“This computer is not authorized” appears in Apple Music on Mac when Music cannot play or download a qualifying iTunes Store purchase under the required Apple Account authorization. It can also lead to “You cannot authorize more than 5 computers.” On supported Music-app versions from macOS Catalina 10.15 through macOS Tahoe 26, the safest first action is to confirm which Apple Account purchased the blocked item. If it belongs to the account signed in to Music, authorize the Mac through Account > Authorizations > Authorize This Computer.

What “This computer is not authorized” means in Apple Music

The error concerns purchase authorization, particularly protected or shared iTunes Store purchases. It does not mean that every Apple Music playback or download problem is an authorization failure.

The Apple Account currently signed in to Music can differ from the account that originally purchased a song. The message can therefore indicate one of three conditions:

  • The Mac is not authorized for the account that owns the purchase.
  • The item was purchased by another person whose account authorization is required.
  • The purchase account already has five authorized computers.

This guide does not cover Apple Music subscription streaming, Sync Library, billing, password recovery, or ordinary downloads that do not display this authorization-message family. It also does not cover macOS startup failures. For that separate issue, see How to fix “Your computer was restarted because of a problem” on Mac.

Authorize the Mac in Apple Music

When this applies: Use this path when the affected item is an iTunes Store purchase owned by the Apple Account signed in to Music. Apple documents the current menu path in Apple’s computer authorization guidance.

Prerequisites:

  • Access to the Mac.
  • Apple Account credentials for the purchase account.
  1. Open the Music app.
  2. Choose Account and confirm that you are signed in.
  3. Choose Account > Authorizations > Authorize This Computer.
  4. Sign in to the Apple Account.
  5. Click Authorize.
  6. Try the purchased item again.

Expected result: The Mac becomes authorized for qualifying purchases belonging to that Apple Account, and the affected item may play or download. Authorization in one Apple purchase app also applies across Apple purchase apps.

Risk and rollback: Low risk, with no documented data-loss action. If the Mac should no longer have purchase access, choose Account > Authorizations > Deauthorize This Computer.

Check which Apple Account purchased the blocked item

When this applies: Use this branch when the blocked song is in a shared library or playlist and may have been bought by another person. Apple’s Music playback guidance explains that a shared purchased item can require the purchaser’s Apple Account.

Prerequisites:

  • The item is an iTunes Store purchase in a shared library or playlist.
  • The purchaser permits their account to authorize this Mac.
  1. In Music, double-click the blocked song.
  2. Identify the person who purchased the song.
  3. Sign in with that purchaser’s Apple Account when prompted.
  4. Authorize the Mac for that Apple Account if prompted.
  5. Play the item again.

Expected result: The item may become playable once the Mac is authorized for the account that owns it.

Risk and rollback: Medium account-access risk, with no documented data-loss action. Do not ask another person to disclose their credentials; the account owner should control credential entry. Deauthorize the Mac for that purchaser’s Apple Account when access is no longer needed.

Fix “You cannot authorize more than 5 computers”

Apple allows up to five authorized computers for Apple Account purchases. iPhone and iPad do not count toward this computer limit. Use the least disruptive applicable path rather than immediately selecting Deauthorize All.

Deauthorize an accessible old computer

When this applies: Use this option when the five-computer limit has been reached and an old authorized Mac or PC is still accessible.

Prerequisites:

  • Access to an authorized computer that no longer needs purchase access.
  • Apple Account credentials.
  1. On the old computer, open Music or Apple TV.
  2. Choose Account > Authorizations > Deauthorize This Computer.
  3. Sign in to the Apple Account.
  4. Click Deauthorize.
  5. On the current Mac, authorize it in Music.
  6. Retry the purchased item.

Expected result: Deauthorizing the old computer should free one of the five computer slots so the current Mac can be authorized.

Risk and rollback: Low risk, with no documented data loss. The old computer loses purchase playback access for that account. Authorize it again if it still needs access.

Deauthorize all computers, then reauthorize the ones you use

When this applies: Use Deauthorize All only when the five-computer limit is reached and an obsolete authorized computer cannot be accessed.

Warning: Deauthorize All removes purchase authorization from every computer on the Apple Account, not only the unavailable computer. Apple limits this option to once per year, and every computer that still needs purchase access must be authorized again.

Prerequisites:

  • Apple Account credentials.
  • The ability to reauthorize every computer that still needs purchase access.
  • The once-per-year Deauthorize All option is currently available.
  1. Open Music or Apple TV on an accessible Mac.
  2. Choose Account > Account Settings and sign in.
  3. Find Computer Authorizations.
  4. Click Deauthorize All.
  5. Authorize each computer that you still use.
  6. Retry the purchased item on the current Mac.

Expected result: The previous computer authorizations are removed, allowing the required computers to be authorized again.

Risk and rollback: Medium risk because every computer loses purchase authorization until it is authorized again. This does not document deletion of music or account data. The rollback is to reauthorize each computer that still needs access; the once-per-year restriction means Deauthorize All should not be treated as a routine reset.

Do not confuse authorization with device association: Apple Account device association is a separate purchase-related limit. Removing an associated device does not replace the computer-deauthorization procedure. See Apple’s associated-device guidance for that distinction.

If Music keeps asking for authorization

A prompt that returns immediately after authorization appears to succeed is a reported symptom, but the exact current dialog variants have not been fully verified. First confirm that you used the Apple Account that purchased the item and that the account is not blocked by the five-computer limit.

Apple’s cited authorization and playback guidance does not provide a supported self-repair sequence for this repeated-prompt loop. Do not repeatedly authorize the Mac or delete SC Info folders, Keychain items, Music libraries, authorization databases, or protected media. Third-party cleaners and DRM-removal tools are also outside Apple’s confirmed recovery path.

If the same purchased item remains blocked after the applicable authorization path completes, stop and contact Apple Support. Retain the name of the blocked item, the purchase account used, the displayed authorization result, and whether the prompt returns immediately. This escalation is a safety boundary based on the absence of a confirmed self-repair procedure; the current official support wording still requires manual verification.

Historical note for iTunes on older Macs

The main instructions in this guide apply to the Music app introduced with macOS Catalina. Older Macs may use iTunes, but the historical menu wording and supported version scope have not been manually verified for this article, so no legacy menu path is provided. If the Mac has the Music app, use the current Account > Authorizations path above.