wow - we're deep into ios9 and STILL having this problem. I don't use cloud or apple music or itunes match - but i can't get all the music on my playlist to show up. My playlist is 115 songs. When iphone is plugged into computer, it says iphone has 115 songs. When I look at playlist on iphone, it only lists 95! Got plenty of memory, all tracks are "checked".
iphone6
ios9.3.1
iPhone 5c, iOS 9.2.1
If you are using direct syncing from the iTunes library to the iPhone, the song files must be stored in the computer's local storage. iTunes (on the computer) may be accessing some of it songs from Apple's iTunes Store servers ("iCloud"). Even if you don't have an iCloud Music Library from an Apple Music or iTunes Match subscription, songs purchased from the iTunes Store are available for streaming from iCloud (when you don't have a locally stored copy of a song's file).
To check, show your iTunes music library using the Songs view (to show a plain list with columns). If you don't see the column for iCloud Download, make it visible (right-click heading row of list to show/hide columns). The iCloud Download column is narrow with a cloud symbol in its heading. Find a songs that does not sync to the iPhone. If you see a cloud with down-arrow symbol in the iCloud Download column for a song, that song is being accessed from iCloud, not from local storage.
If that's not the problem, I would try unchecking Sync Music on the iPod's Music settings screen in iTunes, and click Apply. This should remove all songs from the iPhone, if you are using direct syncing for music. Confirm, using the iPhone, that all songs are removed. Then, connect the iPhone to iTunes again, and set it to sync that playlist again.
If you are using direct syncing from the iTunes library to the iPhone, the song files must be stored in the computer's local storage. iTunes (on the computer) may be accessing some of it songs from Apple's iTunes Store servers ("iCloud"). Even if you don't have an iCloud Music Library from an Apple Music or iTunes Match subscription, songs purchased from the iTunes Store are available for streaming from iCloud (when you don't have a locally stored copy of a song's file).
To check, show your iTunes music library using the Songs view (to show a plain list with columns). If you don't see the column for iCloud Download, make it visible (right-click heading row of list to show/hide columns). The iCloud Download column is narrow with a cloud symbol in its heading. Find a songs that does not sync to the iPhone. If you see a cloud with down-arrow symbol in the iCloud Download column for a song, that song is being accessed from iCloud, not from local storage.
If that's not the problem, I would try unchecking Sync Music on the iPod's Music settings screen in iTunes, and click Apply. This should remove all songs from the iPhone, if you are using direct syncing for music. Confirm, using the iPhone, that all songs are removed. Then, connect the iPhone to iTunes again, and set it to sync that playlist again.
Kenichi, I was so sure you were on to something!
But the latest version(s) of itunes has removed this option of viewing "icloud downloads".
This article replicates pretty much my experience: http://www.mcelhearn.com/latest-itunes-update-displays-purchased-content-in-the- cloud-by-default/
The sad thing is my ancient ipod touch and even more ancient ipod whatever-has-the-big-wheel work perfectly. I can select multiple playlists from itunes, upload them to the device and then view "songs" and play all music on the pod, regardless of which playlist it came from
Now the more "advanced" iPhone6 does none of that. In fact, it does a lot less despite being fairly state o' the art and more pricey.
But the latest version(s) of itunes has removed this option of viewing "icloud downloads".
The linked article is actually saying the opposite. Purchased items (that are not stored locally) are shown in your iTunes library (with the cloud symbol) by default. There is no setting (option) to turn it ON, because it is ON automatically (and you can't turn it OFF) if you're signed in with your Apple ID. So, if you do what I described and you don't see the cloud symbol in the iCloud Download column for any of your songs, that means all of your songs are stored locally on the computer's drive. And if you are able to load those same songs onto an old iPod, then they must be stored locally on your computer.
Did you try my other suggestion. Remove ALL songs from the iPhone, confirm they are all gone when using the iPhone, and then reload them using iTunes again.
Also, are you loading songs manually (by dragging songs or playlists to the iPhone in iTunes)? OR do you go to the iPhone's Music settings screen in iTunes, and checkmark the box to Sync Music with specific playlists selected.
Understood, Kenichi - but I still don't have an option to view icloud downloads - either by right clicking on a column header, or by using the check boxes from "view" in the top nav dropdown. I remember a long while ago, after a major itunes update, seeing this column and the cloud icons and being annoyed that previously purchased (but since deleted from my computer) songs reappeared. But since I do not connect to icloud for anything, I expect that's why the "icloud column" is no longer an option for me.
But, yes, I did remove all songs from my phone and reload from scratch. The experience was the same.
I sync a 110 song playlist (I don't manually drag anything) using "sync music" in itunes music settings
As it is sync-ing, the display says "copying 90 songs" to the iphone.
When I view the playlist via itunes (clicking on the iphone icon) - all 110 songs are listed.
But when I view the playlist on the phone, only 90 are showing.
I do find the missing songs under iphone's "my music", and there is an option to "add to a playlist".
However the playlist I originally sync'd does not show up as a choice, forcing me to create a separate one for the abused and forgotten 20 tunes
And yes, I deleted the playlist from itunes completely and rebuilt it from scratch thinking it was somehow corrupt.
All 110 files in question are all purchased and downloaded the exact same way, play just fine on all devices and have not been augmented in any way. The aberrant 20 tunes seem no different upon examination. They are all Purchased AAC audio files (.m4a) all bought in the last six months.
