Q: Music not syncing after iOS 7 update

This used to happen to my ipad and I figured out it only happened when I imported a cd to my itunes, I just let itunes "wait for changes to be applied" after I rest my mac and ipad, and then it finally decided to sync.  Recently my ipod classic  stopped showing up in itunes, but would show up in finder.  the solution to this was to restart my mac. Itunes is pretty much screwed up and has been for years, you used to not have to worry about things not syncing properly, and now I stare at my mac to make sure it gets the job done.  Apple is just getting sloppier and sloppier as time goes on, that's just my opinion but I've had snow leopard, lion, mountain lion, and now mavericks and the oldest os is the best and least buggiest. I just hope they realize how their new ideas are effecting old users in different ways and actually try to fix the problems and not be so secretive.  JUST TELL US WHATS GOING ON AND THERE WONT BE 55 PAGE FORUMS ON YOUR WEBSITE APPLE!

It's been 2 Hour 19 min

@ 23 s > 2 Hr 19 min > ??? -  Waiting for changes to be applied

Did this Sync get stuck, or is iTunes actually doing something to my Library, my iPhone? 

I am TRYING to Sync 10 New Songs since OK Sync yesterday! It's just a 7 MB Total only!!!!

Below are the Excerpt from one of my COUNTLESS LOGS that I would LOVE to Discuss with Apple...., but I have not seen much interest in that on their part. To be fair, AppleCare and I have Discussed this A LOT, but then they just said:

We are working on it...

And that's after they tried to blame Audio Hijack Pro and Lame Encoder. See my Previous Comments about that!

After that, they were not interested in my Feedback... So maybe they already know what's wrong..., and the ARE working on it!!!

All I can say now is that iOS 7.06 Update and this iTunes 11.1.5 Update did NOT FIX this Music Syncing Nightmare YET!

But, just in case Apple is Watching this Discussion, here is where I am RIGHT NOW...

Wednesday, February 26, 2014 10:03:03 PM - Start Sync

Backing up

Previous Sync Details - it's an Excerpt from my Log, and I hope it is self-explanatory enough:

The Sync is still stuck in  "Waiting for changes to be applied" now for 3 Hours 20 Minutes!

If there it's  still stuck at that stage when I get in the morning, then it's another Case of House Of Cards Falling Apart!!!

HERE ARE MY QUESTIONS FOR APPLE: 

How come I am able to break my 25377 Songs into 4 Overnight Sync Batches, and  then do Verifications Sync and they are fine, and now this, just after this New iOS 11.1.5 Update is Installed, I am stuck at "Waiting for changes to be applied" ?? 

I Split these latest 25377 Songs Sinto 4 Overnight Sync Batches, and it was done after iOS 7.0.6 Update, Restore as New, and then from a Healthy Backup!!!

Why is iTunes and or iOS keep "changing their mind" about the Previous Sync Results = Finished OK??? I.e. it's the SAME CONTENT, No Changes, and sometime Sync Works OK, sometimes it does NOT!

If I have to do yet another Restore As New, then Restore from Back (cause ALL other Components of the Sync work OK), then I could try to Sync only Ripped CDs and No Audio Hijack Pro, 3 Party Content, and if THAT "Kosher" Music, Native iTunes Imports also Have Problem, then WHO is Apple going to blame then?

THIS DISCUSSION IS NOW 56 PAGES LONG! AND AS PROUD, LOAYL APPLE CUSTOMER, USER, FAN, I COULD NOT BE POSSIBLY ANY MORE FRUSTRATED!!! 

I usually praise Apple, and brag about my Joy of Mac and iOS, and now THIS SYNC ISSUE has been tearing my heart out since the beginning of November 2013, that's almost 5 Months!!!!

I hope AppleCare did tell me the TRUTH and that Apple is working on this Music Sync Issue! I hope Apple is not just ignoring it, because there are ONLY 56 Pages in this Discussion:)!

