Fix Apple Music problems
Apple Music is improving, but you might need help with common issues
When it comes to teething problems, Apple Music has had more than its fair share. The inconsistent user interface is the least of its problems: unpredictable bugs in playlists, the Beats 1 radio station, and the occasional distressing report of lost metadata and tracks give pause for thought.
The good news is that Apple is on a deadline: Apple Music picked up 11 million users in its first month thanks to its free three-month trial period – users it could lose in October if it doesn’t get its house in order. It’s already taking steps to fix the service, too: iOS 8.4.1 came out halfway through August, and iOS 9 will be out by the time you read this. The former fixed irritations such as Apple Music ignoring attempts to mark a song playing on Beats 1 as ‘loved’.
There are still problems, though. The only way to get offline tracks from Apple Music is to turn on iCloud Music Library; that feature is theoretically brilliant: besides offline tracks, iTunes compares your local library to Apple’s own, and it makes matching ones available to play on all devices signed into your iCloud account. However, many people are finding that songs are mismatched, or that they get the wrong versions. If you own an unbleeped version, say, it might be overwritten with a censored one.
Some are also finding album artwork is missing or wrong. Meanwhile, adding music to playlists is still fairly confusing, particularly compared to other services such as Spotify. We’re optimistic about Apple Music in the long run. For now, these workarounds should help you to smooth things out. Dave Stevenson