Apple Music Gets New Transfer Tool to Make Switching From Spotify Easier

[MacRumors]

Apple this week introduced a new feature designed to allow prospective Apple Music users to import their saved music and playlists from third-party music services to Apple Music.

The feature is either in an expanded testing phase or it has started rolling out, and it is available in Australia and New Zealand according to an Apple Support document. Signs of the transfer option first surfaced back in February 2024, when an Android user saw a reference to the option in the Apple Music beta for Android. There is no word on when library and playlist transfer options might expand to other countries, but it is likely Apple is planning to expand the rollout in the near future.

Apple is partnering with SongShift for the new Apple Music feature. SongShift is an app that transfers music playlists across streaming platforms, but by working with Apple, the functionality has been integrated directly in the Apple Music app. Adding a simple option for transferring content from another service to Apple Music could spur people with large, curated libraries and playlists to make the jump to Apple's music service.

Apple Music subscribers in Australia and New Zealand can initiate song transfers on the web or using the Apple Music app for iPhone, iPad, or Android. Songs, albums, and playlists from music services like Spotify can be transferred to Apple Music, though what can be transferred does depend on the service.

On an iPhone or an iPad, transfers can be initiated by opening up the Settings app, navigating to Apps, and selecting Apple Music. In the Apple Music settings, there is a "Transfer Music from Other Music Services" option that lists supported music services. Users can select what they want to transfer, and then Apple Music will locate matches for songs in the Apple Music catalog, adding them to the Apple Music library.

In instances where an exact match for a song isn't able to be located, Apple will flag the music as Needs Review, displaying alternate versions that can be selected. Apple warns that some content might not be available or have an exact match in Apple Music, and the company also notes that only user created playlists are able to be transferred, not playlists created by another music service.

Source playlists and libraries in the other music service will not be impacted and will still be available.

Article Link: Apple Music Gets New Transfer Tool to Make Switching From Spotify Easier

 

[mozumder]

I have a playlist from Spotify with about 2000+ songs, which I built over the years (it actually originated in iTunes circa ~2002). When I used songshift to transfer it to Apple Music, about 10% of the tracks were completely incorrect. Additionally, some songs are just not available on each of the services, so it can't always sync properly.

Also, it seems Apple Music date stamp on when tracks are added keep getting overwritten or reset. Seems the cloud sync ruins datestamps.

One really annoying thing about Apple Music is that it doesn't save state on what playlist you were playing or where in the playlist you were playing, so when you exit, you have to manually find what playlist and where in the playlist you were last in. This becomes really annoying on large playlists like mine. Also the indicator showing the currently playing track is virtually impossible to see. It should at least highlight the currently playing track in a playlist.

 

[Caviar_X]

Never forgive Apple for ruining my iTunes playlist when Apple Music launched in 2015. I lost a lot of work building my playlists over the years when I signed up then and they’re forever lost. Shame on them. So glad I’m with Spotify now because they’re way better at music discovery and the interface is miles ahead of Apple.

 

[Dave-Z]

Sure, but where's the option to switch from Apple Music to Spotify?

 

[Dave-Z]

the indicator showing the currently playing track is virtually impossible to see.

This is one of my biggest frustrations with Apple Music. I end up going through my playlists two or three times to find where I am.

 

[Ateam043]

About 4 months ago I decided to give Apple Music a try from Spotify, having first been on AM when they introduced their radio stations. I quite literally, as of 10 minutes ago, switched back to Spotify.

I couldn’t take the AM recommendations.

How I can be listening to say my Techno playlist and once done goes to Country is effing beyond me.

 

[sw1tcher]

Sure, but where's the option to switch from Apple Music to Spotify?

Seriously.

I'm currently doing the free 3 month Apple Music trial for buying a new iPhone. The organization, layout, recommendations,.... so much is not as good as Spotify.

 

[rp2011]

To all the Spotify people, don’t do it. Apple Music is the worst. Malware as far as I’m concerned. Stick with Spotify. Anything but Apple Music.

 

[tipoo]

I actually use Songshift the other way around in that I main Apple Music, but still push my additions back to Spotify on occasion for a small group that listens to my playlist, plus it feels like a backup since Apple Music just deletes your playlists if you ever unsubscribe for a short time period, I think a month or something

Hope they never buy it and make it only one way lol

 

[EM2013]

Can we get a tool to download all of our music when we upgrade devices

 

[WaterOz]

Sure, but where's the option to switch from Apple Music to Spotify?

The answer is right in the post. Get the SongShift app in the MacOS App Store... and you can shift playlists from Apple to Spotify.

Yeah, not built into Apple Music like song shift is doing for that direction with Apple... but the standalone MacOS app with song shift does a pretty good job overall (granted, you almost always need to review a few songs that don't match right for whatever reason)

 

[rpe33]

Apple Music is 100x better than Spotify IMO. Switched over and I've never been happier.

 

[funandblindness]

Never forgive Apple for ruining my iTunes playlist when Apple Music launched in 2015. I lost a lot of work building my playlists over the years when I signed up then and they’re forever lost. Shame on them. So glad I’m with Spotify now because they’re way better at music discovery and the interface is miles ahead of Apple.

