Millions of music lovers can now transfer their beloved playlists from other streaming services to Apple Music, as the tech giant has expanded its playlist migration tool to major markets worldwide. Initially launched in Australia and New Zealand in May 2025, the feature has since rolled out to the United States, United Kingdom, Brazil, Canada, France, Germany, and Mexico as of August 2025, signaling Apple’s determination to remove barriers for potential subscribers.
The transfer process, accessible through the Apple Music app settings across iPhone, iPad, Android devices, and web browsers, offers a straightforward path for users seeking to switch platforms without losing their carefully curated collections. Users simply navigate to Music Settings, tap “Transfer Music from Other Music Services,” select their existing service, and choose which content to migrate. After completing the process, users may see either a Transfer Complete notification or a prompt indicating some music needs review. The tool then attempts to match songs with Apple Music’s catalog, occasionally prompting users to manually review uncertain matches.
Behind the scenes, Apple has partnered with SongShift, a specialist in cross-platform music library synchronization, to power this functionality. While the company’s support documentation tactfully avoids naming Spotify directly, the timing coincides with several high-profile artist departures from Spotify amid controversies surrounding its CEO’s investments. Independent musicians can leverage this migration opportunity to maintain their audience connection through royalty structures that many find more favorable than competing platforms. Artists preparing new releases should also consider metadata accuracy when publishing across multiple platforms to ensure consistent discoverability during transfers.
Users report varying experiences with the transfer tool, with some encountering temporary unavailability or “currently busy” errors. This inconsistency reflects ongoing work to resolve grayed-out button issues that have frustrated early adopters. Transfer success largely depends on internet connectivity and the overlap between streaming catalogs, as not every track on Spotify has an Apple Music equivalent. The migration is strictly one-way, requiring users to verify their transferred collections before canceling previous subscriptions.
For those seeking alternatives, third-party services like TuneMyMusic offer similar functionality across multiple platforms. Apple’s native solution, however, represents a significant lowering of switching costs in the increasingly competitive streaming landscape. As artist controversies and platform policies continue to influence consumer choices, this feature positions Apple Music as a welcoming destination for users reconsidering their streaming allegiances, potentially accelerating subscriber migration between major services.
