How to Fix Apple Music Not Available in Your Region Error

Apple’s apps and services are known for their reliability, which is a key aspect of their reputation. However, like any technology, they can still experience issues. One particular problem with Apple Music is “this song is not available in your region”.

There are numerous potential reasons for issues like this, and as a result, there are many possible solutions. So, buckle up because this might be a bit of a long journey to find the right one.

Why Is a Song Not Available in Your Region on Apple Music?

• Regional licensing restrictions and local laws. Certain songs or albums are only licensed for specific regions. If you try to access this restricted content, you’ll get an error message. When you travel abroad, your usual playlists might not work anymore.

• Usage of a VPN or proxy. Apple Music doesn’t allow VPN usage, so if it detects you’re using one, it may restrict access to certain songs and albums.
• Sync issues. If your device hasn’t properly synced with your Apple Music account, you may have trouble accessing some content. If you haven’t updated your Apple device in quite some time, you might face the same issue. Apple regularly releases software updates to improve its applications, including Apple Music, and fix the bugs they’ve discovered. So, you should be taking advantage of that.

Of course, these examples are just the tip of the iceberg. There are numerous potential issues to address, which is why, in this guide, we’ll tackle various problems one by one until you find the solution you need.

Before Doing Anything

If Apple Music’s servers are having problems, it will affect your music playback, so start by checking the status of Apple Services online. Also, it’s recommended to turn off the VPN:

1. Open Settings → General.
2. Go to VPN & Device Management.
3. Make sure the status says Not Connected.

With ‘this song is not available in your region’ error persisting, restart the app first. This simple action can refresh the app and might just solve the problem:

1. Swipe up from the bottom of your iPhone’s home screen to open the app switcher. If your iPhone has a home button, tap it two times quickly instead.
2. Swipe up to close the Apple Music app.
3. Reopen the app by tapping on its icon on the home screen.

If you’re trying to load with mobile data, check if you’ve allowed the app to use mobile data. If not, you’ll need to enable it. Open Settings → Mobile Data → find Music → turn on the toggle switch.

Apple Music won’t work well if your phone doesn’t have a good internet connection. You should be using a cellular network with a solid plan or connect to a strong Wi-Fi network.

How to Fix a Song Not Available in Your Region Apple Music: Covering the Basics

Let’s carry on with some simple fixes that don’t involve downloading any apps and won’t take much time. These are routine maintenance tasks that are good for the overall performance of your device and its apps. For the most part, it’s not specifically related to music issues.

#1. Ensure your device is up-to-date

With the latest software version to have the newest features and fixes, including those impacting Apple Music.

• For iPhone and iPad users, go to Settings → General → Software Update to snag the latest update.
• Mac users, click on the upper left corner → App Store Updates to see any available updates for Apple Music.

#2. Then, see if Apple Music is accessible where you are by checking your Apple ID settings:

1. Navigate to the settings on your device.
2. Click on your name, then proceed to iTunes & App Store.
3. Confirm your country or region. If it’s incorrect, update it to match your current location.

#3. Next, try resetting the warning system.

This clears out any old or broken data that could be causing problems. It helps the app find your location and music library correctly:

1. Open the Apple Music app.
2. Go to the menu bar → choose Music → Settings → Advanced.
3. Find the option for Reset Warnings, give it a click, and then hit OK to confirm.

If these steps haven’t resolved the issue, let’s move on to the next set of fixes. We’ll gradually increase the complexity and effort required to troubleshoot the problem.

How to Fix a Song Not Available in Your Region on Apple Music: Going Deeper

Let’s try updating the country or region settings on your phone:

1. Go to Settings on your iPhone or iPad and locate your name.
2. Tap on Media & Purchases, then proceed to View Account.
3. Select Country/Region and opt to Change Country/Region.
4. Follow the instructions to accept the Terms and Conditions
5. Select your preferred payment method.

Your changes should be successfully applied.

To change your Apple ID country or region on a computer, open iTunes → Account →View My Account → type your Apple ID and password → Change Country or Region → choose your new location from the list. If you still have the issue with Apple Music song not available in your region, try downloading the song:

1. Touch the icon with three dots next to the song.
2. Tap Download.

Once it’s downloaded, you may be able to play it offline, and you won’t see the error message.

