I have iTunes issues but I can’t get help/support through that forum because the only support option they have is phone calls but I can not send screen shots over a phone.
I have 2 questions about the above screen shot.
1) Why are songs grayed-out?
2) Why is “WWE Theme Songs” listed twice?
iPad Air, iOS 12
tt2
tt2
ImSpike wrote:
You constantly talk about erratic syncing I don’t even know what that is.
Erratic = unpredictable, not consistent.
A Sync should do what we expect of it - as a consequence, it should be predictable. Recently however, a Sync has frequently failed to add some songs onto the device, even when we expect them to be there. I've noticed in my case that a further Sync might put on some, but not all, of the missing songs but then take off other songs. Since we cannot be certain that a Sync will be perfect, its behaviour is unpredictable - or erratic.
Some problems cannot be fixed overnight, so we'll all just have to put up with it until the problem is solved. The present health crisis is a case in point.
Now, here's an alternative view on your playlist issue:
It looks to me from your screenshot (and I read it the same way) that you're looking at the actual content of your iPhone from iTunes. In my opinion (perhaps not shared by anyone else), that is not the best practice to adopt, because that's not how iTunes is meant to work.
There are two occasions when you can modify (edit) playlists and both rely on iTunes and the phone not being connected to each other:
But it occurs to me that if you edit a playlist on your phone, but through iTunes, what you're doing is creating a playlist that's different to the one in your iTunes Library at a time when iTunes thinks it has full control. Those edits will not be made to the Playlists in your Library and since the Sync will almost certainly have completed before you finish your editing, iTunes and then phone will no longer have synchronised playlists. Consequently, at the next Sync, iTunes has two different playlists, with the same name, to contend with. iTunes' method for dealing with it may be causing it to keep both playlists rather than attempt to resolve the conflict to your satisfaction.
The ability to edit a playlist while out and about is useful, so that's why the feature is there. Likewise, editing the Playlists in iTunes when the phone is not connected to it is also very useful. So my advice therefore, is to not edit the phone itself while connected to iTunes. Instead, make your changes while the two are not physically connected.
See this post on erratic syncing.
Perhaps you edited the playlist on a device and it synced back as a separate item. Delete the unwanted duplicate playlist.
tt2
I forgot to number my responses.
The first line details how to resolve those dotted circles that you see.
The second suggested one possible causal explanation for how you ended up with a duplicated playlist. There are others, such as inadvertently invoking a keyboard shortcut or dragging with a modifier key selected when you just meant to click. Unless it happens frequently I wouldn't worry about the exact mechanism.
tt2
What does that mean? I do all of the editing in iTunes on my Dell notebook computer. I have made many more/edits other than that so how/why is that (only) happening to some of the songs - but not all - that I had edited? That makes no sense….
That still does not make sense.
1st of all, as it relates the erratic syncing, that sounds complicated (which is more then I can handle). 2nd, that link/question says that “they look greyed out and are unplayable on my iPhone” but the grayed-out songs I am showing in the screen shot DO play on my on iPhone but don’t play if it if my phone is synced to the computer (but there are no issues with what is actually on the computer).
As far as editing the playlist, as I indicated, “I do all of the editing in iTunes on my Dell notebook computer” & I have done that multiple times before with no issues - nor have I ever duplicated any playlists - so I have no idea how that just showed up. Furthermore, the only difference between the 2 is 32 songs that I had added (in August 2019)….however, I had added other songs to other playlists but they never duplicated like that 1 playlist did. So it does not make sense that it happen because of editing that specific playlist. Additionally, I had manually deleted the older/shorter version from my iPhone so why it still showing up when I sync the iPhone to the computer? I have made other/more edits other than that (both in that playlist as well as other playlists) so how/why is that (only) happening to some of the songs - but not all of the songs - that I had edited & only in that 1 specific playlist? That being said, I don’t believe that has anything to do with editing playlist(s).
