When opening Apple Music app on Mac - This iphone is open in another window

Which version of macOS?

Connecting using wireless, or a cable?

Are you storing your music in your Mac music library, or storing it in Apple Music or iTunes Match?

Are there any other third-party music-related apps installed on the Mac?

PS: per the other reply above, the Apple Music app in macOS is protected and is not deletable without shutting off system integrity protection. Which I would generally not recommend doing.

nhaigh wrote:

…I store music on an external hard drive and only transfer files as an when I want them on my iPhone (transfer directly), I don't like Music app getting too cluttered…

I’d suspect that this is the trigger; that you’re maintaining your music library outside of Apple Music and its library, and that’s getting something tangled. Finder is a potential culprit for (also) accessing the device.

I’d tend to contact Apple Support here, as what you’re doing is a little unusual, if I’m inferring your usual sequence correctly.

Other option is to keep backups outside the library, and mice copies into Apple Music and then let that sync.

Confusingly, there are three difficult hunks potentially involved here: Apple Music (the app, which is involved), Apple Music (the service), and iTunes Match (the service). I’ll assume you are here not using Apple Music (the service), or iTunes Match (the service). Just the app.

nhaigh wrote:

This option is always unticked when I shut down so this unfortunately won’t help.

thank you for the input though

To confirm… If you shut down the Mac with the open-new-windows setting (for the shutdown and restart!) disabled, does that help? You’re referring to the shutdown option for this?

This is all headed for a new login or for a re-install, as something seems corrupted here.

I too had this challenge and attempted each of the solutions from several forum pages. As a final step, I opened my Apple Music app and interestingly, had to sign in to my account (I wanted to check my settings). Once I did this, and after seeing nothing unusual, I went tot eh "Authorizations" tab and selected "Authorize this computer" (knowing full well that it had been authorized before). I received a message that said "this computer has already been authorized but we re-authorized it." I went back to the left panel, selected my iPhone and Boom! - fixed. Hope this works for everyone!

nhaigh wrote:

... yet as soon as I open Apple Music on my mac, my iphone is still there connected somehow.

Reboot, with the option to reopen windows turned off. Open Finder, not Apple Music. Syncing and other device management duties are managed in Finder.

tt2

Have you attempted deleting app and see the effect then reinstalling and see how it behaves?

Thought your mention of iPhone in error given was reason to see what happens if it’s deleted on the iphone device…

Shut down your Mac, uncheck the option to reopen closed windows as you do so.

Once the system has powered up hold down option+cmd as you launch Music to open it in safe mode.

tt2

Putting aside that suggestion, did you try shutting down the computer, then powering up and opening Music in its own safe mode by holding down option+cmd at launch?

tt2