A question that litters the internet and often comes up on Reddit is how you transfer playlists from Spotify to Apple Music; both are top of the list when it comes to popular music streaming services - and they offer different experiences for the listener.
Let’s face it: people who love music spend hours building music playlists for specific occasions. A work playlist for deepwork and focus, playlists for working out or winding down, and one for general use.
Spending hours building them, naming each playlist, and even creating artwork for the covers. Playlists, for many, are a labor of love - so converting them from Spotify to Apple Music can feel like a huge task when doing it manually (that's not to say you shouldn't give it a try!).
Even the decision to switch from Spotify to Apple Music can take a long time to get to because we like what we know, and our music services are something we use every day.
So, here are the easiest ways to manually switch your music from Spotify to Apple Music or use an app - our app, actually.
What makes Spotify so popular?
Well, Spotify is often the go-to music streaming service for many reasons. Almost everyone who wants to listen to music digitally will go here first. Their price point used to be the most friendly, and while they still have some decent options in terms of cost, they bump the prices - which is why so many people wanted to leave Spotify in 2023.
Unreasonable pricing aside, Spotify has positioned itself as the default streaming service - it has a lot of social features, the quality is good enough for most listeners, and there is a massive selection.
Not only that but in some regions, Spotify has added audiobooks to the subscription cost.
Oh, and if you haven't checked the audiobooks out yet, here are our pick of the Best Audiobooks on Spotify.
Over the course of 2023, there has been some negative publicity about how much they pay their artists, though, as well as some serious cuts in staffing, and the Spotify HiFi option for higher quality seems to have been shelved again.
None of that takes away from the ease of use, the cross-platform options, the integration, and the sheer amount of choice. It’s simple, fast, and the perfect starting point for anyone who wants to pay a single price for millions of tracks.
All that said, people who have been with Spotify for a while often come to the decision that they want to move to a different music streaming service and one of the most popular other options. Apple Music.
There are many other streaming services that you can choose from, though, and if you’re serious about what you listen to, here is a comparison to help: Best Streaming Platforms 2023.
What makes Apple Music a good choice?
Straight out the gate, if you are looking for better quality, Apple Music offers a superior set of listening options that Spotify can’t compete with - yet. Unlike Spotify, Apple Music has support from their other products.
When you buy an Apple product, you get access to Apple Music for six months (most of the time), and since you have the subscription and you’ve built playlists already - you may as well stay.
Not to mention that AirPods and Beats are built to be used with an Apple iPhone (they have the compatible codec), so you can access that better quality. And if you want to get a better insight about our choice regarding the headphones, check out our review of the best noise-cancelling products of 2023.
The power of Apple Music sits firmly in the incredible ecosystem, and even if you’re camp Android, it is hard to ignore the simplicity and ease of use.
When it comes to Apple Music, all other Apple products aside, you get more than 100 million songs, personalized playlists, reasonable pricing, hi-res lossless audio (which Spotify isn’t offering), and cool audio features like Dolby Atmos Music and Spatial Audio.
Always keep in mind that how you listen matters here; higher quality uses more data, and good quality wired headsets work best - but even the older Apple wired headphones will be fine.
Apple Music has a smooth user interface, plenty of integration, is quick to set up, and has a massive catalog - plus better sound quality.
So, switching from Spotify to Apple Music makes sense for many.
What are the biggest differences between Spotify and Apple Music?
For an in-depth look at the most significant difference between Spotify and Apple Music, check out this guide: Spotify Vs Apple Music it covers everything you need to know.
What is the fastest way to transfer playlists from Spotify to Apple Music?
The fastest way to move playlists from Spotify to Apple Music is by using the FreeYourMusic app. If you have more than one playlist, then it will take a few minutes, but in general, it saves hours of time when pitched against doing it manually - and that goes double for people who have long playlists or multiple playlists.
How can you move albums from Spotify to Apple Music?
Moving albums and music libraries from Spotify to Apple Music is as easy as moving the playlists when using the FreeYourMusic app. Since you have full control over the music transfer process, you can select what you want to move and leave what you don’t want behind.
Quick selection options to move everything, or choose liked playlists and songs, or use the search function to move exactly what you want.
Why transfer from Spotify to Apple Music?
Music is a personal thing - even if millions of people are enjoying the same song or album, it will mean something different to everyone.
Likewise, for the music streaming platform - not everyone loves the ‘gimmicks’ like Spotify Wrapped, Rewind, or Time Capsule. Some people want high quality and don’t care much about social sharing. (If that sounds familiar, but you still want your stats without waiting for a yearly recap, FreeYourMusic Stats is the place for you.)
Recently, people have been moving from Spotify to Apple Music for other reasons. Spotify has long been recognized for not paying artists their fair share, and with platforms like TIDAL and Deezer making strides to work out what fair pay really is and Apple Music being fairly transparent - the artist-conscious are switching to platforms that give artists their dues.
Another reason for switching that comes up often is the fact that while Spotify has good quality audio, it isn’t in the same ballpark as other music streaming services - including Apple Music.
Spotify Hi-Fi has been promised for years and never delivered - and with more personnel cuts, it isn’t something we have heard mention of recently.
Apple Music offers plenty of integration, high-quality sound, and a sleek UI.
Of course, there is one more reason you might be looking to switch - you are just bored of Spotify and want to try something else out. Transferring favorite tracks from Spotify to Apple Music is easier than it has ever been, and you can test it for yourself with zero commitment.
Sign up for a free Apple Music trial, and transfer the first 100 songs for free with FreeYourMusic - simple!
What are the benefits of moving from Spotify to Apple Music?