Therefore, I don’t see how what you previously said helps me.
Hum, that does not help me.
1) So you want me to restore my phone as new (as if I just bought a brand new phone) & have to redo all of my setting? Do you know how much I despise having to redo all of my setting just because restore as new is the main/only go-to to resolve (an) issue(s)? That is unacceptable to me. Furthermore, as I had indicated, what is said in the link you send me to does not match/support what I am experiencing with being playable/unplayable (it is the opposite of what is said) so that does not help/resolve my situation.
2) I had NEVER (manually) created 2 playlists of the same name so please don’t tell me “iTunes won't stop you from creating two playlists with the same name” when I have not even done that (in fact, I do not even want to do that at all anyway). I have no idea how that even happen. The problem is that I do NOT want a duplicate (playlist) but can not get rid of the old/unwanted version.
What you are saying does not match what I am experiencing….
Hum, but that seems to contradict itself….if something is not working which someone wants to fix how does backing up & restoring that back-up not restore the problem? I say that because I had done that very thing before (well, actually I didn’t do it, I took the device - at the time my old iPhone - to the local Apple store & they agent did it) for a completely different issue & it never resolved anything whatsoever….actually, it made the issue WORSE than it was before & I have never gone back to the Apple store since! Yet you think I would accept that as a resolution to every single issue I ever have? No, that is completely unacceptable & I refuse to do that!
No, there is not a duplicate in my main iTunes library & I had actually (already) deleted it from the phone (itself) but it still comes up when synced to the computer which makes absolutely no logical sense whatsoever.
You constantly talk about erratic syncing I don’t even know what that is. Furthermore, with all the years I have used iTunes (previously with an iPod Classic) & edited stuff why have I never had this problem before UNTIL transferring everything to an iPhone XR?
You tell me “If neither issue is actually preventing you from enjoying your music on your device then leave things as they are.” but when I can’t edit them (again/anymore) it IS preventing me form enjoying them!
I am not a dentist, so why is getting actual/useful help like pulling teeth? I’m completely sick & tired & extremely ****** off with this crap!
You are making this WAY more complicated! You are saying that I may have made edits WITHOUT my phone synced to the computer (instead of WITH it synced)? Why would that make a difference? You are therefore saying I have to make (all of) my edits TWICE - both WITH the phone synced & WITHOUT (because the songs are on the computer AS WELL AS the phone). But shouldn’t I be able to sync the phone to the computer wirelessly (which I think I had done as I see the phone icon in the upper-left corner - even WITHOUT the cable connecting them)?
Now, when I used the iPad Classic (which didn’t/doesn’t have internet/wifi) it had to be synced to get the songs &/or edits over onto the device. So, shouldn’t it actually be easier since I (should) have the capacity of wireless transfer?
Hum, something does not sound fresh in the gumbo....
The main choice for organizing media on a device is between manual management or automatic syncing. With manual management you connect the device to iTunes and then add or remove individual tracks, albums, playlists, one by one. With automatic syncing you make a selection of playlists, genres, artists, and albums that will be included each time you sync the device, then any changes made in your library will be reflected next time you sync the device. It is possible to sync over wi-fi on your local network or using a wired connection. For those using Apple Music or iTunes Match there is iCloud Music Library where all the qualifying music in your library is made available to stream or download to the device over the air whenever you have connectivity.
I believe that, like me, the fiend is recommending syncing with selected playlists (etc.) rather than manipulating the content of a connected device on a track by track basis. That way edits in the library, such as tweak to a track title, should be automatically reflected in the device next time you sync (assuming iTunes completes the sync the way it is supposed to).
tt2
That does not answer my question or resolve my issue….that is getting off-topic & only confusing me even (which is not helpful at all).
