Fixing Error 12171 On Apple Music: 7 Easy Steps

Are you stuck with a 12171 error on Apple Music?

You’re not alone! Believe it or not, hundreds of users struggle with this incident daily.

Not being able to listen to your favorite songs because an error message keeps popping up is one of the most frustrating situations you can experience, especially when you’re paying a monthly subscription.

Hopefully, with the help of this article, you’ll be able to get back to your jamming sessions in no time!

The 7 ways to fix error code 12171 on Apple Music are:

1. Close Apple Music and restart your device.
2. Check for any available updates.
3. Sign out and back in.
4. Turn off Dolby Atmos.
5. Remove the faulty song.
6. Reinstall Apple Music.
7. Check if Apple Music servers are down.

Keep reading to leave this annoying problem in the past!

#1 Close Apple Music and Restart Your Device

Although Apple Music is one of the best music streaming services on the market, its performance issues have caused controversy among subscribers.

Hundreds of users have reported that Error Code 12171 pops up on their screen whenever they’re trying to listen to a specific song. What a nightmare!

But, why does this error occur? Simple. Apple Music, just like any other app, might’ve encountered some issues while running background processes.

This is why the first thing I recommend doing is fully closing Apple Music and restarting your device. These quick actions might unload your RAM and fix any bugs or minor glitches that may be causing the issue.

The process of fully closing Apple Music may vary depending on your phone’s model, but generally, you’ll be able to do it by swiping upwards at the bottom of your screen and then swiping up again on the app.

Once you’ve closed the app, try restarting your device. Follow this quick guide to do it:

For Android:

1. Press and hold the power button for 5-10 seconds.
2. Select “Restart” to turn off your device.
3. If you don’t see the “Restart” option, tap “Power off”. Once your device is off, press the power button to turn it on again.

For iOS:

1. Press and hold either the volume button or the side button until the power-off slider pops up (Please note that if you have an iPhone SE, 8, or earlier you’ll need to press and hold the right-hand side button).
2. Drag the slider and wait 30 seconds to turn off your device.
3. Press and hold the right-hand side button of your iPhone to turn your device back on.

Once you’ve restarted your device, try launching Apple Music again to see if the error message disappeared.

#2 Check for Any Available Updates

If you’re like me, you may have been putting off updating Apple Music and your device.

Sadly, this may be the reason why the error message keeps popping up while you’re trying to listen to your favorite tracks.

Companies often release new updates to fix bugs, glitches, and other elements that may be causing performance issues. Using an older software version could explain why you’re getting Error Code 12171.

Luckily, you can easily update your device. You’ll just need to:

Android phone:

Please note that the process of updating the software will vary depending on your phone’s model. But most devices can be updated in this way:

1. Go to Settings.
2. Tap on “System”
3. Select “System Update”
4. Follow the prompted instructions to install the latest version.

iPhone, iPad or iPod Touch:

1. Go to Settings.
2. Tap on “General”.
3. Select “Software Update” to know if there are any updates you might have missed.

Windows PC:

1. Type “Settings” on the search bar at the bottom of your screen.
2. Click on “Update & Security”
3. Go to “Windows Update” and click on “Check for Updates” to start updating your device. Please note that this might require restarting your computer, so save anything you’re working on.

Mac:

1. Go to the Apple Menu and click on “About this Mac”.
2. Select the “Software Update” button to see if there are any available updates.

Once you’ve updated your software, please make sure you’re running the latest Apple Music version.

You can check this by following these steps:

Android:

1. Open Google Play Store.
2. Tap on the profile icon located at the top right of your screen.
3. Select “Manage apps & device”
4. Tap on “Manage”, then search for Apple Music.
5. If there are any available updates, select “Update”.

iPod Touch, iPad, or iPhone: Apple Music updates are included with the iOS new versions.

Mac:

1. Open the App Store and click on “Updates” at the top of the screen.
2. Press “Install”

Windows 10:

1. Open Microsoft Store. If you don’t see it in the taskbar, you can look for it in the search box located in the lower-left corner of your screen.
2. Select More (3 dots icon)
3. Press “Downloads and updates”
4. Click on “Get Updates”

Windows 11

1. Select “Microsoft Store” in the search box at the bottom of your screen.
2. Go to the library in the lower-left corner of your screen.
3. Click on “Get updates”
4. Select “Update all” or choose iTunes Music.

If the issue persists, don’t worry! Keep reading to learn more about other ways to fix it.

