Hey folks, anybody got the same behaviour as I do?
Since the update to 26.(2?) Music is starting up with an empty screen, spinning wheel, likely as it waits for something - Marketing Adds?
In the previous versions it started with the same view as I left it, mainly the top "Last Added*" view.
Is there any recently added start-up preference that I didn't notice?
(*I hopefully translated "Zuletzt hinzugefügt" correctly, I'm at a German UI)
I got the cause. It is reproducible!
The cause is the deactivated Apple Music Option in the preferences!
This case is not covered by the Apple developers and will result in an empty screen on startup.
This will not appear at any startup, but if the App was down for a while, i can reproduce the issue.
If you toggle: "Display: Apple Music" to ON...:
(sorry for the German UI, but you may get the point)
...you will get this:
...and a big red banner later on.
If you don't like to pay money on the services, you may turn it off to avoid the big red advertising...:
...and you will end in:
So, it is an "Advertising Feature". (?)
I like to stay angry about the spinning wheel instead being tortured by senseless Apple Adds.
I got the cause. It is reproducible!
The cause is the deactivated Apple Music Option in the preferences!
This case is not covered by the Apple developers and will result in an empty screen on startup.
This will not appear at any startup, but if the App was down for a while, i can reproduce the issue.
If you toggle: "Display: Apple Music" to ON...:
(sorry for the German UI, but you may get the point)
...you will get this:
...and a big red banner later on.
If you don't like to pay money on the services, you may turn it off to avoid the big red advertising...:
...and you will end in:
So, it is an "Advertising Feature". (?)
I like to stay angry about the spinning wheel instead being tortured by senseless Apple Adds.
Hello D.I.
Thank you for the hint on EtreCheck. I did run this.
It points to some issues, but mainly things I am quite familiar with, like a local proxy (Little Snitch), several System Extensions, like all the Adobe and Microsoft stuff und several tools, printers, online meeting software, VPN settings, orphan files, unsigned software and stuff.
But hey, this is no clean system.
Before you ask - I disabled a few things like Little Snitch to "debug" the issue, made a clean start...
But this made no difference.
The 3rd party software configuration on my Mac has not been changed for a while. With the earlier version of Music I do not notice this particular issue. So if there might be a cause in the software setup, the recent new version of Music got an issue, this has changed, not the ecosystem it is running in.
I'm sorry, I can not upload the report because of the big thumbprint it takes of my system and all the details listed.
As I took a closer look to the report I also must say that I will and can not revert most of the software setup to a clean system. This Mac is no standalone mp3-player. There is no explicit note in the report to issues on Music. 2 crashes were logged, but that was me, validating an older version (yeah, it does not work!)
Anyhow, after a few more checks I validated a different issue for a different person, who got problems with the Apple Music Radio.
I got an interesting point...
If I toggle the "Apple Musik" option in the preferences to "On" (to get the Apple Music Radio running), the empty screen is gone and shows me the last view I left Music, a playlist (not the Radio)!
Well - Question:
Is an "Apple Music" abonnement crucial for a proper function of the latest version?
This might make sense because the start up may check if some online offering should be shown to me and can not be addressed because it's simply deactivated. But this must be an accepted case in my opinion. Did the developers think about the case people were not online? Without a payed abonnement?
I don't have an "Apple Music" abonnement, and I will not. That's why it was and will be disabled to avoid the red advertising banner on the top.
So I disabled it again after testing. I will update this thread as soon I see an empty screen again.
Yes, it appears the Music app has opened but has no connection to servers or is simply misbehaving. It would not be waiting for marketing ads.
See if the problem still happens in safe mode. Safe mode will often correct weird software behavior by forcing the OS to clear caches, do disk repair and other self-maintenance and housekeeping and temporarily disables third-party mods.
How to use safe mode on your Mac - Apple Support
Does the problem go away in Safe mode?
If so, this may indicate an OS software conflict with your apps.
You can exit safe mode by restarting your Mac normally, then reevaluate the problem.
The current version of Tahoe is 26.3, so you should also update if you have not already.
I did see your other post and responded to that as well.
You aren't the first user to complain about the layout of the Music app since the Tahoe release and won't be the last. Unfortunately the design changes are probably here to stay.
As for this different, apparently unrelated issues of a blank window, I believe it's specific to your Mac as I've not seen this particular complaint.
The easiest way to cause problems with the OS and its apps is to install certain types of third party apps such as anti-virus, optimizers, cleaners, security and VPN software. These often interfere with the Mac in different ways. They are not needed and are very often problematic.
At this point, I recommend that you let us take a look at the apps and configurations of your Mac to look for clues that might lead to a fix here, and maybe for any other problem you have since the Tahoe upgrade.
Please run an EtreCheck (free) evaluation of your Mac and post the generated report back here in a reply. EtreCheck is a safe and highly regarded utility from a trusted developer and respected ASC contributor. The report it generates will not include any personal info. It simply gathers specifics about hardware performance and installed software that might be in conflict with the OS.
Please navigate to EtreCheck.com to download the utility. Be sure to Allow Full Disk Access when you install the app. Once you’ve run the app and created your report please post it with your reply to this message.
Please note you must upload the full report. To see how, please click > How to use Add Text when posting… EtreCheck Report.
