Apple Music now lets you transfer playlists to YouTube Music
Apple Music has introduced a new feature that enables users to transfer their playlists to YouTube Music, as reported by MacRumors. This marks a significant shift in Apple's approach, as it previously did not offer native tools for transferring playlists to competing music services. The process requires an active subscription on both platforms, and can be initiated from Apple's Data and Privacy page.
Transfer process and limitations
The transfer process involves selecting "Transfer a copy of your data" on Apple's Data and Privacy page and following the onscreen instructions. The duration of this process can vary from a few minutes to several hours, depending on the number of playlists being migrated. However, there are certain restrictions on this feature. It only allows the transfer of songs that are also available on YouTube Music, excluding audio files like podcasts or audiobooks.
Restrictions on curated and shared playlists
In addition to the aforementioned restrictions, users cannot transfer curated or non-collaborative shared playlists, music files, or folders created for organizing playlists in Apple Music. This limitation may affect those who heavily rely on these features for their music experience. Despite these constraints, the new feature is a significant step forward in enhancing user flexibility between two major music streaming platforms.
Apple's future plans for playlist imports
Currently, Apple Music does not support transferring playlists to other music streaming services like Spotify or Amazon Music. Users wanting to do so must resort to third-party tools. However, there are indications that Apple may be considering improvements in this area. Earlier this year, an Android (beta) version of Apple Music was spotted with a feature that allowed users to import playlists from other services using the third-party app SongShift.