If you are signed in with your Apple ID, there is a connection to iCloud (whether you use it or not). If you are not signed in with your Apple ID, then you will not see the iCloud Download column (or an option to show it). In case you are signed in with your Apple ID, here's more info as an FYI...
iCloud Download is not a special "view." It's just one of the columns you can show (or hide) in Songs view. Make sure you are using the Songs view, which gives you the plain song list with columns. Click the control at the right end of horizontal bar to select the view, so that it says "Songs" (as shown in first screenshot below of the upper right corner of my iTunes window).
The second screenshot above shows the upper left corner of my iTunes window, after right-clicking the heading row of song list. In screenshot, the iCloud download column is already visible (with cloud symbol in heading); it has a checkmark in the show/hide columns menu. Note the songs with cloud symbol (in iCloud Download) column; that's an example of songs being accessed from iCloud (not local storage).
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For your actual problem, I think all of your songs are currently stored locally, because you can sync those same songs to an older iPod.
In original post, you said the iPhone showed 95 songs out of 115. In your latest post, the number was 90 out of 110. Assuming this is the same playlist and you updated it to remove a net total of 5 songs, it's somewhat odd that the number that remains "not accessible" on the iPhone remains 20. Do those 20 songs have anything in common? For example, are they the most recent additions to your library. Are they all iTunes Store purchases? Are they all songs you added from an external source?
Is it possible that those 20 songs were purchased from the iTunes Store using a different Apple ID? These would be older songs purchased before early 2009, when songs purchased from iTunes Store used DRM (copy protection). After early 2009, DRM was no longer used with song purchases. You computer can be authorized with more than one Apple ID, so they play (and sync) in iTunes. And on the older iPod, Apple ID does not matter (on the iPod), so as long as the songs sync, they play on the iPod. But on an iPhone, you are signed in with ONE Apple ID. So maybe you have songs (that use DRM) on the iPhone, purchased using a different Apple ID.
You can check by doing a Get Info on one of those 20 songs in your iTunes library. On the Info window, go to the File tab. For kind, a song that has DRM is Protected AAC audio file. You may also see a purchased by field showing the Apple ID used for the purchase.
If that's not the cause, I can't think of anything else, except for data corruption on the iPhone. What iTunes shows as loaded and what the iPhone shows as loaded are not "in sync." You may want to do a Restore on the iPhone using iTunes. BUT FIRST, uncheck Sync Music again, so that your iPhone does not have any songs loaded. THEN, back up your iPhone using iTunes. After the backup, do a Restore using iTunes (which erases the iPhone)
After the Restore completes, restore your iPhone's data from the latest backup. Finally, set up Sync Music again using your 110-song playlist.
Thanks for taking the time to make screenshots, Kenichi - it did teach me something.
The only way to show "iCloud download" column (for me anyway) is the go to the main music list, which has all 15,800-ish tunes on my computer. A playlist or a smart playlist does NOT show this column for me as one of the choices right clicking the heading row of song list.
That being said, showing the "iCloud download" column proved to be empty for every one of the 15,800-ish tunes on my computer, so at last I can rule that out.
As for the rest of your questions, the odd 20 do not have anything seemingly in common.
They have been purchased in the the last six months, as have the other 100 that sync correctly
All 120 are iTunes Store purchases
They are all purchased AAC audio files (not protected)
I only have 1 Apple ID, I have never had more than one in all my history with Apple.
I'll even add that I have purchased more than one tune from an album, on the same day, in the same hour - and one will sync fine, the other falls into the other group.
I will do the restore sequence and see if it helps.
this old thread, despite the name, offers a clue, I think:
Songs are greyed out with a dotted circle next to them and won't sync
Hello Daryl,
did you solve the issue? I also have the same problem since a few months. I use iPod, iPhone and Co since decades and never had that problem. But now I have excat thesame problem (with iTunes bought songs, new playlist and not al songs are synced, different new playlists sync different songs and . The guys from the genius bar has no explantation and hints.
All the best
Dirk
i cannot say i have solved anything, nerle. I am still experimenting with things like: changing the name of the playlist before sync, so the iphone won't try to replace anything, just delete the old playlist and upload the new one.
With all the rumors circulating saying Apple wants to phase out downloading songs versus streaming them, I can't foresee a major overhaul of the software that favors people like me: a huge song library, both paid for downloads and burned from cd collection.
Update - changing the name of the playlist did nothing. Still only takes some of the tracks, not all.
I have several playlists that I have made and when I sync a device not all of the songs transfer. For example I have a play list named Fire Pit and on my desktop its says there are 1,084 songs and the same playlist synced to my iPhone 6 plus says there are 916. When I sync the phone again it will change the playlist on my desk top to 875 songs. I have read your info and everything is checked and downloaded to my PC like it has been for years. I started having this problem about a year a go. When iOS 9 came out. I have over 6,000 songs in iTunes and have literally spent HOURS creating multiple playlists and you can only imagine my frustration with this issue! I cant use the devices for music and I can use the music for the devices. 1000's of $ spent for nothing...thank you Apple!!! Any advice will be greatly appreciated
itunes on my iphone takes about 20 tunes out of my playlist and puts them in a separate playlist called "purchased".
But every single tune on my desktop playlist was purchased through itunes in the exact same way, so there is no rhyme/reason why some would be singled out.
ios9 and still can't sync entire playlist to iphone