As a HUGE APPLE FAN, it is REALLY PAINFUL for me to be saying this PUBLICLY!!!!

Here I am going to bed

The Sync is still stuck in  "Waiting for changes to be applied" now for 3 Hours 12 Minutes!

And I don't know if this Sync is going to Finish OK, or not! But, even if id does Finish OK, How Long is that OK going to last before the Next Sync again gets stuck at

"Waiting for changes to be applied" now for 3 Hours 20 Minutes!

when only a few Songs are being added, when only a few songs get Renamed on my Mac?

I've had my iPhone 4S for almost 2 Years, and until I Upgraded to iOS 7, I NEVER EVER WORRIED ABOUT SYNCING MY MUSIC!!!! iOS 6.1.3 was FINE!

I've asked you to send me either iOS 6.1.3 Installer, or a Test Device with iOS 6.1.3 on it, so that we could both Confirm that it's NOT my iTunes Library etc that is at Fault! It is iOS 7 and or the iTunes!!!! Alas you did not take me up on that offer!!!!

It's upsetting and FRUSTRATING having to waste so much time on trying to solve this MYSTERY!!! And AppleCare is wasting a lot of time on this Issue too, I bet! This is NOT a Joyful Apple and iOS Experience that I've had all these years! I hope this MYSTERY doesn't become a NORM, A HABIT!!!

Dear Apple, Thank You for Allowing Us to Discuss thing here, Freely and in the Open, but...

Please fix this Music Syncing EMBARRASSMENT ASAP!!!! I want to go back to being a PROUD, HAPPY, LOYAL  APPLE  CUSTOMER of many years!

There seem to be 2 fairly different sync issues people on this forum are experiencing. 

1. Extremely slow sync (like arkady1's issue)

and

2. Sync that appears to works fine, but doesn't actually change music or audio books.

I have problem number 2 and it appears that the iTunes update today has resolved it for me.

Previously I would sync and it would just end like it was successful, but no music/audiobook changes would happen.  I had to futz with the manage music manually checkbox, unchecking sync music, deleting music on my iphone from settings, etc to get it to work. 

Tonight and earlier today I made changes to my phone's music and it worked every single time!

So I looks like Apple may have made progress.   Hopefully 7.1 will solve it.

I hope to hear from some of the other sufferers of problem 2 that it really is fixed.

i have tried EVERYTHING suggested on the forums and nothing works. i even wiped out my ipod to see if it had something to do with that. been sitting here for 4 hours trying to fix it.

i now have about 8 out of 6451 songs on my ipod...

FIX THIS APPLE. your new update didn't fix anything! all i have is an expensive empty ipod touch now.

Hi, datbates!

My first Sync under iTunes 11.1.5 that I Installed today/yesterday, did what you describe as Problem #2 that you are having!

The Sync went fine, too fast!

I but didn't see Finishing Sync, nor Copying 10 items.

No Music was copied!

Now I am in my Repeat Sync and

The Sync is still stuck in  "Waiting for changes to be applied" now for 3 Hours 48 Minutes!

In the Middle of all this NIGHTMARE, I am DON'T want to introduce yet another VARIABLE  - Update to Mac OS 10.9.2!!!!

I prefer to have this issue RESOLVED FOR REAL before I Update to 10.9.2, particularly that I still hear about people having problems with their Apple Mail, which Mac OS 10.9.2 Update was supposed to have fixed!

3 Hours 48 Minutes! or 4 - 5 Hours - is THAT NORMAL? Is that how Long this iTunes Update need to Update EVERY ITEM in my iTunes Library, even if they are not being Synced?

I do have a 43766 Items = 74.79GB in Music Alone in my Library… I have been able to Sync 25377 Songs since the iOS 7.0.6 Update came out 5 Days ago, on 2/22/14

So if 4  - 5 Hours is what it's supposed to take, even on my SSD HD, then Apple should have WARNED us that the FIRST SYNC will be Unusually Long, and we should do it Overnight, if we have really Large iTunes Libraries… 

But, somehow I think that this

The Sync is still stuck in  "Waiting for changes to be applied" now 4 HOURS and 18 Minutes!!!!!

is NOT a NORMAL!!!!