Dude, give it up. Spotify sucks balls. Period.

 

[applefan8254]

Can we get music playback speed adjustment please? Thank you

 

[dominiongamma]

Never forgive Apple for ruining my iTunes playlist when Apple Music launched in 2015. I lost a lot of work building my playlists over the years when I signed up then and they’re forever lost. Shame on them. So glad I’m with Spotify now because they’re way better at music discovery and the interface is miles ahead of Apple.

Really still mad 10 years later ? Spotify is a dumpster fire

 

[akatsuki]

The only reason I haven't switched - I need is the equivalent of Spotify Connect to my Sonos system. AirPlay is not nearly as good of a solution for a ton of reasons including that I don't want every sound from my phone going to a speaker, but also it doesn't let me set up music differently in different areas.

 

[Ulysses164]

Sure, but where's the option to switch from Apple Music to Spotify?

You can use SongShift to move from essentially any service to any service.

 

[JosephAW]

Never forgive Apple for ruining my iTunes playlist when Apple Music launched in 2015. I lost a lot of work building my playlists over the years when I signed up then and they’re forever lost. Shame on them. So glad I’m with Spotify now because they’re way better at music discovery and the interface is miles ahead of Apple.

Upgraded from iTunes high sierra to Monterey and all my playlists were lost.
Had to create a special restore disk to high sierra with my music and then upgrade to Catalina and launch the music app and then copy the music.Music file to Monterey and then the playlists were back although custom views are still lost.
Music still crashes often and loses new playlists unless you keep quitting it after each change, even on Sequoia.
They couldn’t program newer macOS versions of music to upgrade old iTunes library.
Please Apple. Fix it.

 

[StoneJack]

Is Spotify already bankrupt or not yet?

 

[TinyMito]

Tried both service for over 2 years, I still prefer Spotify due to wide integration and DJ curation. While Apple Music only promo big buck artist; that I have zero interest at all.

I like indie music or small artists. Spotify has plenty of that. Apple Music lacks in that probably it is too expensive for small artists.

 

[code-m]

Seriously.

I'm currently doing the free 3 month Apple Music trial for buying a new iPhone. The organization, layout, recommendations,.... so much is not as good as Spotify.

It’s interesting that the whole “Halo Effect” began with iPod and iTunes only for Apple to progressively make it worse with Apple Music. Someone would think Apple either gave up on Music or tried so hard that it drove off a steep cliff.

 

[code-m]

Is Spotify already bankrupt or not yet?

Unlikely until Apple Music gets its act together which doesn’t seem promising at its present state.

 

[code-m]

Dude, give it up. Spotify sucks balls. Period.

Tbh both sucks it’s just a question of which is worse.

 

[Unregistered 4U]

Sure, but where's the option to switch from Apple Music to Spotify?

Maybe Spotify doesn’t want people switching from Apple Music to Spotify?

 

[funandblindness]

Apple this week introduced a new feature designed to allow prospective Apple Music users to import their saved music and playlists from third-party music services to Apple Music.

The feature is either in an expanded testing phase or it has started rolling out, and it is available in Australia and New Zealand according to an Apple Support document. Signs of the transfer option first surfaced back in February 2024, when an Android user saw a reference to the option in the Apple Music beta for Android. There is no word on when library and playlist transfer options might expand to other countries, but it is likely Apple is planning to expand the rollout in the near future.

Apple is partnering with SongShift for the new Apple Music feature. SongShift is an app that transfers music playlists across streaming platforms, but by working with Apple, the functionality has been integrated directly in the Apple Music app. Adding a simple option for transferring content from another service to Apple Music could spur people with large, curated libraries and playlists to make the jump to Apple's music service.

Apple Music subscribers in Australia and New Zealand can initiate song transfers on the web or using the Apple Music app for iPhone, iPad, or Android. Songs, albums, and playlists from music services like Spotify can be transferred to Apple Music, though what can be transferred does depend on the service.

On an iPhone or an iPad, transfers can be initiated by opening up the Settings app, navigating to Apps, and selecting Apple Music. In the Apple Music settings, there is a "Transfer Music from Other Music Services" option that lists supported music services. Users can select what they want to transfer, and then Apple Music will locate matches for songs in the Apple Music catalog, adding them to the Apple Music library.

In instances where an exact match for a song isn't able to be located, Apple will flag the music as Needs Review, displaying alternate versions that can be selected. Apple warns that some content might not be available or have an exact match in Apple Music, and the company also notes that only user created playlists are able to be transferred, not playlists created by another music service.

Source playlists and libraries in the other music service will not be impacted and will still be available.

Article Link: Apple Music Gets New Transfer Tool to Make Switching From Spotify Easier

Benefits of Apple Music:
Smart Playlists
Match
High quality sound
Lossless and hi-res included
DJ software option allowed
Layout works like a functioning radio station does
Apple pays artists
etc.....
The list is literately endless and all people bitch about is the algorithm. Find your own music.

The Ghosts in the Machine, by Liz Pelly

Spotify’s plot against musicians

harpers.org