Apple Music expands transfer tool to more countries
Thinking of switching streaming services? Apple Music just made it painless to bring your playlists along.
Apple Music has expanded its playlist transfer tool to more countries, making it easier for users to switch over from other services such as Spotify. The feature, which first appeared in Australia and New Zealand earlier this year, is now rolling out in the United States, United Kingdom, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, and Mexico.
The tool allows users to import playlists, albums, and saved tracks from other platforms directly into Apple Music. At the moment it works with user-created playlists rather than those curated by streaming services. Apple partnered with SongShift, a service that already specializes in transferring music libraries, to power the feature.
Using it is straightforward. On iOS, users can go to Settings → Apps → Music and select “Transfer Music from Other Music Services.” On Android, the option appears inside the Apple Music app under Settings. The web version of Apple Music also has a “Transfer Music” button available in the account menu.
Once a transfer is started, Apple Music scans the playlists and matches songs in its catalog. If certain tracks can’t be matched, they are flagged for review. Users then have up to 30 days to resolve any missing items before starting a new transfer.
Spotify has recently faced criticism over price increases and the withdrawal of several artists from its platform, including Godspeed You! Black Emperor and King Gizzard & The Lizard Wizard. By making it easier to switch, Apple is clearly aiming to attract discontented listeners looking for a new home for their music libraries.