Song shows as "Purchased" in iTunes and won't let me re-download it, but it doesn't show up in my Purchased list. I want the song back, don't mind re-downloading, but it won't let me

Situation:

Purchases not hidden and they not in your library, but at purchases section there's no download button. You can’t redownload previous purchases.

Problem:

iTunes think that song / songs still in your library when they really not.

Solution:

1. Quit iTunes.
2. Hold option key + open iTunes > create a new empty library (save on Desktop).
3. Sign in with your Apple ID and go to purchases section, all the songs should be downloadable.
4. Download song / songs you couldn't before.
5. Create a folder on Desktop and drag and drop downloaded songs from iTunes to this folder.
6. Quit iTunes.
7. Hold option key + open iTunes > Choose your existing library (default: user folder > Music > iTunes) click open.
8. Drag and drop downloaded songs from folder to your existing iTunes library.

You can delete those folders on Desktop. 😉

On a computer...

1. Go to iTunes on your computer.
2. Click on "Account".
3. Select "Purchased".
4. Click on the Artist's name in the left hand column, for the music you'd like to download.
5. Click the little cloud / download icon on the album cover.
6. Enjoy!

I had the same problem and I think I figured out what was wrong in my situation. I had purchased some singles from a greatest hits album of the band and then I came across the same songs in the albums where they were originally released. From the original album page, the song was marked purchased but it was grayed out and I was not able to download it. If I went to the greatest hits album page, I could download it from there. It's hard to remember sometimes where you bought a song, or if another family member purchases a song, they may be able to purchase it from various releases. Not allowing customers to "cross-download" is probably a licensing requirement with which Apple needs to comply. So check to see if the song you can't download was released under another album--perhaps a greatest hits compilation, or a soundtrack album, etc. Happy listening! 🙂

I was having the same problem with the unhide all command, but when I tried unhiding each item separately it worked.

Once I unhid them all individually the download/download all option worked great.

I have the same problem and none of the solutions proposed in this thread work.

Not all of my purchased music is listed in the "purchased shortcut".

When I find in the itunes store an album I have purchased it tells I have purchased it but there is no way to download it.

I am using machine that is authorised to access my itunes puchased items.

Strangely itunes will let medownload them my other authorised device, an ipad.

I think this is one these Apple bugs we get from time to time and which get fixed... eventually.

The more I try to use itunes store the less I like it. I have loads of albums that have disappeared from my itunes library, itunes knows I have purchased them, but can't offer a simple way to put them back in my libray.

You are confusing the Purchased playlist in iTunes and your purchase history available from the iTunes Store. The Purchased playlist is not the definitive purchase history and when items are deleted from the iTunes library they are also deleted from that playlist, so of course they will not show up.

The recommended method to redownload purchases, if that service is available in your country of residence, is to click the iTunes Store. On the right side of the "page" under Quick Links click "purchased." This will take you to your definitive purchase history. Click "not on my computer" in the upper right to see all tracks not currently in the iTunes library. There is a search field on the top left.

I had just had the same problem, I went in my library in albums, I clicked on the album, then, I couldn't see the song. So I clicked on «show the entire album» under the songs, then the missing song appeared, and I downloaded it from iCloud and it worked.

tunes>preferences>store

click box "download pre-orders when available"

click box "show itunes in the cloud purchases"

That worked. It showed a new cloud column in iTunes in Songs view. Missing song has a cloud download icon, clicked and downloaded. Didn't happen automatically.

God this whole Apple universe is getting so very convoluted with every update/change now.

I am missing other songs that I am too frustrated to look for and solve but I know they are gone from HDD.

I have the same problem. I pre-ordered a cd, which is available since last week. I've tried everything, but the cd still appears ash "purchased" but I can't find none of the songs of the cd and I can't even try to by again the cd. Also, the CD still appears on my pre-order list of items and even if I cancel the order, I'm not able to buy it again... I'm hating all this situations.

None of these solutions worked for me. A few years ago I purchased a few songs off the "O Brother Where Art Thou" soundtrack. One of the songs I purchased cannot be located. When I try to play it it says "The song “Down to the River to Pray” could not be used because the original file could not be found. Would you like to locate it?" When I click on yes, it still cannot find it. I've deleted it out of the library, but it will not let me re-purchase it. Very frustrating.

Me too. It shows purchased when I search for the album in the iTunes Store, but it's not on my phone and it does not show up on the "not on my iPhone" list if I go am in the music app on my phone.

I'm having this issue with multiple albums

I can't get any the solutions suggested in this thread to work. I logged into itunes on a Mac that is NOT one of my registered devices and could see and download all my prveious purchases. Weird. I'm sure iTunes is buggy

ORPIN you need to contact Apple directly if 90% of your songs are like that.

Makes me wonder, if this kind of mess up is possible, who is to say iTunes is not completely forgetting that we bought certain things? Or that it won't in future? I mean I don't remember or have a list of EVERY song or album I ever bought on iTunes. Sometimes I go through my library and find something and think- oh when did I buy that!

It happens to everybody. We automatically assume iTunes will remember, but what if it doesn't? I've even had files disappear from my iTunes library in my computer. Totally unexplainable. Methinks, this song buying deal needs be done very carefully. If Apple can't guarantee this then we shouldn't delete any songs from our HDD.

Apple's fineprints actually says things may disappear from the store, and you need to keep a copy of the app or song you want to keep.

Then comes this iTunes in the Cloud dealy. according to Apple's fineprints, it seems that our songs just may disappear from the cloud as well? Because they are obviously just the store files that stream from the servers instead of downloading.

Go to purchase history on itunes> See All > Report a Problem >Click on the song you are having a problem with> Then it will take you to the Report a Problem webpage > Follow the steps and it should redownload the song for you

I just had the same problem with White Light/ White Heat Deluxe version. iTunes claimed I'd already purchased a song, but the Deluxe Version just came out today. I had a song from the non-deluxe version; I wanted to buy the entire deluxe album, but it wouldn't download that one song, because I had "purchased" it. But I wanted the upgraded version "mastered for iTunes." I couldn't report it as a problem because it was too new. Finally I said eff it and gifted that one "purchased" track to myself, using the pulldown window for a gift to a friend. It worked, in the sense that I have the track, but what a way to run a railroad.