space. This way, you can always listen to your favorite downloaded songs without having to reset your WiFi every time there is a problem.

2. Check Your Phone’s Storage

If you mainly stream Apple Music on your phone, you may find that your phone’s storage is full. While this won’t directly impact Apple Music, it can certainly slow things down when it comes to how well your phone will stream music.

Like most applications, Apple Music will save data to your phone. The more songs and playlists you download, the more data gets stored.

When the Apple Music cache is full, it can greatly disrupt your listening experience. The cache is where data is temporarily stored in your phone.

The good news is that this is a very easy fix. The first thing you want to do is make sure that all of your music is backed up on your iCloud.

Clearing your cache can remove saved music in the Apple Music application, so making sure you have a backup will help to keep your downloads safe.

1. Once your application is backed up, turn off your iCloud and go to your phone’s settings.
2. From there, select “applications” and scroll down to find Apple Music.
3. You will now be able to see the option to “clear cache”.
4. Simply click on that and you are ready to go.

3. Your Device Is Trying To Save Power

The older your phone gets, the shorter the battery life is. If you have an iPhone, once your phone hits 20% battery life, you have the option to switch to low battery mode.

With an Android, you can customize at what percentage battery saving mode will automatically turn on. When your phone is in this mode, many things on your phone will change.

Most notably, the brightness and sound will turn down and your phone will stop applications running in the background in order to save power. This can include streaming services like Apple Music.

Most people don’t know that their phones are constantly tracking and storing data how they use their phones.

This means that your phone is creating a “battery algorithm” which uses your patterns and habits to determine which applications to close.

So, when your phone’s battery hits a crucially low point, it can force applications like Apple Music to close and stop playing.

The best fix for this problem is to simply charge your phone up. However, it is a good idea to check the settings on your phone, specifically when it comes to applications. From there, you can turn off the “battery saver” option for that particular app in order to stop any interruptions.

4. Downloaded Files Have Become Corrupted

When downloading music through Apple, you would expect those music files to play perfectly. However, that isn’t always the case.

The main reason why you may find that your music download has become corrupt is due to your phone’s metadata. 

Metadata is simply basic information that is stored in your phone and you generally will never notice it. However, if the metadata is corrupt, it can affect downloaded files like music.

Along with metadata, your phone’s storage can also be a big reason why your find that some of your music files are no longer working.

If there isn’t enough storage space on your phone, the music downloads may not properly download.

This can be confusing because you won’t always get a warning letting you know that your phone is low on space. Instead, the file will download but not completely which means that it won’t play.

The best way to fix this problem is to first clear up some space on your phone to make sure that future downloads won’t become corrupt. After you have cleared up space, you will have to delete the corrupted files and re-download them.

The good news is that since you have already either purchased or downloaded that music, you can easily download it again without having to make another purchase.

5. Apple Music May Be Experiencing Issues

Like most online services, Apple Music is not immune to experiencing server issues. The best way to tell if Apple Music is having some issues is if you find that the application is having a hard time connecting to your network.

Network connectivity issues are actually more common than you think. Many times this is due to a server overload.

Popular album releases can slow down the server, which in turn, will cause you to have issues when it comes to playing music seamlessly.

Along with anticipated album drops, server updates can also cause Apple Music to shut down temporarily.

The best way to tell if Apple is currently down for the count is to check out the status page. From there, you can see all of the issues that Apple Music is currently having as well as an estimated ETA for when the servers are expected to be up and running again.

If you find that your phone is still having a hard time connecting after the server comes back online, restart your phone and run the application again.

6. When All Else Fails – Restart

There are many reasons why Apple Music freezes playing when you are in your groove. However, sometimes this can happen for no other reason than the app is just not working properly.

This could be because you have gone too long without clearing storage and cache space, and there really is only one fix. In fact, this fix should make most of the streaming problems you have go away.

The best thing to do when the Apple Music app is no longer working the way it should is to do a complete restart.

First, you want to clear any cache and then back up your downloads to your cloud then you can delete the app.

Just make sure you are doing a full uninstall and not just simply removing the app from your home screen. This will be prompted with a warning.

Once the application is removed, it is a good idea to restart your phone as well. Phones can be tricky so for the best success with a proper reinstall, completely shut down your phone and wait a few minutes before starting again.

Once your phone starts up, you are ready to reinstall the Apple Music app.

As long as you have enough storage and you are able to sign in using your Apple ID, everything you be smooth sailing from here on out.

Final Thoughts

This article looked at reasons why Apple Music might stop playing. However, some users have experienced the opposite frustration – songs keep repeating on their Apple Music app.

Advancements in technology were made in order to make our lives easier. However, like most things, technology is far from perfect.

Some bumps in the road should be expected. With Apple Music, if you are noticing a constant interruption in your music listening experience, give some of these quick fixes a try. You should be back on your way to melting into your favorite playlist. Good luck.

Sources

11 Best Ways To Fix Apple Music Pausing Error

Apple Music Corrupt Songs