What does "Waiting" mean in Apple Music 'Cloud Status'?

Question

Level 1

11 points

What does "Waiting" mean in Apple Music 'Cloud Status'?

In Apple Music on my iMac, all of my most-recently-added songs show only as "Waiting" under "Cloud Status." Everything else is either Matched, Uploaded, or Duplicated.

I've tried a number of things such as clicking File > Library > Update Cloud Library, right-clicking then Add to Library, etc. I've even deauthorized then reauthorized the computer in Apple Music.

Nothing I do will get these songs to budge. I have no idea what's going on with this, but it's ridiculous.

[Re-Titled by Moderator]

iMac 27″, macOS 12.7

Posted on Mar 4, 2025 4:11 PM

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Answer 1

Mar 7, 2025 5:13 AM in response to djhalnon

Hi,

Is it possible that the tracks are already in your library. I have sometimes found that such tracks have been added. Suggest that you check for duplicates.

Also what is the source, file type , bit rate and size?

Jim

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Answer 2

turingtest2

Level 10

276,583 points

Mar 7, 2025 8:40 AM in response to djhalnon

While Music is closed you might backup your Music Library.musiclibrary package, then right-click on the package and use Show Package Contents. Once inside delete the Genius.itdb file, then launch Music, which should regenerate this file, hopefully picking up on new additions to the library and integrating them with your iCloud Music Library.

tt2

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Answer 3

djhalnon Author

Level 1

11 points

Mar 22, 2025 4:29 PM in response to Jimzgoldfinch

Thanks for the suggestion. No, the songs are not in my library online, as I'd expected was the case, and had already seen. (Because you asked, though, I just double-checked. They aren't there.)

I also don't expect any of these details make the slightest difference, but here we go. All of these were purchases from Amazon in MP3 format, since you seem to need to know that too.

Song A, 9.8MB, 254kbps VBR, sample rate 44.1 kHz, stereo channels, -4.5dB, id3 tag v2.3, LAME encoding

Song B, 7.3MB, 235kbps VBR, sample rate 44.1kHz, stereo channels, +2.2dB, id3 tag v2.3, LAME encoding

Song C, 16.7MB, 268kbps VBR, sample rate 44.1kHz, stereo channels, -2.3dB, id3 tag v2.3, LAME encoding

Song D, 8.1MB, 272kbps VBR, sample rate 44.1kHz, stereo channels, -6.7dB, id3 tag v2.3, LAME encoding

Song E, 7.5MB, 268kbps VBR, sample rate 44.1kHz, stereo channels, -8.2dB, id3 tag v2.3, LAME encoding

Song F, 8.6MB, 256kbps VBR, sample rate 44.1kHz, stereo channels, -0.4dB, id3 tag v2.3, LAME encoding

Song G, 8.5MB, 256kbps VBR, sample rate 44.1kHz, stereo channels, -3.0dB, id3 tag v2.3, LAME encoding

I should point out that I have literally hundreds of other songs purchased from Amazon with the same encoding (obviously different lengths, volume levels, and bitrates) but those all synced up with the cloud just fine. I'm going to go out on a limb here and assert that none of these particulars explains why these songs won't sync up.

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Answer 4

turingtest2

Level 10

276,583 points

Mar 22, 2025 8:35 PM in response to djhalnon

The only workaround I can think of at this point is to create a separate library by holding down option as you launch Music. Enable Sync Library, which will then show what is in the cloud, use View > Only Downloaded Music to simplify the display, then import the albums that have been causing you problems. Hopefully they will match/upload from this library, and then be usable when you swap back to the original.

tt2

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Answer 5

turingtest2

Level 10

276,583 points

Mar 23, 2025 7:21 AM in response to djhalnon

You hold down option as you launch Music to get a choose/create library dialog. Once you've made the new library you do the same thing, but click Choose Library... instead of Create Library... then browse to the current .musiclibrary package, normally in ~/Music/Music where ~ is your home folder.

tt2

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Answer 6

djhalnon Author

Level 1

11 points

Mar 24, 2025 5:33 PM in response to turingtest2

OK, so I went through this. For some reason it took a long time to launch with the new library (overnight, actually). I did what you said and added the songs. They then showed with a cloud status of "Matched."

So I thought I was home free. But guess what? When I switched back to my original library, the same list of songs shows as "Waiting."

I'm scratching my head, trying to figure out why this software fiercely refuses to work the way it's supposed to. But it's not coming to me. I guess I'll have to live with it malfunctioning.

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Answer 7

turingtest2

Level 10

276,583 points

Mar 24, 2025 5:45 PM in response to djhalnon

It should take mere moments to open a brand new empty library. You may have deeper issues. Or do you mean that it took a long time for the cloud library to populate? Have you somehow got automatic downloads enabled such that everything downloaded instead of just being displayed with cloud links? Apologies here that I didn't think about checking such settings.

If you update the original library the tracks should either change to matched, or perhaps they become duplicates and a set of new ones show as matched.

tt2

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Answer 8

djhalnon Author

Level 1

11 points

Mar 25, 2025 4:08 AM in response to turingtest2

I mean, it took a long time for Mac Music to display its main window after I clicked the option to create a new library. Music showed it was running, in the dock, but there was no Music window. I gave up waiting after an hour or so, went to bed, then in the morning there was a Music window (finally).

I also have no idea why an automatic downloads settings would prevent library/cloud syncing.

For that matter, I'm still left trying to comprehend why this software continues not do what it's supposed to do.

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Answer 9

turingtest2

Level 10

276,583 points

Mar 25, 2025 4:40 AM in response to djhalnon

I wasn't clear. I was wondering if automatic downloads was turned on, which could have made music download the whole library of content rather that just the index of tracks, which in turn might have taken some time to complete. Again creating a new empty library is usually a matter of seconds. A large iCloud Music Library should normally open/populate within a few minutes.

tt2

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Answer 10

Mar 4, 2025 11:13 PM in response to djhalnon

Hi,

Have you tried deleting the tracks then readding them again?

Jim

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Answer 11

djhalnon Author

Level 1

11 points

Mar 6, 2025 3:51 PM in response to Jimzgoldfinch

Thanks for the suggestion. I tried it, and unfortunately as I expected, it didn't work. Those tracks are still very firmly "Waiting."

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Answer 12

djhalnon Author

Level 1

11 points

Mar 13, 2025 2:57 PM in response to turingtest2

Thanks for the suggestion. I tried it, but it didn't work. Those songs are still as firmly "Waiting" as they ever were before.

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Answer 13

djhalnon Author

Level 1

11 points

Mar 22, 2025 4:30 PM in response to djhalnon

I appreciate the suggestions and the questions, but none of this is getting anywhere. Does anyone have any serious suggestions that will actually work? Thank you.

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Answer 14

djhalnon Author

Level 1

11 points

Mar 23, 2025 6:27 AM in response to turingtest2

Thanks for that suggestion, it sounds promising & I will do it, but I'd like to know in advance how to switch back to my original library.

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What does "Waiting" mean in Apple Music 'Cloud Status'?