It's now Thursday, February 27, 2014 2:05:43 AM, and I am YET AGAIN going to bed with ANXIETY, not knowing WHAT Result to expect in the morning!!! Will I still be looking at

The Sync is still stuck in  "Waiting for changes to be applied" now for 4 HOURS and 18 Minutes, or 10 hours and 25 Minutes, or 11 Hours?!

I don't know! If YES, then it's...

Another CYCLE OF PAIN:

I'll either have to Cancel the Sync, or Disconnect my iPhone, hopeing that MOST of my Music will NOT Disappear from my iPhone, as it usually does in situations like this!!!

Restore as New, and then from a Healthy Backup!!!

Split these latest 25377 Songs into 4 Overnight Sync Batches 

Enjoy this House Of Cards for a few Days, where it'll be Syncing OK, and then...

IT ALL FALLS APART YET AGAIN!!!

As a LOYAL, PROUD APPLE FAN, USER, CUSTOMER OF MANY YEARS, I would HATE to see this Discussion to be used by Samsung and other Apple Competitors, never mind LINK BAIT Journalists looking to increase traffic to their sites!!!

I've kept my mouth shut for MONTHS now, based on AppleCare telling me that Apple IS working on it!!!

I hope they actually meant it, but this Sync Issue is still a PROBLEM for ALL of us here!

Obviously Music Syncing is not expected to be a Higher Priority than Security, but that doesn't make it any easier for us to Manage Our Frustrations with this this SAD CASE, even if Apple kindly allows us to Express Ourselvs this Freely here, on these Discussions Pages!!!!! 

These are the SAD THOUGHTS that I am taking to bed!!!!

That's NOT how my Apple, Mac and iOS LIFE used to be, before iOS 7 Update!!!!

I still LOVE Apple, and I wish them the best of luck, so that they can FIX THIS ASAP!!!!

Thursday, February 27, 2014 3:12:04 PM

As FEARED…. I lost almos ALL of my Music after this New and Improved iTunes 11.1.5 Update. Same happenedn a few days ago, after iOS 7.0.6 Update!!!

Now I have to do the "USUAL" - ReInstall iOS my iPhone 4S, then Restore from Backup, but without Music! That takes about 30 min. Then 4 Days in a row, I break my 25,387 Songs into 4 Overnight Syncs!!!!

My Next Move will have to be the "usual" - ReInstall iOS my iPhone 4S, then Restore from Backup, but without Music! That takes about 30 min. But this time, I will test Syncing ONLY Ripped CDs, not 3rd Party Content!!!

But first I will REINSTALL iTunes, 11.1.5

Then when the Next Update to either iOS or iTunes comes out, this whole thing will FALL APART, like a HOUSE OF CARDS!!!! 

Meanwhile Apple seems to be blaming 3rd Party Content, Audio Hijack Pro!

But, even if the Ripped CDs Sync OK, I still need Apple's Answer to this Question:

If the 3rd Party Content Synced FLAWLESSLY until iOS 6.1.3, and earlier Versions of iTunes, why can't Apple make it work again?!

If the 3rd Party Content works FLAWLESSLY ALL Versions of iTunes, including this latest 11.1.5, why 3rd Party Content No Longer Welcome on my iPhone????

I would LOVE to know if ALL OF YOU here on this Discussion are:

Using 3rd Party Content, like Audio Hijack Pro?

or

Are you just having trouble Syncing the CDs that you ripped yourselves with iTunes? 

Please Answer those 2 Questions at Least!

That QUESTION about 3rd Party Conten is HUGE for me, and I assume APPLE would needs to know that as well!!!

I can't  even describe the FRUSTRATION I feel now!!!! 

