You can make a difference in the Apple Support Community!

When you sign up with your Apple Account, you can provide valuable feedback to other community members by upvoting helpful replies and User Tips.

Looks like no one’s replied in a while. To start the conversation again, simply ask a new question.

DerrickGuin Author

Level 1

5 points

Music Imported to Library : Cannot Decode - The Media data could not be decoded. It may be Damaged

iPhone 12 Pro Max

iOS 15.1 (19B74)

iTunes 12.12.2.2

HP Laptop

Windows 10 Home(21H1)

I store all of my music on an external hard drive.

I download 90% of my music from Golden MP3

I use iTunes and import folders of music into iTunes and then sync with my phone.

Randomly some songs will not play. The "Cannot Decode" message appears. I have just started digging into this issue.

Earlier today I un synced all music from my phone.

Checked to make sure all music was off of my phone.

Synced entire music library.

One particular song (Song A) will not play from the library in my phone.

However, song A will play from my iTunes Library.

So my thought is, maybe an issue is occurring in the transfer from iTunes on my laptop to music in my iPhone. Not sure where to go from here. Any help or guidance would be greatly appreciated.

[Link Edited by Moderator]

iPhone 12 Pro Max

Posted on Nov 23, 2021 1:15 PM

Top-ranking reply

the fiend

Level 7

22,908 points

Posted on Dec 5, 2021 11:56 AM

Your subject title suggest that the file may be damaged. That's possible, so have you tried downloading the file again, or looking for it elsewhere?

Is the message you quoted (cannot decode - the media data could not be decoded) referring to that song and di you see it on your iPhone or in your iTunes Library?

View in context

Music Imported to Library : Cannot Decode - The Media data could not be decoded. It may be Damaged

Similar questions