Let me put the situation this way: the playlist is of theme music for WWE wrestlers (as you may have figured out but the playlist title)….but let’s say John Cena had multiple theme songs & I have them all, I would want to label them “1st theme”, “2nd theme”, ect. & not just the name of the song or if “Jim Johnson” (who use to be a composer) but John Cena both wrote & sung the song I would want to change the artist FROM “Jim Johnson” TO “John Cena” - 9 times out of 10 that is the type of edits I do (I may occasionally change artwork but not often).
How do those types of edits cause this type of issue? This started pretty much right when I got the iPhone XR in August 2019, transferred the songs from the computer onto the XR (at which point I stopped using the iPod Classic), made edits (after the 1st/main syncing) & re-synced to get the new edits over (prior to setting up wireless).
I have never made any edits on the phone itself (I don’t even know how to) & I don’t want to make the issue worse than it already is so I can’t do anything at all until I get this fixed/resolved.
Now, what answers have I really gotten to resolve this? (Don’t tell me factory setting or anything of the sort either.)
ImSpike wrote:
... WITHOUT my phone synced to the computer (instead of WITH it synced)?
...... both WITH the phone synced & WITHOUT
Reading your post again, I've re-interpreted your use of Sync. If you're using the word sync in the way I suspect you are, it will definitely mislead you.
Sync is the act of making the two the same, it is not the connection of the phone with iTunes, either by a physical connection or by wireless Sync.
But if I had not had any issues whatsoever in the 13 years that I had used the iPod Classic (which I got in 2007), why am I all of the sudden having this problem now when switching to the iPhone XR (which I did in August 2019) when I am not doing anything different then what I have always been doing?
How, exactly, is just switching the device I use make this happen? Because that is the only thing that is (really) different. What does THAT have to do with what you’re saying? It doesn’t jive….
When I have been saying “sync” I mean the act of using a lightning/USB cable connecting the device to the computer….which is/was the only way to get anything onto the iPod Classic I had been using until this past August when switching to the iPhone XR.
Hum, OK, so let’s see here….I’m very well aware of how often iTunes is updated - it seems like I need to update it every single time that I use it (which is extremely annoying in itself). While I may not update it every single time I look up songs in iTunes I do, in fact, make sure it is updated before buying anything, using a cable or anything that involved (the possible transferring of) data. For what it’s worth, I just updated it yesterday & I just double checked & I do, in fact, have the latest version.
That being said, when I connect the phone with the cable I get (I click the “x” to close the box):
….when I tap “Library” it shows the stuff on the phone under the “Devices” section but other than the above I am not seeing/getting any messages (there is nothing in the bar shown in your screen shots other then the Apple logo) - granted, I am not doing any editing as of this writing so it’s not like anything is transferring.
That being said, I had to deal with an ejection bar when I was using the iPod Classic & couldn’t disconnect it until the bar was finished so I think I am well aware of that….when I transferred the songs onto the phone I remember seeing bars 2-4 but I have not seen the “Do not disconnect” or “Eject before disconnecting” with the iPhone XR (although I always to tap the eject tab before disconnecting the cable) so I don’t see how what I have always done helps.
I don’t know how any of this fixes/resolves (any of) the issues indicated in my original posting & screen shot. So how does describing all the technical stuff correct the issues I’m having? I don’t want/need the details of what’s happening within iTunes, I just want the issues solved.
ImSpike wrote:
I don’t want/need the details of what’s happening within iTunes, I just want the issues solved.
How do you propose that is going to happen then?
Every time a suggestion has been made, you ask for more detail. But now, you say you don't want that detail at all. You also question why you should do something, instead of simply trying it.
I am not seeing/getting any messages (there is nothing in the bar shown in your screen shots other then the Apple logo)
Do you mean this one?
- granted, I am not doing any editing as of this writing so it’s not like anything is transferring.
That will explain why. If you are using Sync, those messages will appear, albeit briefly.
All I can suggest now is that you take the time to re-read all of this discussion and follow (make use of) the advice and suggestions that both tt2 and myself have made (or just his if you think my help is not useful).
Problems Editing Songs in iTunes