#3 Sign Out and Back In

If you’re an iOS user and the error message keeps popping up, chances are your Apple ID might’ve encountered an issue while syncing with Apple Music.

You can easily solve this by signing out and back into your Apple ID. Follow these simple steps to do it:

1. Go to Settings.
2. Tap on your name at the top of the screen.
3. Select “Media & Purchases”.
4. Tap on “Sign out”.
5. Wait 30 seconds and sign in again.

#4 Turn Off Dolby Atmos

If you’re an Apple Music subscriber, you’ll be able to listen to specific songs on Spatial Audio with Dolby Atmos.

This fantastic feature bounces soundwaves off your entertainment area’s surfaces in a unique way to create an immersive surround sound experience.

Although the Dolby Atmos feature has great advantages, it’s not perfect. Users have found that turning it off can clear the annoying Error Code 12171.

Follow these quick steps to turn off Dolby Atmos:

iPhone:

1. Go to Settings and tap on Music.
2. Tap on “Dolby Atmos”.
3. Select “Off”.

Android:

1. Launch Apple Music.
2. Tap on the three dots icon.
3. Select “Settings”.
4. Tap on Dolby Atmos to turn it off.

Please note that not all Android devices are compatible with Dolby Atmos.

Mac:

1. Open Apple Music.
2. Go to the menu bar at the top of your screen and select “Music”.
3. Click on “Preferences”.
4. Click on the Playback tab.
5. Select “off”

Once you’ve completed the steps above, try playing the faulty songs again to see if the issue was fixed.

#5 Remove the Faulty Song

Although it’s unusual, sometimes the song file you’re trying to might’ve gotten corrupted.

You can quickly solve this issue by deleting the faulty track and adding it to your library or playlist again.

I know, the whole point of adding your favorite tracks for the first time is not having to repeat the process countless times; but this simple action may clear the annoying Error Code 12171.

To do it, you’ll just need to:

1. Launch Apple Music and select the faulty song.
2. Press and hold the item for two seconds, then tap on “Delete from Library”.
3. Tap on “Delete Song”.

Once you’ve completed the steps above, please make sure to add the song again. Follow these steps to do it:

1. Open Apple Music.
2. Tap on “Search” at the bottom of your screen and search for the song you want to add.
3. Tap on the three dots icon next to the song title.
4. Select “Add to a Playlist” or “Add to Library”.

Tip: If you can’t add songs to your Apple Music library, try turning on the “Add Playlist Songs” and “Sync Library” features on all your devices.

#6 Reinstall Apple Music

If none of the fixes above have cleared the Error Code 12171, try reinstalling Apple Music.

Follow this quick guide to do it:

Tip: Please make sure to sync your music library before completing this action.

For Android:

1. Press and hold Apple Music.
2. Drag the app to the trash bin icon and release.
3. Go to Google Play Store and search for Apple Music and tap on “Install”.

iPhone, iPad, or iPod:

1. Press and hold Apple Music until it jiggles.
2. Tap on “Remove app”
3. Go to the App Store and search for Apple Music.
4. Tap on “Download”

For Windows PC:

1. Select the Windows button located in the lower-left corner of your screen.
2. Click on the Settings gear icon, then go to “Apps”
3. Look for iTunes and press “Uninstall”
4. Go to Microsoft Store and install it again.

Please note that these steps will remove your downloaded songs. But, don’t worry, you can easily download them again.

#7 Check if Apple Music Servers Are Down

If the error message keeps popping up, it’s time for us to look at the platform’s servers.

Apple Music servers may be experiencing downtime due to coding errors or an overload of traffic, which can cause the frustrating Error Code 12171.

Follow this guide to check if the servers are down:

1. Open your browser.
2. Search for “Apple System Status”.
3. Click on the first option to see the Apple system status for your country.

Sadly, if Apple Music’s servers are down, its IT team is the only one who can solve this.

But don’t worry. Server downtime hardly ever lasts long.

Conclusion

Not being able to play your favorite songs because an error message keeps popping up can be really frustrating, especially when you’re paying a monthly subscription.

Hopefully, with the help of this article, you’ll get rid of the annoying Error Code 12171 in no time.

On several occasions, simple actions like restarting your device, signing out and back into your Apple ID again, turning off Dolby Atmos, and removing the faulty song from your music library can clear the error.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this article. If you found it helpful, please make sure to read our other related content below!

Have a great day!