Knowing what you get for your money is a must before making a firm decision about converting from Spotify to Apple Music. There are plenty of benefits and reasons to move your precious playlists from one streaming service to another.
Here are some of the benefits of moving music to Apple Music:
- For those in the Apple ecosystem, there is nothing as easy in terms of music streaming
- Better sound quality - and even more so when using wired headphones
- Ultra clean and minimalistic UI
- Separate Podcast App
- Unique classical music option
- Apple Music has its own codec
- Library management that isn’t playlist-focused
- The Apple One bundle with Apple Arcade and Apple TV+ in one Premium Plan
- Better lyric screen
- Preferable shuffle and new music discovery
- You can upload your own music
Can you keep your playlists when you move from Spotify to Apple Music?
One of the main concerns for people shifting their music from Spotify to Apple Music is that they are going to lose their playlists, albums, and songs. If you close one account and start a new one, the new one is going to be fresh - i.e., have nothing on it.
The best way to keep your playlists when you switch music streaming services is to use a Third-Party music moving app.
How long does it take to convert playlists from Spotify to Apple Music?
You can shift songs and playlists from one music streaming service to another in two ways. Manually or using the FreeYourMusic app.
When it comes to the manual transfer of songs between streaming services, here is a short guide to how long that might take:
- For smaller playlists between 10 and 50 songs, it should take less than an hour to find the songs and rebuild your playlist.
- Medium playlists that are between 50 and 100 songs will take between 1 and 2 hours.
- Long and large playlists of 100 or more songs will take about two hours per playlist.
- Albums are typically faster. So, however many playlists you have, you can make a rough estimate of how long it will take. Generally, those who are more familiar with playlist building and quick with new interfaces will find this faster.
FreeYourMusic, once the app is installed and you have selected the playlists and albums you want to move, will take a few minutes per playlist (size-dependent).
Tip for moving from Spotify to Apple Music manually:
- Start by screenshotting all of your playlists or writing them down - pay attention to the song. Is it a remix? Special release? Make a note of the details so you get the right version on the new platform.
- Manually rebuild smaller playlists first; the task will be less overwhelming.
Keep in mind that the catalogs vary, and you might not be able to find every song.
Are third-party music transfer services safe to use?
While there are many different third-party playlist converters on the market, we can only vouch for our own. FreeYourMusic is safe to use, and you can move 100 songs for free to test it out, but you can be gifted with a few more once you finish your first music transfer.
FreeYourMusic has a huge range of reviews from industry-leading tech reviewers, so you can read them first before you download the app.
How to Switch From Spotify to Apple Music | WIRED
How to painlessly switch from Spotify to Apple Music and transfer your playlists
Plus, FreeYourMusic has moved over 12 million songs (and climbing).
If you still want to talk to someone about security and privacy, we welcome it. You can also read a little more here: Is FreeYourMusic safe to use? - Knowledge base.
Move music from Spotify to Apple Music using an app
Ready to convert your Spotify playlists to Apple Music? Here is how you can use the FreeYourMusic app on the desktop, iOS mobile, and Android.
How to transfer music from Spotify to Apple Music on Android
- Head to the Play Store
- Search for the FreeYourMusic app
- Download it - and it is instantly ready to go
- Open the app, and you'll see a welcome message
- Connect your first music streaming platform (where you are moving music from)
- Tap Continue
- Connect your second music streaming platform (where you are transferring music to)
- Select your playlists, albums or songs and tap Begin Transfer
- Note: It took less than one minute for 42 songs to move from Spotify to Apple Music
- And, finally, if you add more songs or remove songs from the playlist, you can use the Sync button to update the playlist on the other music streaming service.
How to transfer music from Spotify to Apple Music on iOS mobile
Let's do this in real-time (3 minutes), this is a start-to-finish example of how long it takes to download the app and get your music moving using the free version.
spotify-to-apple-music-a-guide-to-converting-your-music
Hey - did you see the pop-up at the end? An extra 200 songs for free ;).
How to transfer music from Spotify to Apple Music on a Desktop
The transfer process takes a few minutes from start to finish for most people, but if you have multiple playlists, it will take a little longer.
There are little to no variations across all operating systems.
- Install the FreeYourMusic app from your App Store or the website (look for the Transfer Your Music Now button on your browser).
- Once it has downloaded, it is ready to use.
- With the FreeYourMusic app, you’ll get an information pop-ups to help you along - take a second to read them so you get a smooth experience.
- You will connect your source platform (Spotify in this case) and be asked to log in.
- From there, you will select a destination platform (Apple Music in this case, although you could move your music anywhere).
- Tap Begin and watch your music magically move from one place to another.
A cool thing to know is that the playlists are still available on your old music streaming platform, too, unless the streaming platform removes them when you cancel your subscription. So if you're running multiple music streaming services, as many people do, you'll have the music you love across them all.
Got a couple of songs that didn’t get converted properly?
The app will do its best to match each song from one music streaming platform to another, but there are occasions when an exact match doesn't happen.
Here is how to rematch your songs when you are switching from Spotify to Apple Music.
There are also occasions where a song can’t be found at all - this is most likely because the song is not available on your destination platform. While Spotify and Apple Music have comparable music library sizes, they aren’t identical. A manual search is a good idea here.
Keep in mind that with Apple Music, you can upload your own music, so you can manually add anything you have downloaded to your playlists.
Converting your music from Spotify to Apple Music or any other platform can be as time-consuming or easy as you want it to be.
Make use of the 100 free tracks with FreeYourMusic, and if you love it, upgrade and let us do the playlist syncing, music moving, and favorite track matching for you.
