Apple Music censoring purchased music on my iPhone

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Level 1

9 points

Apple Music censoring purchased music on my iPhone

This is absolutely insane. I have been warned, to never sign up with Apple Music, because it would destroy my carefully collected digital music collection. Today it happend!

To safe some space, I finally decided to "Convert bitrate songs to 192 kbps AAC".

It took about 5 hours to convert my 16.000 legacy purchased and ripped songs and load them onto the iPhone.

Now a majority of the tracks are graded out, mentioning "This item is not currently available in your country or region".

What is happening Apple? These are my tracks. Even tracks I bought yesterday on iTunes are now grey.

I’m now trying to redo the sync with a VPN set to my default country (since I’m visiting my parents at the moment).

This should not happen. Apple has no right to censor music that I have legally purchased on digital platforms and as physical record.

[Re-Titled by Moderator]

iPhone 13 mini, iOS 18

Posted on Dec 23, 2024 5:56 AM

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Answer 1

ewalthert Author

Level 1

9 points

Dec 23, 2024 11:42 AM in response to ewalthert

Ok, this is absolutely ridiculous!

I have now synced everything again with the VPN on my usual country, and there is still a huge junk of my library greyed out on the Music App in iOS.

These are mostly CD albums I ripped, digital downloads from LP’s I have bought or downloads from Bandcamp. But also tracks that I just bought yesterday on iTunes!?!

These are thousands of Euros worth of purchased music, Apple does not want me to access any longer.

I will now try to sync them again without compression. If this does not work, I will have to take escalating steps.

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Answer 2

ewalthert Author

Level 1

9 points

Dec 24, 2024 1:35 AM in response to ewalthert

Two syncs further, things seem to be back to normal.

Unchecked the "Convert hight bitrate songs to 192 kbps AAC" box, and would advise to never check it!

Had to fix my latest playlist, but for the rest, everything seems to be available again.

I have no idea what is happening that lead to that mess.

Is Apple, instead of covering the songs replacing them with their own? Then double-checking the rights?

I heard similar things from people that signed up with Apple Music, right at the beginning, when they launched.

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Answer 3

ewalthert Author

Level 1

9 points

Dec 23, 2024 1:03 PM in response to ewalthert

Thanks Apple, you completely ruined my xmas break!

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Answer 4

ewalthert Author

Level 1

9 points

Dec 23, 2024 6:34 AM in response to ewalthert

I tried to add a smaller screenshot and edit the typos, but the edit function is no longer available.

legacy = legally

graded out = greyed out

and there is a missing "high" in "Convert high bitrate

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