New Spotify Import Feature: Transfer Your Apple Music Playlists Free

Switch Without Starting Over: Import Playlists Natively to Spotify for Free.

Select Import Music, connect TuneMyMusic, and transfer playlists. Image: Spotify

For years, the single biggest barrier to leaving Apple Music, Tidal, or YouTube Music for Spotify wasn't the interface or the algorithm—it was the "sunk cost" of your curated library. We all have those playlists we've spent years refining. The prospect of manually rebuilding them, song by song, is enough to keep anyone locked into a subscription they might want to leave.

I personally stuck with Tidal for two extra years just to keep my 'Late Night Drive' playlist intact. I couldn't bear the thought of losing a collection of over a thousand favorite songs that I had meticulously gathered over 24 months. But finally, that friction is gone.

As of November 2025, Spotify has rolled out a native, in-app feature that allows you to import your library from other streaming services directly.

This isn’t a workaround or a sketchy "hack." It is an official integration powered by TuneMyMusic, and crucially, it removes the paywalls usually associated with moving large music libraries.

How the Integration Works

Previously, if you wanted to move playlists, you had to navigate to third-party websites like Soundiiz or TuneMyMusic directly. While effective, the free tiers of these services often capped you at transferring 500 songs at a time or limited the number of playlists you could move. If you had a massive library, you had to pay.

Spotify’s new integration effectively subsidizes the "Premium" tier of TuneMyMusic for this specific use case. You can now transfer unlimited playlists and songs without paying a dime for the transfer service.

Supported platforms for import include:

• Apple Music
• YouTube Music
• Tidal
• Qobuz
• Napster
• Beatport

Step-by-Step: Importing Your Library

The process is handled entirely within the Spotify mobile app. Here is how to navigate the new settings to transfer your music library:

• Open your Spotify mobile app and navigate to Settings (the gear icon).
• Look for a new section labeled "Import your music" or check the main menu for "Add music from other services."
• You will see a list of supported platforms. Select the service you are migrating from (e.g., Apple Music).
• The app will redirect you to a secure TuneMyMusic interface. You must log in to your old streaming account and grant permission for TuneMyMusic to read your library.
• You don't have to import everything. You can select specific playlists or tap "Select All" to move your entire library.
• Once you confirm, the transfer happens in the background. For large libraries (1,000+ songs), this may take several minutes. Spotify will notify you when the import is complete.

The "Fine Print": What You Need to Watch Out For

While this feature is a massive quality-of-life improvement, automated transfers are rarely perfect. Based on how metadata matchers work, there are a few nuances you should be aware of before you permanently delete your old account.

1. The "Live Version" Glitch

Matching algorithms look for artist names and track titles strings. Occasionally, the system will match the studio version of a song on Apple Music to a "Live" or "Remix" version on Spotify, or vice versa. 

2. Greyed-Out Tracks

If a song exists on Tidal but Spotify doesn't have the licensing rights for that specific region, the song will appear in your playlist but will be unplayable (greyed out). This is not a transfer error; it is a licensing gap between the services.

3. Privacy Implications

To make this work, you are granting TuneMyMusic access to your account data. While TuneMyMusic is a reputable industry standard that has been around for years, you are introducing a third-party data processor. If you are strictly privacy-conscious, you may want to revoke TuneMyMusic's access on your old service provider's settings page after the transfer is complete.

Why This Matters Now

Timing is everything. Back in August 2025, Apple Music integrated a similar tool (powered by SongShift) to help users leave Spotify. Spotify’s move is a direct response to that defensive play.

By removing the "playlist lock-in," streaming services are forced to compete on the actual product, audio quality, discovery algorithms, and user interface, rather than holding your data hostage.

Is it available now? You might be wondering if this is fully available on both iOS and Android in all regions as of this week. The answer is: almost. The feature is currently "rolling out globally over the coming days," so if you don't see it immediately, check for an app update later this week.

Key Takeaways

• Cost: Free (Official integration removes third-party limits).
• Direction: One-way (Importing into Spotify).
• Speed: Instant integration via mobile app.
• Reliability: High, with minor metadata mismatches to watch for.

Image: Spotify