Apple Music hits play on playlist portability, making switching platforms less of a skip

In a move that could make switching music platforms far less painful, Apple has introduced a new feature that lets prospective Apple Music users import their saved music libraries and playlists from other streaming services, directly into Apple Music. This seamless migration tool, first spotted by MacRumors, is now available in Australia and New Zealand, according to an official Apple Support document.

So what’s actually happening here?

Well, let’s say you’ve spent years perfecting your Spotify playlists, the workout jams, driving songs, indie rock deep cuts. Until now, the idea of recreating all that from scratch in Apple Music was enough to keep you locked in. But Apple’s latest update changes that.

By partnering with SongShift, a third-party app known for its playlist transfer smarts, Apple is now integrating that functionality natively within Apple Music.

The transfer process works across iPhone, iPad, Android, and even the web. On iOS, users can head to Settings -> Apps -> Apple Music, where a new “Transfer Music from Other Music Services” option appears.

From there, users select the source, Spotify, for example, and Apple Music will do the heavy lifting, finding song matches in its catalog and adding them to your library.

ALSO READ: Apple CarPlay Ultra brings the best of iPhone to your car; starting with Aston Martin

Not everything’s perfect, of course. Apple warns that only user-created playlists can be transferred, not curated ones by Spotify or others. Some songs may show up as “Needs Review,” which means you’ll need to pick the right version manually. Still, your original playlists remain untouched on the other platform.

The rollout appears to be in early stages, but the implications are clear. Making it easier to switch could help Apple Music chip away at Spotify’s lead, and give indecisive streamers one less reason to stay stuck where they are.