Fix: “An Error Occurred – Try Again” on Apple Music

The “An Error Occurred” issue in Apple Music appears when the app fails to load or connect properly, leaving users stuck in a repeating “Try Again” loop. This not only blocks normal use of the service but can also make Apple Music feel completely unresponsive. The exact message displayed is:

“An Error Occurred – Try Again”

The primary cause of this error is usually an outage on Apple’s servers. However, other factors such as network instability, app-related glitches, subscription verification issues, or VPN restrictions may also trigger it.

Before applying any fixes, it is a good practice to first check whether the Apple servers are functioning normally. You should also restart your router, as this can refresh the IP address and automatically resolve temporary connection errors.

Now that you understand the error and its causes, let’s move on to the step-by-step solutions.

1. Sign Out and Sign Back Into Apple ID

Each time you use Apple Music, Apple’s servers validate your subscription with a unique token connected to your Apple ID under the Media & Purchases section. If this token becomes expired, corrupted, or out of sync across devices, the app may reject your session, resulting in the error.

By signing out and then signing back in, your device forces Apple’s servers to:

• Generate a new authentication token for your Apple ID.
• Re-establish subscription validation, ensuring your account has an active Apple Music plan.
• Clear temporary glitches that may affect iCloud Music Library or subscription syncing.

This step essentially resets the handshake between your device and Apple’s servers, which often resolves errors caused by expired or unstable credentials.

On iPhone/iPad:

1. Open Settings and tap your Apple ID name at the top.
2. Scroll down and select Media & Purchases.
3. Tap Sign Out and wait for 30–60 seconds.
4. Sign back in using your Apple ID credentials.

For persistent issues – Sign Out on All Devices:

If the error continues, it may be due to conflicts when multiple devices are linked to the same Apple ID. In that case, sign out of Apple Music across all devices to force a full account resync.

• On iPhone/iPad: Go to Settings > (Your Name) > Media & Purchases > Sign Out.
• On Mac: Open Music App > Account > Sign Out.

After signing out everywhere, wait 24–48 hours to allow Apple’s servers to clear unstable authentication tokens or unsynced states. Then, sign back in on your primary device first, followed by others.

2. Switch Between Mobile Data and Wi-Fi

If your Wi-Fi network has DNS conflicts, blocked traffic, or an unstable IP session, the app may fail to send requests properly, triggering the “An Error Occurred” loop.

Switching to mobile data forces your device to use a new IP address and a fresh route to Apple’s servers, which can clear stuck or frozen requests.

1. Close the Apple Music app and turn off Wi-Fi on your device.
2. Enable mobile data so your phone obtains a new IP address.
3. Reopen the Apple Music app and check if it works normally.

Note: If the error persists, restart your router to refresh the Wi-Fi IP and then reconnect. This often resolves temporary network conflicts that may be blocking Apple Music.

3. Enable Apple Music in Background App Refresh

If Apple Music is not allowed to run in the background or is restricted from using mobile data, it may fail to sync your library or fetch new songs when switching networks. 

Enabling Background App Refresh and Mobile Data access ensures Apple Music continues to communicate with Apple’s servers even when the app is not actively open, reducing the chance of interruptions.

Enable Background App Refresh:

1. Open Settings on your iPhone.
2. Tap General.
3. Select Background App Refresh.
4. Find Apple Music and enable it.
5. On the same page, tap Background App Refresh again.
6. Select Wi-Fi & Mobile Data.

Allow Apple Music to Use Mobile Data:

1. Go back to Settings.
2. Tap Mobile Services.
3. Scroll down and enable Apple Music.