Greyed-out tracks
Music rights are licensed by region; platforms detect your region from the network environment, so restricted tracks turn grey overseas.
Listen to NetEase Cloud Music and QQ Music overseas
Open NetEase Cloud Music abroad and half the playlist is greyed out; QQ Music says the track is unavailable in your region. This page explains why, how China-direction routes restore playback, and how to troubleshoot membership, downloads, and quality.
Common needs
- Restore playlist tracks that turn grey overseas and use recommendations normally.
- Audiobooks and podcasts are affected by regional licensing in the same way.
- Keep membership benefits (quality, downloads, exclusives) working while abroad.
Common pain points
Region notices
QQ Music and others may state the track is unavailable in your current region at the rights holder's request.
Membership vs. network
Some content is membership-only or account-bound, independent of the network — tell the two apart when troubleshooting.
Suggested steps
- Connect a China-direction routePick a mainland-direction route in CityLink, then fully quit and reopen the music app.
- Compare with the same grey trackTry the same track before and after connecting to separate region limits from membership or delisting issues.
- Consider a dedicated route for long-term listeningIf you listen daily and care about stability, a personal dedicated route reduces shared-capacity fluctuation.
Usage boundaries
- Catalogs and rights rules are decided by each platform; account, membership, and platform rules still apply after connecting.
- CityLink provides connectivity support and does not promise any specific track will play.
- Users should follow local laws and the terms of the target services.
Related scenarios
FAQ
Why do NetEase Cloud Music tracks turn grey overseas?
Music rights are licensed by region, and platforms detect your region from the current network environment. Tracks licensed only for mainland China appear grey when opened from an overseas network.
Will a China-direction route restore every grey track?
No guarantee. Most region-restricted tracks play again, but membership-only content, delisted tracks, and account limits are still decided by the platform.
Do downloaded tracks play offline overseas?
Offline caches usually play, but membership tracks require periodic online verification within a valid membership, per platform rules.
Get your playlist back
Download the CityLink client and test a mainland-direction route. For media, gaming, and work scenarios, see the full guide.