We’ll use your EtreCheck report to look for the things that may be causing your problem and advise how to correct them.
A VPN and also an app the alters network configurations like Little Snitch can block access to the iTunes Store, and that is most likely the cause. It has been reported before. Turning them off usually will not result in a change and they actually have to be uninstalled. Tahoe has closed some security holes that were being used by those programs, and some of those third party apps have provided an update, but you will first need to identify the app that is causing the problem and the easiest way to do that is through the uninstall where you will then see the iTunes Store connection.
With the Apple Music box checked, you are seeing content from the Apple Music server, but are still not accessing the iTunes Store.
embee_HH wrote:
spare out VPN or proxy. I deactivated that for testing. Also with Little Snitch fully activated I am able to toggle the issue as described on and off..
As seen turning off or deactivating makes very little difference in the network connections. When you toggle on Apple Music you are still not connecting to the iTunes Store which is what you are trying to accomplish. If you don't have an Apple Music subscription, it would not make sense to have that toggle turned on which is why you are seeing the message offering you a free trial because nothing there will be of value to you without the subscription.
I don't disagree with you that there should be a message saying your are unable to make that connection to the iTunes Store because the network connection has been altered, but the solution is still the same that those are going to need to be uninstalled. Would it make a difference if there was a message that said you need to remove your VPN/Little Snitch? That test is very simple to do, although you would need to use the uninstaller by the developer of those apps.
Apple does provide a Support Article for the exact problem you are experiencing. The one thing I can add is it suggests turning them off, and as has been seen many times here and also mentioned earlier, that will not always work, but removal does.
https://support.apple.com/en-us/102281
Hi Mac,
spare out VPN or proxy. I deactivated that for testing. Also with Little Snitch fully activated I am able to toggle the issue as described on and off..
Anyway - Musik shall not run into this empty screen with a spinning wheel at no or limited network access situations.
It shall not try to promote online media or Adds if it should just open up the way it was left before - or simply play local resources.
What is next? Will the Finder promote Apple Cloud Storage offers next day?
And have in mind - this is different to version 1.5.
So it got a reason.
Somebody WANTS to promote something even if it makes no sense. And developers implemented it into this version. I do not think this new functionality happened by accident.
I had left so many feedback request these days - maybe i forget to address this minor thingy.
Wow! Thanks, embee! You've just found the cause of this bug that has been happening to me ever since Music replaced iTunes on the Mac. I've put in a few bug reports about the blank screen on startup but since it never got fixed I assuemed it was intended behaviour. I've never used Apple Music - all my music is my own ripped to my Mac. After reading your post I just enabled Apple Music in settings and now Music starts up without the blank screen. I disabled it again and it still starts up OK, but I doubt if that behaviour will persist. If, like me, you don't want to enable Apple Music then you can get your music to appear in the blank pane by clicking on any playlist in the LH pane - at least, that works for me
Thanks again and have an upvote or two.
This looks to me to be a bug in the app.
Apple is not in the habit of creating this sort of disfunction in its apps. Though some may disagree.
I suggest that you leave Product Feedback directly to Apple.
Include the app, the nature of the problem and the apparent, albeit incomplete, fix as well as the steps to reproduce the problem.
Hi Mac,
thanks for clarification, but it really makes no difference if something like the local proxy application is active, present or not. The cause is not a lack of network connectivity. This is not an error caused by any misconfiguration.
As said:
"Anyway - Musik shall not run into this empty screen with a spinning wheel at no or limited network access situations.
It shall not try to promote online media or Adds if it should just open up the way it was left before - or simply play local resources."
This happens because I do not want to connect to Apple Music online services. I tried to disable the annoying Adds and inactive functions. These will not work because I got no payed online service.
I still have an active, working iTunes Account and purchase music from time to time from this store.
So I cut the connectivity inside the App by setting the preferences to suppress the Apple Music online service and hide non working features.
This connection is not cut by any network issue.
The best way would be to suppress any menu entries, banners and stuff if no payed Apple Music online service is present. But Apple decided to do this by a buggy option in the settings.
What I'm complaining about is:
So, please Apple, fix this and exempt valued customer from Adds for products they don't want to purchase.
ps. I still don't got any reply on my product feedback. (I guess I left feedback twice these days)
Another feedback left. I set up https://www.apple.com/feedback/apple-music/ to my bookmarks ;-)
embee_HH wrote:
Another feedback left. I set up https://www.apple.com/feedback/apple-music/ to my bookmarks ;-)
Good for you, my friend.
Let 'em have it! 😃
Hello D.I.,
Thank you.
I already tried safe mode, and I recently updated to 26.3 at this Mac to claim any available fixes.
Unfortunately it does not help.
I got so many issues with this Music version 1.6.3.2, that I currently concentrate on this: 256251365
embee_HH wrote:
ps. I still don't got any reply on my product feedback. (I guess I left feedback twice these days)
I have never seen where anyone receives a reply from the Feedback provided, the information given is read and logged. The Feedback has always been seen as a one-way communication. If you want to communicate with Apple on an issue to hear from them, you will need to contact them directly. Depending on your region that can be done by Phone or Chat.
+1
Gotta love having access to the knowledge of so many smart users here in the Community! 👏🏽😃
Apple Music is starting with empty screen since Tahoe