There’s another method — turning off sync and then turning it back on refreshes your library by re-adding all your saved content. Just remember that doing this will delete all the songs in your Apple Music library, even the ones you’ve saved to listen to offline. Here’s how you do it:

1. Open Settings.
2. Tap on Music.
3. Turn off the toggle switch for iCloud Music Library or Sync Library, then turn it back on.

Song Not Available in Your Region on Apple Music: Additional Troubleshooting Steps

There’s a lot more we can do. Try signing out and then signing back into your Apple ID to refresh your music status:

1. Go to Settings and tap on your Apple profile at the top.
2. Scroll down and tap Sign Out.
3. Type your Apple ID password and select Turn Off.
4. Return to Settings and sign back in again.

If the problem continues with a song not available in your region on Apple Music, force quit all your apps and restart the device. Overloaded apps struggle to load your songs, so after restarting your device and relaunching the app, it will reconnect to the Apple Music service with less strain.

Another possible cause can be outdated or wrong metada. To fix this:

1. Open the Music app on your device.
2. Find the song, swipe left, and tap Delete.
3. Confirm to delete the song.
4. To bring it back:
5. Open the iTunes Store app.
6. Find the song and tap “...,” then tap Add to Library.

Now the song should be back in your library, with updated information.

When you transfer music from your device to Apple Music or iTunes, it’s essential to do so correctly. Otherwise, if you add original or edited music that Apple Music doesn’t recognize, it could result in an error and make the music inaccessible in your country or region.

To steer clear of this potential hiccup, do the following:

1. Open iTunes and access the Preferences section.
2. Within the Files tab, have both the options for Keep iTunes Media folder organized and Copy files to iTunes Media folder when adding to library selected.
3. Go to the File menu and choose either Add to Library or Add Folder to Library.
4. Handpick the specific files or folders you want to import, then hit Open.

Some users have mentioned experiencing issues when they switch devices and transfer their music to the new device. If that’s what you’re doing, instead of going through the process of uploading your files to the cloud and having Apple Music match them, you can simplify things. Connect your phone to your computer with a cable and sync your iTunes library directly. This way, you can avoid the hassle and the error.

Why Are Songs on Apple Music Not Unavailable in Your Region?

Songs that were once available may suddenly disappear as artists or their record labels decide to withdraw them. This can be either temporary or permanent, worldwide or in specific regions. The availability of songs can change unexpectedly, and users aren’t always given an explanation.

The instructions in this article are meant to help with device or account issues. Unfortunately, they won’t bring back songs that have been removed by the artist or their label. However, there’s one more set of tips to explore!

VPN Tricks to Access Restricted Content

If the content is genuinely restricted for your area, none of the previous fixes will work. What you’ll need here is a VPN — when you connect to a specific server location in the VPN app, your device’s IP address changes to that server’s location. This makes it appear as though you're located in the same place as the VPN server.

In this section, we’ll talk about how to fix a song not available in your region on Apple Music with a VPN. But before that, it’s important to clarify why we suggested turning off the VPN for Apple Music earlier in the article, and now we're discussing turning it back on.

On Apple devices, you can create a VPN connection for secure access to your resources, which is stated clearly in official developer documentation. However, some VPNs don’t meet Apple’s requirements and unintentionally create more restrictions on your content access. That’s why it's important to choose a good provider and ask for a free trial.

If your VPN isn’t working, consider a different server location in your VPN app. Test out various regions until you find one where Apple Music works well for you.

Pro Tip: Split Tunneling

Some VPN apps offer a feature called split tunneling, which allows you to decide which apps and websites use the VPN connection and which ones don’t. Try enabling split tunneling for Apple Music to listen without restrictions while still accessing other online activities like browsing and messaging directly.

Is Using VPN for Apple Music in Restricted Regions Risky?

It’s generally okay to use a VPN, but if you're concerned, it’s a good idea to double-check. You have to be aware of the service and legal regulations in your location. Make sure to review the terms of use for both Apple Music and your VPN service to understand any potential consequences.

Final Words

For now, these are all the possible solutions available if you’re having trouble accessing some content on Apple Music. One of them should work! If not, perhaps consider switching to a different platform just for this occasion?