Apple Music on Windows Won't Play or Sign In? How to Fix It

The Apple Music app on your Windows PC plays nothing, a song is grayed out, or it won’t let you sign in to your Apple Account.

Why: Most Apple Music playback problems on Windows come down to one of three things — a muted or wrong audio output, not being signed in to the right Apple Account, or a track that can’t play because of where it came from or how many computers you’ve authorized. Each has a quick, specific fix.

Fix 1: You hear nothing when a song is playing

If the timeline moves but there’s no sound:

• Built-in speakers: check that the volume isn’t turned down. Look at the control at the top of the Apple Music window and your computer’s overall output volume.
• Powered speakers or headphones: make sure they’re properly plugged into the audio port, powered on, and turned up.

Fix 2: Sign in to your Apple Account

A song you expect to play won’t if you’re not signed in, or are signed in to the wrong account.

1. Open the Apple Music app on your PC.
2. Select Sign In at the bottom of the sidebar, then select Sign In again.
3. Enter your Apple Account credentials and complete two-factor authentication if asked.

If you already signed in to your Apple Account in the Apple TV app on the same PC, you’re signed in to Apple Music automatically.

Fix 3: A specific song won’t play

• iTunes Store purchase that’s grayed out: you may have exceeded the five-computer authorization limit for older (non-iTunes Plus) purchases. Deauthorize a computer you no longer use, or upgrade the track to iTunes Plus.
• An AAC file you added yourself: only AAC files created by Apple Music or the iTunes Store will play. AAC files downloaded from elsewhere on the internet won’t play in the app.
• A song preview sitting in a playlist: double-click the next song in the playlist to resume playing the rest.

FAQ

Why is one song dimmed/grayed out? It’s usually unavailable in your library or region. Apple points to its Sync Library support article for missing or dimmed tracks.

I just installed Apple Music and it won’t sign in — what now? Confirm you’re entering the right Apple Account and completing the two-factor code. If you use the Apple TV app on the same PC, sign in there and Apple Music follows.

Is Apple Music separate from iTunes on Windows? Yes. On modern Windows, Apple Music is its own app, replacing the music side of iTunes.

Sources: Apple Support — If you have problems playing music on Windows, Apple Support — Sign in to your Apple Account in Apple Music on Windows