Can't preview some songs in iTunes Store

I have restarted my computer, but when I open iTunes and try to preview songs some songs do not preview and just spin with the stop sign in middle. Not all songs either, just some won't play preview and seem stuck when clicking play for the preview. Any thoughts?

Windows, Windows 6

Posted on Jul 26, 2023 8:55 PM

Reply
48 replies

Sep 20, 2023 1:51 PM in response to Harry Casey

Many thanks.


Yes, I suspected it is an issue on the Apple Music side - and a push to get you to purchase Apple Music. I know of others experiencing the same problem... once were able to preview songs before purchasing and now cannot not. Just helpful to know how one can identify if you can preview a song or not before waiting for the endless "spinning cursor". Not a great end-user experience.

Sep 20, 2023 2:05 PM in response to andrewfenton

That's the point - they want people to give up on the iTunes store user experience. They're playing dumb when they tell you they'll try to figure it out or can't figure it out. They don't mind selling the songs, but would rather have you stream them. This is a way that they think makes the choice obvious to you. As if there's no reason to prefer downloading to streaming, no matter who you are. It's easier for them to forecast revenue and maybe a better margin for them from a fixed monthly subscription price for all music consumers. It just seems like too simple of a glitch not to be able to figure out.

Sep 22, 2023 4:49 PM in response to GirlRockinOut

This issue has demonstrably been going on for a while. No Apple fix thus far. Just a lot of pointing fingers elsewhere.

Could it be that Apple is purposefully trying to push us all away from iTunes and into their streaming service Apple Music? Where previews are accessible?

Given Apple's totally unsullied history, their rock-solid credibility, perhaps I am just being paranoid?

Sorry to sound cynical but I have stuck with Apple through the hard times, like many, and I am tired of being treated this way.

Sep 23, 2023 6:30 AM in response to GirlRockinOut

Unlike others - as cynical as I am at times - this does not seem to be a calculated malicious conspiracy to migrate users to the streaming service. First of all, Apple has never been shy about just switching how customers do things and how it's paid for. They have never needed to work that way. Second, they would absolutely never devise a plan that intentionally causes frustration and confusion in the HOPES that it might convert users to a paid platform, while also increasing their cost for customer service rep's to keep fielding calls/emails about it. Lastly, as someone in software development, I assure you it'd be MUCH more difficult to intentionally encode a bug like this that is seemingly random in nature and not consistent across all forms of iTunes experiences. This is clearly just a bug they need to track down and squash. Hopefully SOON.

Can't preview some songs in iTunes Store

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