Album file not syncing between MacBook Pro and Apple Phone

Question

Level 1

13 points

Album file not syncing between MacBook Pro and Apple Phone

I have an album on my Macbook Pro that is ripped from a file sent me to years ago. The album is out of print. It is not on Apple Music streaming.

The album download has worked on previous phones. It plays fine on my Macbook. I currently have an iPhone 16, running iOS 26.6. My Macbook is running Tahoe OS 26.6. My phone and Macbook are connected to iCloud.

However, the album as a whole is grayed out on my iPhone. When I try to play it, I get this error: "This item is not synced across your devices. On your Mac or PC, go to Apple Music or iTunes for Windows and in Settings, select Sync Library."

I went to the General menu on my Macbook Apple Music software settings. I checked Sync Library. I hit "OK." The phone is still giving the same error.

When I search for the original album file on my Macbook Pro, the individual songs come up. When I click on each one, the downloads show up in the Apple Music library.

Thanks in advance for your help!

iPhone 16, iOS 26

Posted on Aug 12, 2026 2:10 PM

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Answer 1

WheelieNick

Level 9

55,603 points

Aug 14, 2026 3:14 AM in response to the musigal

Your Mac's local files have not uploaded to iCloud Music Library yet, or the iPhone has not refreshed its cloud connection. To fix this, enable Sync Library on your iPhone, force an update of your cloud library on your Mac, and re-download the tracks directly via Finder/Music sync if cloud uploading fails for local unsupported files.

Fix the Cloud Sync on Mac and iPhone

Turn on Sync Library on your iPhone: Go to Settings > Music, and turn on Sync Library.
Force a cloud update on your Mac: Open the Music app, go to the menu bar, select File > Library > Update Cloud Library.
Wait a few minutes for the local files to upload or match to your personal iCloud container.

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Answer 2

the musigal Author

Level 1

13 points

Aug 19, 2026 4:41 PM in response to WheelieNick

Hi. I tried what you suggested twice. Each time, I waited a few hours for the cloud to update. I'm still having the same problem.

I found the file of the album on my computer. I deleted the file off my phone. When I tried to build another playlist of the album on my Macbook, I got the attached error. (The first song did make it to the playlist. Then I got the error.)

What should I do next?

FYI: When I turned on my phone's sync library, music was under "apps" under "settings." The sync library was already turned on.

Thank you!

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Answer 3

the musigal Author

Level 1

13 points

Aug 19, 2026 4:42 PM in response to WheelieNick

FYI: This is how the original file looked on my phone before deleting it.

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