I was reading his reply that the problem spontaneously fixes itself. It seems, Apple is either incapable of fixing the problem or, what it seems, is that they won't fix it. The problem of music being unavailable for no apparent reason, has created many to make numerous suggestions how to fix. Some "fixes" will resolve the issue, but the issue comes back and goes away. When it "goes away", he is referring to "spontaneously" fixes itself. Without time, money, and effort to document, test, retest, and duplicate the problems to confirm, is the issue for us. I have resolved this same problem now over 5 years or so and it keeps coming back. Spontaneously fixing itself...with no credit towards Apple or their tech support, but because something we did ourselves unknowingly or knowingly resolving the issue temporarily.
I have resolved the very same issue, using a variety of methods. What worked one time, doesn't work always the next time, for the very same error.
Without a ticketing system, and doing Apple's job for them, it is difficult to track what works best.
At this very moment, I just picked up my iPhone, and the problem is back again for some music. This is the 3rd time in the last month. Apple clearly does not want to fix this issue. It is likely, this is going deep into their core values of control, and in their pocket books for licensing and legality. Something is clearly more important to them than a handful of angry customers.
Personally, i already had to convert my favorite music into MP3s for an MP3 hardware player I purchased so I can have my music when I travel far away from my computer to "fix" this problem, temporarily...
Causation? if we all wrote down our daily activities with the iPhone, we may be able to get to the cause of this problem.
- It could be our backups? It could be our backups running encryption?
- It could be synchronizing or lack of synchronizing
- Sometimes it appears related to running iPhone updates or an iTunes update or version upgrades as well.
- Could be traveling out of country
- Could be too many device "authorized" in the iCloud
At this very moment, I did just confirm, that i "fixed" my issue by simply plugging in my iPhone and synchronizing with iTunes, over 200 songs were "downloaded" even though I made zero changes, zero purchases, and zero deletes.
I rebooted my iPhone, turned off WiFi, BlueTooth, and Cell, the failing songs still played. I don't know what is causing it, but I know, in a few days to a few weeks and maybe a month later, the problem will come back with no idea what caused it. At the moment, simply resyncing it fixed it.
This is almost like "Bitrot". When the actual magnetic 0's and 1's on the platters start to deteriorate, getting corrupt/damaged. Then we have to resync the data as iTunes knows it is there in the metadata, but the file cannot play. I would be happy with that answer if that were true, but bitrot happens over a long period of time from what i understand. Not quite the same as damaged data from power surges, strikes, brownouts, sags and blackouts, but just deterioration over "time". But two days is not long enough.
For spontaneously fixes itself - I think he is simply frustrated with accidentally and unknowingly, temporarily resolving the issue just to have it come back again and again. In fact, I believe, we can make a new word for this. To describe our frustrations with Apple, Apple's refusal to fix the issue permanently, and Jon's frustration with iTunes spontaneously fixing itself, just for the problem repeating itself, should be coined with an agreeable word to properly describe this scenario.
Applelized? Applerot? Don't applelize me... Your music has Applerot....
Appleruption? Did Apple corrupt your stuff again??
Applailure? Apple/Failure
iTunobia? the fear of putting your music into iTunes??
Ahhh mannnn....Apple is going to ban me :(
