Apple Music Testing Feature That Imports Libraries From Other Services

Apple Music is testing a new feature that allows users to import songs and playlists into their library from rival streaming services like Spotify.

apple music songshift transfer
References to the feature in the latest ‌Apple Music‌ beta for Android were first spotted by a Reddit user, and MacRumors has now independently confirmed that the references are indeed in the APK, or Android Package Kit.

The feature appears to be a collaborative effort with SongShift, a long-running third-party service that enables users to transfer their music libraries and playlists between different music streaming services.

Images shared on Reddit show new prompts in ‌Apple Music‌ for Android that offer to "add saved music and playlists you made in other music services to your ‌Apple Music‌ library." The option also appears in the Android app's settings.

The feature does not yet appear to be fully functional, and the screens are not showing for everyone running the beta, suggesting Apple is at an early stage of A/B testing, or split testing the feature. A/B testing is a method used to compare two versions of the same app, and users are randomly exposed to either version. Statistical analysis is then used to determine which variation performs better for a given conversion goal.

Third-party music transfer services have been available for a few years, but many have limited functionality without a one-off payment or subscription. There's no guarantee that ‌Apple Music‌ will take the SongShift integration through to full development, but if it does retain the feature, there's a good chance it will eventually appear in the ‌Apple Music‌ app for Apple devices.

Popular Stories

iOS 18

Here Are Apple's Full Release Notes for iOS 18.2

Thursday December 5, 2024 11:48 am PST by
Apple seeded the release candidate version of iOS 18.2 today, which means it's going to see a public launch imminently. Release candidates represent the final version of new software that will be provided to the public should no last minute bugs be found, and Apple includes release notes with the RC launch. The iOS 18.2 release notes provide a look at all of the new features that are coming...
Apple AI Command Center Concept Mock 3

Apple Expected to Launch This All-New Device Next Year

Wednesday November 27, 2024 1:05 pm PST by
Apple is expected to kick off 2025 by launching an all-new smart home hub, also referred to as a "command center," as early as March. The hub is expected to feature around a six-inch display that can be attached to a tabletop base with a speaker, or mounted on a wall. The device is said to run a new "homeOS" operating system with a customizable widget-focused home screen, and it is expected...
airpods pro 2 gradient

AirPods Pro 3 Expected Next Year: Here's What We Know

Thursday November 28, 2024 3:30 am PST by
Despite being released over two years ago, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 continue to dominate the wireless earbud market. However, with the AirPods Pro 3 expected to launch sometime in 2025, anyone thinking of buying Apple's premium earbuds may be wondering if the next generation is worth holding out for. Apart from their audio and noise-canceling performance, which are generally regarded as...
iPhone 14 Pro Display Two Times Brighter Feature

Every Display Upgrade Rumored for Apple's iPhone 17

Friday December 6, 2024 5:14 am PST by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 lineup may bring some of the most significant display improvements we've seen in recent years. While the iPhone 17 series isn't expected until late 2025, multiple rumors suggest Apple is working on substantial screen upgrades across its entire smartphone range. From enhanced refresh rates to advanced materials and improved power efficiency, these display...
New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18

20 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18.2

Friday December 6, 2024 4:42 am PST by
Apple is set to release iOS 18.2 in the second week of December, bringing the second round of Apple Intelligence features to iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 16 models. This update brings several major advancements to Apple's AI integration, including completely new image generation tools and a range of Visual Intelligence-based enhancements. There are a handful of new non-AI related feature controls...
Tim Cook WWDC 2024

Apple CEO Tim Cook Opens Up About AI Plans, Vision Pro Future, and More in New Interview

Wednesday December 4, 2024 5:40 am PST by
WIRED today shared in an in-depth interview with Apple CEO Tim Cook, asking questions about AI, Vision Pro sales, pre-recorded keynotes, and more. The wide-ranging interview covers Apple's pivot toward AI technology, including what Apple Intelligence features Cook finds most useful, Apple's partnership with OpenAI, and the environmental impact of AI. For example, WIRED asked Cook about...
Generic iOS 18

Apple Seeds Release Candidate Versions of iOS 18.2 and More With Genmoji, Image Playground and ChatGPT Integration

Thursday December 5, 2024 10:03 am PST by
Apple today seeded the release candidate versions of upcoming iOS 18.2, iPadOS 18.2, and macOS Sequoia 15.2 updates to developers and public beta testers for testing purposes, two weeks after releasing the fourth betas. Alongside the release candidate versions of the iPhone, iPad, and Mac operating system updates, Apple has also seeded the watchOS 11.2, tvOS 18.2, and HomePod Software 18.2 RCs....

Top Rated Comments

tomtad Avatar
11 months ago
People are going to get a shock going from Spotify to Music on Mac

Hopefully there’s a way to go back ?
Score: 11 Votes (Like | Disagree)
abatabia Avatar
11 months ago
Yes please! This is literally my top holy grail feature request.
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
kurtfoster Avatar
11 months ago
What they need to do start curating better playlists. As nice as the lossless audio sounds, Spotify is way ahead of Apple and theirs. And I’m speaking from someone that uses Apple Music as my primary music source because of the audio quality, but Spotify has better playlists.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TWINO Avatar
11 months ago
I tried both the paid versions of Songshift and FreeYourMusic to transfer music from Spotify to Apple Music and both were mediocre, in my opinion. I eventually used Playlisty, which is specifically made to transfer music to Apple Music and it is absolutely amazing. Almost all hits were perfect matches. It's also cheap, just a one time payment of 2,99. Therefore I recommend everyone that wants to transfer their music to Apple Music to use playlisty.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
chineseguy38 Avatar
11 months ago
Seriously?! Fix the existing with Apple Music first. Syncing existing playlist keeps on creating duplicate with Apple Music.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
JippaLippa Avatar
11 months ago

What they need to do start curating better playlists. As nice as the lossless audio sounds, Spotify is way ahead of Apple and theirs. And I’m speaking from someone that uses Apple Music as my primary music source because of the audio quality, but Spotify has better playlists.
I'm pretty sure that'll be addressed in the new OS releases.
Better ai assisted playlists have been teased many times.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)