How to Transfer Spotify Playlists to Apple Music for Free (No‑Pay Services Needed)

I remember the first time I tried to switch from Spotify to Apple Music. My friend Maya had just gotten a free month of Apple Music, and she kept bragging about the “seamless” library sync. I was skeptical. I had spent months curating three playlists on Spotify—one for morning runs, another for rainy‑day reading, and a “throw‑back 90s” mix that even my dad knows. The thought of manually recreating each track felt like a nightmare. So I dove into the internet rabbit hole, looking for a way to move my playlists without paying for a pricey third‑party service. Spoiler: I found a method that’s completely free, and it actually works.

Why I Wanted to Switch (And Why You Might Too)

Switching music platforms isn’t just about brand loyalty. For me, it was about the ecosystem: Apple Music integrates with Siri, iCloud, and my HomePod, which means I can ask, “Play my road‑trip playlist,” and the whole house complies. If you’re already deep in the Apple universe, you’ll get similar perks. Plus, Apple Music’s lossless audio option gave my audiophile heart a little extra beat.

But the biggest hurdle is the playlists. No one wants to lose weeks of carefully selected songs. That’s why a free transfer method is worth its weight in gold.

Free Tools That Actually Work

There are a handful of apps that claim to “sync” your music for free, but most hit a paywall after the first few tracks. The one that survived my testing is Soundiiz—the free tier lets you move playlists between services, just not in bulk. Another hidden gem is SongShift on iOS, which offers a generous free quota. I tried both, and here’s what I learned:

• Soundiiz’s web interface is straightforward, but you’ll need to authorize both Spotify and Apple Music.
• SongShift works directly from your iPhone, which is handy if you’re already on the go.
• Both tools require a Spotify “Premium” account for full track access; otherwise you’ll end up with a lot of “unavailable” songs.

Below is the step‑by‑step guide that combines the strengths of both tools, ensuring you get every track you can.

Step‑by‑Step Guide (Free, No Credit Card Needed)

1. Export Your Spotify Playlists as CSV

   Using Exportify

   • Open Spotify on your desktop.
   • Right‑click the playlist you want to move, select Share → Copy Playlist Link.
   • Paste the link into a free online converter like “Exportify” (just Google “Exportify CSV”).
   • Click Download CSV; you’ll now have a spreadsheet with track names, artists, and album info.

2. Create a New Playlist in Apple Music

   Setting Up the Destination

   • On your Mac or iPhone, open Apple Music.
   • Click File → New → Playlist and give it the same name as your Spotify list (or a new name if you prefer).
   • Keep this window open; you’ll need it for the next step.

3. Import the CSV into SongShift

   • Install SongShift from the App Store if you haven’t already.
   • In SongShift, tap the + button → Import from CSV.
   • Select the CSV file you downloaded. SongShift will read each row and match it to Apple Music’s catalog.

4. Resolve Missing Tracks

   • Some songs may not appear in Apple Music (especially obscure indie releases).
   • SongShift flags these in red. For each, you can:
     • Search manually and replace with a live version or a close cover.
     • Skip the track if it’s truly unavailable.
   • I found that about 5 % of my songs needed a manual tweak, which is a lot better than starting from scratch.

5. Finalize the Transfer

   • Once all matches are green, tap Complete Shift.
   • SongShift will automatically add the matched tracks to the Apple Music playlist you created earlier.
   • Open Apple Music to verify; you should see every song you imported, ready to play.

Tip: If you run into “Song not found” errors, try adjusting the search language in SongShift’s settings. Switching to “English (US)” often yields better results for international tracks.

Common Hiccups and How to Fix Them

“I see a lot of ‘Unavailable’ songs”

This usually means the track isn’t in Apple Music’s library. A quick workaround is to look for the album version or a live recording. Occasionally, the same song appears under a slightly different title (e.g., “Remastered” vs. original). A little patience goes a long way.

“My playlist order is all scrambled”

Both Soundiiz and SongShift preserve order most of the time, but if you notice mismatches, simply drag‑and‑drop within Apple Music to reorder. It’s a one‑time chore, not a daily headache.

“I hit the free‑tier limit”

SongShift allows up to 5 playlist transfers per month for free. If you have more, break the job into chunks or use the web‑based Exportify + manual add method for the remaining lists. It’s slower, but still free.

FAQ

Q1: Do I need a Spotify Premium account to export playlists? A: Yes. Free Spotify accounts can’t be accessed by third‑party tools for full track data, so a premium subscription (or a trial) is required.

Q2: Will my liked songs transfer automatically? A: The method above only moves explicit playlists. For liked songs, you’ll need to create a “Liked Songs” playlist in Spotify first, then follow the same steps.

Q3: Is there any risk of losing my data during the transfer? A: The process only reads your Spotify data and writes to Apple Music; nothing is deleted from either service. Still, I always keep a backup CSV just in case.

Final Thoughts (A Personal Note)

After spending a weekend fiddling with CSV files and trial‑and‑error matches, I finally hit “Play” on my Apple Music “Morning Run” playlist and felt that satisfying click‑and‑go moment. No subscription fees for a third‑party service, no hidden costs—just a bit of manual love. If you’re like me, a little tech tinkering feels rewarding, especially when it saves you from months of manual song hunting.

So go ahead, give it a try. Your future self—maybe listening on AirPods while sipping coffee at a downtown café—will thank you for the effort you put in today. And if you hit a snag, drop a comment; I’m always happy to troubleshoot together.