Lots of missing songs on Apple Music (UK)

[MoodyM]

Greyed out tracks, ok some of them down to licencing, if you check itunes could be album only etc, so greyed out of tracks make sense in most cases, but they don't in playlists, https://itunes.apple.com/gb/playlist/kate-bush-ultimate-tracks/idpl.56c0bb4aabbf4e4584bb6fd5ba6c4456 , hope that link works, see the tracks are greyed out from two albums, those two albums are on all other streaming sites

Yeah, I might get frustrated and not agree with licensing restrictions, but I accept they exist and there WILL be SOME albums/songs simply not available or not available in certain countries due to it, but as pointed out on this thread, licensing doesn't explain things like "All These Things That I've Done" by The Killers being greyed out on the "Hot Fuss" album, but NOT greyed out on "Hot Fuss (Deluxe Edition)" or their greatest hits album.

It also doesn't explain why track 7, "Face For The Radio" on the album "Hats Off To The Buskers" by The View is greyed out here in the UK - they're a UK band, every other track on the album is available, it's not a track marked "Explicit" and every song on the album is written and produced by the band and it's not even one of their big hits. Why would such a song be greyed out?

It CAN'T be licensing in the cases above, surely?

 

[princessgleek]

I noticed for years a Violent Femmes album had several tracks missing on all streaming sites despite the label having the rights to those songs, just the other day those tracks became playable, all very odd. The View track is odd as it's on other streaming sites

 

[macUser2007]

Had exactly this issue. Although not ideal but if a track is not available it should not show up. Interestingly no one is mentioning this issue with Apple music, all we hear about is how good it is. If this issue happened in the US it would be on the news.

This DOES happen in the US.

I posted in another thread my comparison between radio stations creation from tracks/artists.

Portishead, for instance, had three or four tracks grayed out in the album I was looking at, in the US.

There is no perfect music streaming service (MOG, which Beats acquired for $15 million and then ruined, before selling it to Apple, was the closest, IMO).

Right now, I am on Google Music, which to me seems the best. I've never been a fan of Spotify -- way too many bad remixes for a paid service and a more limited library than Google Music -- but if I had to, I'd probably pick it over Apple Music.

For radio, Pandora has by far the best algorithm IMO, but unfortunately it doesn't allow specific track/album selection and its bitrate tops out at 192, which is noticeably lacking when compared to most everyone else's 320 (which to me and in double-blind tests is indistinguishable from lossless (depending on the source, of course)).

 

[MoodyM]

If it IS licensing, then the stupidest thing ever is having greyed out tracks in the "For You" playlists - why give me a playlist curated for MY tastes, yet put unavailable tracks on it?

 

[princessgleek]

If it's licensing then check and see if the track is on at least two other streaming sights, if it is then it's not that, it's either they're slow at adding the albums or some kind of bug, it's probably the first one, one of the B52' playlists have greyed out tracks from three albums, last week two of those albums appeared on apple music so now it only has one greyed out track

 

[MoodyM]

Ok, the senior tech is just off the phone - he says the screwed up metadata and album artwork is a known issue and they're working on it. He says the missing songs are NOT a licensing issue, they should be available and he'll be in touch with the catalogue team to see why it's taking so long to make them available.

 

[princessgleek]

I knew the greyed out tracks/missing songs weren't due to licencing, as some have shown up over the last week

 

[navaira]

I had an issue with Mike Oldfield's Two Sides, but now all tracks are showing. Yesterday, though, I had a For You playlist "In The Mix: Frankie Knuckles" and the first track, "Back To Paradise" by Byron Stingily is greyed out. If you try to go to album, you get "Apple Music: An Error Occurred" and OK button. Uh, thanks...

 

[princessgleek]

I had an issue with Mike Oldfield's Two Sides, but now all tracks are showing. Yesterday, though, I had a For You playlist "In The Mix: Frankie Knuckles" and the first track, "Back To Paradise" by Byron Stingily is greyed out. If you try to go to album, you get "Apple Music: An Error Occurred" and OK button. Uh, thanks...

Yes that's one of the issues, loads of grey songs showing in playlists, which probably should be available

 

[princessgleek]

And look at this, an empty playlist https://itunes.apple.com/gb/playlist/intro-to-the-associates/idpl.cdbce25ca67a45f883b0ad14731f2270

 

[MoodyM]

Nothing loads when I click the link

 

[navaira]

Another annoyance with iTunes 12.2.1: when I click web links https://itunes.apple.com etc., nothing happens at all. So I can't check the playlist.

 

[MoodyM]

On iPhone the music app opens with the link, but no playlist shows

 

[MoodyM]

I see it now, The Associates

 

[navaira]

Maybe it's a feature.

 

[MoodyM]

Have a look at the album Epic Stadium Anthems - LOADS of greyed out tracks and a completely missing track number 1:

https://itun.es/gb/niomG

 

[princessgleek]

Compilation albums always have greyed out tracks, tends to be because tons of bands/singers on the album are licensed to different labels to the label who has released the album, same with soundtracks. Talking of complilations, apple music doesn't have any of the "now that's what i call" albums yet, despite them being on other streaming sites, there's a new one out on Monday, will be interesting to see if they get that

 

[MoodyM]

I've always wondered how the Now series manages to license/get every single song that's been in the chart?

 

[Fatboy71]

Here is an example to better illustrate my point:

iTunes

iPhone

Check track 4. Unplayable on iTunes yet fine on iPhone.

I'm in the UK and track 4 of this album on iTunes is playable (i.e. not greyed out) and also fine on iPhone.

 

[princessgleek]

No sign of any of the issues being resolved yet

 

[princessgleek]

Update on this is I still have a list of missing albums and those greyed out songs haven't been fixed yet

 

[Agathon]

Yes, this is a problem. I will be staying with Spotify if this isn't fixed before the trial period runs out.

 

[MoodyM]

Apple are telling me it's a known problem (as is the messed up artwork etc) and they're dealing with it

 

[tomekosiowy]

Torrents are the same for all. Sometimes you have to retag tracks or to convert (from loseless formats) and to add cover art, but it is easy to do (iTunes, Max, etc.).

Trying to be legal you are made into idiots (and you have to pay for it).

 

[Agathon]

Apple are telling me it's a known problem (as is the messed up artwork etc) and they're dealing with it

Fair enough. There's a way to run yet. I like Apple Music better than Spotify and will switch permanently when it is fixed.