Apple Music offers a vast library of songs, but users have discovered a surprising limitation: a 100,000 song cap on their music libraries. This limit, while seemingly large, is causing frustration for users with extensive music collections, especially those who curate large playlists or maintain comprehensive libraries. This article delves into this limitation, exploring what it means for Apple Music users and why it’s a point of contention.
The Frustration of the 100,000 Song Limit
Users are reporting that once their Apple Music libraries reach approximately 100,000 songs, they are unable to add any more music. This issue arises even when users are primarily adding Apple Music Songs, not just personal music files. One user, jrdave2304, shared a screenshot of the error message they encountered when hitting this limit:
Error message indicating Apple Music 100,000 song library limit reached. User unable to add more music songs.
This error message clearly states, “Your music library is full. You can add up to 100,000 songs.” This confirms the existence of the limit and highlights the user’s inability to expand their music song library beyond this point.
What Counts Towards the Music Song Limit?
Adding to the confusion, Apple’s documentation states, “You can have up to 100,000 songs in your music library. Songs that you buy from the iTunes Store don’t count against this limit.” However, user experiences and even admissions from Apple support (according to user reports in the forum) suggest that this documentation is outdated or incorrect. Users are finding that both Apple Music songs and iTunes Store purchases do count towards this 100,000 song limit.
This discrepancy raises questions about the accuracy of Apple’s official information and creates further frustration for users who are meticulously building their music song libraries within the Apple ecosystem. The initial understanding that iTunes purchases were exempt from the limit seems to be no longer valid, impacting how users manage their music collections.
Why Does This Music Song Limit Exist?
The reasoning behind this 100,000 song limit remains unclear. Users in the forum thread rightly point out that this limit is not related to iCloud storage, as Apple Music libraries do not consume iCloud storage space. Since streaming music songs is unlimited, the technical rationale for limiting the library size is questionable.
Some speculate that it might be a legacy limitation from earlier versions of iTunes or Apple Music, perhaps related to database efficiency or performance considerations on older devices. However, in today’s technological landscape with vast cloud infrastructure and powerful devices, this limit feels increasingly arbitrary and outdated.
User Frustration and Calls for Change in Music Song Library Limits
The forum thread clearly reflects user frustration with this limitation. Users like jrdave2304, who create large playlists from extensive album lists, find this limit particularly restrictive. They argue that while 100,000 songs might seem like a lot, for dedicated music enthusiasts and collectors, it can be easily reached.
The fact that threads discussing this same issue date back to 2017 underscores the long-standing nature of this problem and the lack of action from Apple to address it. Users are calling for Apple to update or remove this limit, arguing that it no longer aligns with the needs of modern music listeners and the capabilities of the Apple Music platform. As music libraries continue to grow and users rely more heavily on streaming services, the need to revisit and potentially eliminate this 100,000 music song limit becomes increasingly apparent.
In conclusion, the 100,000 song limit in Apple Music libraries is a real and frustrating issue for many users. The unclear documentation, the seemingly arbitrary nature of the limit, and the lack of updates from Apple have created a point of contention within the Apple Music community. As users continue to expand their music song collections, the pressure on Apple to address this limitation will likely only intensify.