Worst Case - I'll have to Re-Encode those 25,000 + Tracks, so they are "Native" Encoding by iTunes itself! But, what if that still doesn't work? Who will Apple blame then, since it will no longer be a 3rd Party Content?

I am still on Mac OS 10.8.5. I am afraid to Update to 10.9.2, because I still hear of people having problems with their Apple Mail…

My iPad 3, 4G, is still running iOS 6.1.3, but I have NOT Synced it in the last 4 Months, which is when this NIGHTMARE started for me, as I took a Leap of Faith, and Updated to iOS 7.0.4!!!! 

Hope your luck is better then mine!!!

When I have issues like this I so wish that I'd not done the iOS 7 upgrade on my iPhone 4S or done the iTunes 11 upgrade - whichever of these things is causing this problem. This morning I made the mistake of buying three albums on my Mac which is running the latest Mavericks release and the latest iTunes - both updated yesterday evening. I've got 52gb of music - a mix of iTunes purchases and CD rips using iTunes and a handful of MP3s from Amazon or 7 Digital or the artists themselves. The problem is that for whatever reason the **** sync - which was just fine after I reformatted the phone following the last time this happened - just hangs with the "barbershop pole of death" saying something useless like "waiting for changes to be applied" or "waiting for items to copy" - well WHAT? What the **** is copying? It would be nice to give me some clue what the **** is going on as it used to in iTunes 10, but apparently I'm asking too much.

I can only assume it's the goddam genius data syncing, but I honestly don't know. So I try to cancel sync, but that sits there for twenty minutes and the I unplug the phone and reboot it and plug it in again and now it appears to sync in fifteen minutes, but I find that many of my songs appear to be missing - including some I just purchased this morning. So I go into the iTunes shop and it says they're purchased,  but the play button is greyed out and there's no option to download. Clearly they're still on the phone, but the stupid music player just won't play them. I can only assume that somehow the iTunes library on the phone is corrupt, but you'd think IF THE GODDAM THING SAYS THE SYNC COMPLETED THAT WOULDN'T BE POSSIBLE.

I'm sorry but there is no slack left for Apple here. I have no issues with my iPad Air - other than my ripped TV shows losing their season, episode information if a sync is done after their initially downloaded and Safari crashing regularly (thank you iOS 7 stability) - but the main reason I have an iPhone is that I like using iTunes to organise my music. Why in the **** can they not get their hardware and software to work together properly like it used to? I mean isn't that the point of buying Apple hardware and using Apple software? Am I being penalised because I listen to a lot of music, which I almost exclusively buy from them now? It's been over six months and this is still an issue.

I'm going to try to sync this again tonight; if I have to I'll wipe all my goddam music again and put it on there, but if it doesn't sort it I'm seriously thinking about getting a 3rd party audio player and I really shouldn't have to. This is just so ******* stupid I cannot understand it!

Well after my post a couple of days ago, and having lost about three-quarters of the music on the iPhone, I bit the bullet and deleted all music from the phone. Several times I started a sync, and each time iTunes was reporting that it couldn't start the sync because there was insufficient capacity on the phone (which I nknow from before that there should be!). I deleted various large apps, but still it kept reporting too little memory (even thought the app size deleted was more than the amount of memory deficiency).  I finally deleted an app which takes up about 2Gb and the sync started.

It was very slow to get around to starting copying, but it looked good and was copying x of 9020 songs. However, checking the phone Settings>General>About, showed that the number of songs on the phone was only a fraction of the number it said it had copied. I let it continue though, and as it got towards the end, there were only about 2500 showing on the phone. I got distracted and the next thing I know is the iTunes was saying 'waiting for items to copy' for ages. Checking the phone again, the song number was slowly increasing. That remained so when I went to bed, and this morning I now appear to have all 9020 songs on the phone again!

