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Level 1

6 points

Error in iTunes Match - "This item cannot be downloaded"

Has anyone else had this issue? I've searched on here but can't see any mention of it.

I have recently uploaded several albums from my pc into iTunes Match and some of the songs were 'matched' and some 'uploaded'. However, when I try to download these songs to my iPhone, only the matched ones download. The uploaded ones give the following error...

This item cannot be downloaded

The item you have requested is not available for download

The status for these songs in itunes on my pc says Uploaded (no errors) and they are all in Apple Lossless format. I am wondering if the Apple servers need to convert them to 256kps format before they are available for download? But these songs were uploaded a couple of days ago and still won't download. I uploaded some other Lossless songs last week and they were available for download on my iphone almost immediately.

Any help most appreciated!

Thanks.

iPhone 4S, iOS 5.0.1

Posted on Jan 24, 2012 5:58 AM

Best reply

Psi-Jack

Level 1

4 points

Posted on Jan 4, 2017 6:51 PM

I have found the solution to most of these problems it seems.

I was having this very same issue with a growing number of songs in my iTunes Match, all of which, for me, were actually uploaded to the iTunes Match Cloud, not Matched with their database. After speaking with a Senior Advisor at Apple about this issue we broke down and figured out it was likely data corruption on the match storage servers.

FAIR WARNING before I explain the solution: You will need the original song files or CD to re-add and match to correct this issue.

The solution was to, in iTunes, select the song(s) in question, Song->Delete from Library. (You may need to do this twice). It will ask if you want to delete it from iCloud, you will need to say yes. This will delete it from all linked devices as well, so you will need to re-add them from the original files, then re-add them to your playlists appropriately.

Once you've re-added the song files back to iTunes, in File->Library->Update iCloud Music Library will re-add them to your iTunes Match, either by Matching or Uploading again.

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96 replies

TheQz

Level 1

9 points

Oct 18, 2014 3:45 PM in response to dannym52

I'm having a similar issue.

Recently upgraded to Yosemite, and I wanted to re-download a couple of songs stored on iTunes match ONLY.

I cannot download these songs (two I've discovered so far) on any of my devices (2013 rMBP, iPhone 5s, iPad mini).

Switching iTunes match off and back on did not help.

Since I do not have a copy (I do but it's on a CD somewhere) of those songs, it is very difficult for me to delete them from iTunes match and re-upload them...

Anyone got any bright ideas?

Jul 22, 2015 9:25 PM in response to dannym52

Another strange item - all playlists and apple music seem to work fine with itunes on Macbook / iMac Mini / iPhone 6+, but really messed up on iPads. All my songs, whether imatch / apple music play fine on everything except ipads. I keep getting "This item cannot be downloaded. The item you have requested is not available for download" - very frustrating and strange.

Tom2009

Level 1

8 points

Jul 23, 2015 3:59 AM in response to brybusto2014

I have the same problem with my recent bought iPod touch: its imposible downloading my own songs from the cloud (ITunes match)

weberflo

Level 1

9 points

Jul 26, 2015 6:12 AM in response to Tom2009

Same here, but in iTunes. Songs appear as "Matched" though i cannot download or play them. "This item cannot be downloaded".

Works fine on my iPhone though.

scrnm

Level 1

11 points

Aug 2, 2015 12:53 AM in response to weberflo

Same thing here with iTunes…

"Matched" songs should be available for download through iCloud Music Library once removed, but they are not. Once i remove a file through "Remove Download" to reload a better version of it, the iCloud download-icon appears and right-click "Make Available Offline" is available. However iTunes then tells me that "This item cannot be downloaded"… and the song is gone, it seems.

voigtstr

Level 1

29 points

Sep 15, 2016 3:41 AM in response to dannym52

I have this now. I wanted to play Radioheads king of limbs live at the basement. Each track is unavailable. If I check the details of each item, the file location is iCloud, so its not like I can use Time Machine to retrieve them.

Error in iTunes Match - "This item cannot be downloaded"