Problems playing music in iTunes on Mac
In the iTunes app on your Mac, do any of the following if you have trouble playing music or other audio:
If the progress bar at the top of the iTunes window is moving, but you don’t hear anything
If you’re using your computer’s built-in speakers: Make sure the volume controls are not turned down. Check the control at the top of the iTunes window and check the control for your computer (choose Apple menu
> System Preferences, then click Sound).If you’re using powered speakers connected to your computer: Make sure the powered speakers are properly plugged into your computer’s audio port, plugged into a power source and turned on. Also make sure their volume isn’t turned down.
If you’re trying to listen to music through remote speakers using AirPort Express: Make sure the remote speakers are selected in the AirPlay pop-up menu
at the top of the iTunes window, and the volume control on the speakers isn’t turned down.
If you’re using an AirPort Express, you can find more troubleshooting information in the documentation that came with your AirPort Express, or at the AirPort Support website.
If you can’t play a song
If you can’t play a song purchased from the iTunes Store: You may have exceeded the number of computers on which you can play your purchases.
If the song isn’t an iTunes Plus version, you can play it on up to five authorised computers. After you authorise five computers, you can’t play the songs on a sixth computer until you de-authorise one of the five authorised computers. (For instructions on de-authorising a computer, see Authorise a computer to play iTunes purchases.)
If the song is available as an iTunes Plus download, you can upgrade the song at the iTunes Store. See Usage rights for iTunes Store purchases.
If you’re listening to a shared library or playlist: iTunes skips iTunes Store purchases if your computer hasn’t been authorised to play them. To listen to a purchased song in a shared library or playlist, double-click the song. If your computer isn’t authorised to play songs purchased by the person who is sharing the song, to hear it you’ll need to enter that person’s Apple ID and password. See Share iTunes libraries on a local network.
If you’re trying to play an AAC file that was not created using iTunes or downloaded from the iTunes Store: Songs you download from the iTunes Store or import into your library using the AAC encoder are encoded using the new MPEG-4 AAC format. Songs in this format play in iTunes and on your iPod, iPhone and iPad. Other AAC files that you find on the Internet or elsewhere won’t play in iTunes. See Choose import settings or Convert music file formats.
If you’re trying to play a song on a CD that you burned using iTunes: You can’t play DVDs burned using iTunes on most consumer DVD players. So make sure the playback equipment you’re using is appropriate for the disc’s format. For example, if you burned a CD-RW disc, you can play it only on your computer and some newer CD players. If you burned an MP3 disc, it should work in your computer and on special MP3 CD players but not on standard consumer audio CD players. See Use iTunes to create CDs and DVDs.
If you’re listening to a playlist that includes a song preview: The playlist stops after the song preview. Double-click the next song in the playlist to resume playing the rest of the playlist. A song preview in your Music library or a playlist has a button next to it showing the price.
If you can’t play an audiobook
If you can’t play an audiobook, you may have exceeded the number of computers authorised to play it or you may be trying to listen to one purchased through someone else’s account.
If you purchased the audiobook from the iTunes Store: You can play it on up to five computers at a time. Make sure your computers are authorised to play purchases from the iTunes Store.
If you purchased the audiobook from the Audible website: You can download it on up to three computers. Make sure your computers are authorised to play purchases from Audible.
If you don’t know where you purchased the audiobook: Select the audiobook in the Library, choose Edit > Audiobook Info, click File, then look in the Kind field. Files purchased from the iTunes Store end in “.m4b”. Files purchased from the Audible website end in “.aa” or “.aax”.
To see who downloaded the audio file: Select the audiobook in the library, choose Edit > Song Info, then click File. In the field named Purchased By or Owner, you see the user name for the account holder who downloaded the file. If the audiobook is not from your account, you can’t listen to it.