During the time that it was 'waiting for items to copy' a couple of times I got the message on the phone 'memory almost full'. The first time I looked there was apparently only 120-odd Mb, but reefreshing the About page showed that figure gradually INCREASING up to about 1.2Gb, then the song numbers started increasing again, and this repeated next time I got the message. As I've said numberous times before there is definitely something weird going on with memory usage and reporting of memory! There is now 1.2Gb free, which is less than that required to replace all the missing apps. I think I shall manually add the missing apps directly on the phone, rather than risk another sync (or at least as many of them as I can get on).

Right, I managed to sort my phone without a full reinstall which is what I feared most. This might shed some light on the goofiness of what happened as a result of my impatience due to not knowing what was syncing for an hour due to no useful information. Firstly I turned off the Genius - if you have a music collection of several thousand tracks and use an iPhone I think this is a must to avoid ludicrous sync times, plus it appears to take up valuable megabytes of space. I then had to do the manual sync. Interestingly the songs missing from my phone after my earlier experience were in playlists that now were ticked in the list of manually selected playlists. I had to do two syncs to get all music off my phone: one left me with the songs that were originally missing; I then unticked the boxes when I found that I now had an "other" category that was too big to allow me to simply sync all music (my collection is 52GB of 256Mbps AAC files). Once all music was gone it happily synced the entire collection and all was well; the only oddity was that a few songs appeared twice and once I deleted them and redownloaded them everything seemed normal.

I've now got the phone with selected photos and books and all music again; hopefully Apple can address this behaviour in future - users require information to know something is happening or if their device is simply hung up and a sideways barber pole and generic statement just doesn't cut it. If it's syncing genius data then say so!

Attempts to delete songs off the iPhone manually (by swiping) does not work smoothly and may contribute to this problem of corrupted, unsyncing music. It appears that M4A and M4P (Purchased AAC music) on iTunes can then become 'stuck' on the iPhone and be unrecognized (into 'Other' storage category).

This is how I fixed it and what I suggest: Uncheck the Sync Music tickbox and then hit Sync to remove all music. After that you might have your 'Other' storage increase if there are music files that are corrupted. After closing iTunes or ejecting the iPhone, I used iExplorer (free demo) to delete the music files (be careful about deleting stuff though). Media> Itunes Control> Music> F00...F21 etc has a collection of indexed music in such folders, in my case they were all m4a/m4p files but did not show up in iTunes explicitly. After deleting all those music folders (since I had already ensured to unsync all music), I recovered the 1-2gb or so that was corrupted and then resynced without any issues.

I suppose at this point to make sure it doesn't happen again, just don't manually delete music. That's the only thing I can relate to the issue since it seems to be intermittant; it's happened twice now I think. Create a customized playlist to sync, or sync only the songs you wish. That's my experience anyway, hope it helps. Submitted some feedback to Apple.

after the 1st os update i spent 90 hours on the sync issues. talking to apple in the usa, sending logs, screenshots and videos didn't solve things. after aprox 25 resyncs i solved it. i was able to sync again.

now with the latest os update it's screwed up again.

i'm now looking to migrate to samsung as i'm so hacked off!

i still can't beleive that people are buying apple products. they must have the same issues?

I have not had any issues with this (or the previous) release of IOS 7.0.6  or itunes 11.1.5 on 4 different IOS devices, Iphone, ipod, ipad mini and ipad. I have added and subtracted from playlists with various combinations of media  So this has to be something locally affecting specific people either their particular hardware or computers where itunes resides. Make sure your disks are verified ok and that the permissions have been checked.  In particular make sure if you have Sync only checked song and videos that you actually have the songs you want checked.

that setting has been in itunes for ages and i believe is on by default .

My own sucess in syncing began once i cleared my library of corrupted tunes and especially any that are owned by a different apple id than your own.

good luck

But why should these problems have suddenty started last autumn after iOS7 was released? It all points to a problem with iOS7 (or iTunes).

good for you.

all you have suggested has been tried.

it is a os bug.

all my files have been scanned and i have made it sync before with the same phone and laptop.

why did i not have any previous issues with ios6?