Apple Music and the Dislike Feature Explained

Are you wondering about the Dislike feature on Apple Music? In this article, I’ll explain what it’s all about, including why Apple Music keeps playing songs you have disliked.

Can you dislike songs on Apple Music?

You can dislike songs on Apple Music from the mobile app and desktop versions. If you dislike a song, you will receive fewer suggestions for similar songs on Apple Music.

Can you dislike an artist on Apple Music?

You cannot dislike an artist on Apple Music, but you can choose to “Dislike” songs, albums, and playlists from a specific artist. Apple Music will suggest less music from that artist.

How to dislike a song in Apple Music mobile

To dislike a song on Apple Music via iPhone, start playing the song you dislike.

  1. Tap the music player near the bottom of your screen, if it isn’t already open.
  2. Tap the three-dot menu in the top-right corner next to the track info.
  3. Choose the “Suggest Less Like This” option from the drop-down menu.

Once you’ve pressed the dislike button, Apple Music will show you a message confirming that the app will recommend fewer songs like the one you’ve just disliked in Listen Now.

How to dislike a song on Apple Music Desktop

To dislike a song on Apple Music desktop, find the song you dislike. Click on the three-dot menu to the right of the song. Click “Dislike” from the drop-down menu.

You can also dislike a song that’s playing by hovering over the music player at the top of the screen. This will reveal the three-dot menu on the right. Click it, and then click Dislike.

How to dislike an album or playlist in Apple Music

On mobile, find and open an album or playlist. Tap the three-dot menu in the top-right corner of the screen next to the plus icon. Tap “Suggest Less Like This” from the drop-down menu.

On the desktop, find and open an album or playlist. Tap the three-dot menu in the bottom-right corner of the playlist info section (above the track list). Click “Dislike” from the menu.

What happens when you dislike a song on Apple Music?

If you dislike a song or album, you receive fewer suggestions for similar music. The algorithm will take your preferences into account when suggesting music based on your listening history.

How to see disliked songs on Apple Music

You cannot see disliked songs on Apple Music via iPhone. If you’ve tapped the “Suggest Less Like This” button on songs you’ve listened to, you won’t be able to locate them on your iPhone.

However, you can find them using a Mac or a MacBook. You need to have an Apple macOS device (any Mac desktop or Macbook will do) PC to locate disliked songs.

Open the Apple Music app on your Mac.

When the app opens, click on the Songs tab under “Library” from the left sidebar. Click on the Love column header at the top to see all the songs you’ve disliked.

When you sort by the hearted songs, Apple Music lists the disliked songs (with a line through the heart), then the liked songs (with a solid heart), then all the songs that don’t have either one.

You should be able to find the Love column (marked by a heart icon) in the header row. If you cannot find it, right-click on any column’s header and select Love from the list that appears.

Does Apple Music learn what you like?

Apple Music learns what you like based on your listening history, Loves, and Dislikes. The app will play more songs similar to what you love and play fewer songs similar to what you dislike.

Why does Apple Music play songs I dislike?

Apple Music sometimes plays songs you dislike because you have enabled the “Use Listening History” feature, which allows the algorithm to take into account songs you’ve listened to.

To prevent Apple Music from playing songs you dislike, turn off the “Use Listening History” by going to Settings > Music > Use Listening History on your iPhone or iPad.

Turning off your listening history impacts new music recommendations and the contents of Replay playlists. Now, Apple Music will only suggest songs similar to what you love.

Make sure you have not accidentally added songs you dislike to your Loved list.

Why should I dislike songs on Apple Music?

Apple Music uses algorithms to show you more content based on what you like and dislike. 

Disliking a song, album, or playlist helps the algorithm show less music you hate. On the other hand, liking something will help the algorithm serve the songs you will likely enjoy. 

It’s also a great way to discover new songs on Apple Music that you otherwise would not listen to, simply because you’ve given the algorithm information about what you like and dislike.

So, if you’ve found it hard to find songs you like, start Loving songs you enjoy and Disliking songs you hate. The Apple Music app will start to suggest music based on your preferences.

Related articles:

Scroll to Top