Can I transfer my Apple Music library to Android?

With the rise in popularity of subscription music streaming services like Apple Music and Spotify, many users are building extensive music libraries within these apps. However, users may decide to switch between smartphone platforms, such as from iPhone to Android, and want to transfer their music libraries with them. In particular, iPhone users with large Apple Music libraries often run into challenges when trying to move to Android while retaining their playlists, downloads, listening history and recommendations from Apple Music.

There are several motivations why an iPhone user would want to switch to Android, such as trying a different device ecosystem, preferring Android customization options or getting access to different hardware styles. But these users don’t necessarily want to lose all their musical data and preferences they’ve built up in Apple Music over the years. Finding reliable solutions to transfer an Apple Music library from iPhone to Android is important for retaining user music data and making platform switching as seamless as possible.

Can I Download My Apple Music Library?

Yes, it is possible to download songs, albums, playlists and other content from your Apple Music library, with some limitations. Apple uses digital rights management (DRM) to protect the music. This means the downloads are encrypted with your Apple ID and can only be played through Apple apps and services.

You can download Apple Music songs on iOS devices from the My Music section of the Apple Music app. On Mac or Windows computers, use the Apple Music app or iTunes to download content. Downloads are saved locally on the device storage or computer hard drive.

However, the downloaded songs are DRM-protected with FairPlay and encrypted with your Apple ID. This restricts playback to authorized Apple devices logged into the same Apple Music account. Downloaded songs will not work if you switch to an Android device or try to open the files on other computers or apps, even if you pay for an Apple Music subscription (Source).

While you can download your Apple Music library, the DRM restrictions limit transferring this content to non-Apple devices and services. Some alternative options exist to transfer your music library, discussed next.

Using a Cloud Storage Service

One way to transfer your Apple Music library to Android is by using a cloud storage service like Google Drive. Here are the basic steps:

1. Convert your Apple Music files to a common format like MP3 so they can be played on Android. You’ll need a converter app to do this.

2. Upload the converted files to Google Drive or another cloud storage service. Make sure you have enough storage space for your entire library.

3. On your Android device, download the Google Drive app and sign in to your account.

4. Open the Google Drive app and navigate to the folder where you uploaded your music files.

5. Tap on a file to start playing it directly from Google Drive, or tap the three-dot menu and select “Save to device” to download the file onto your Android device.

This allows you to keep your music library in the cloud but still access it from any device. The main limitations are needing enough storage space on Google Drive, and having to re-download songs onto each device you want to play them on. But it provides an easy way to transfer your full Apple Music library to Android.

For more details, see this guide: How to Upload Apple Music to Google Drive

Using Third-Party Apps

There are some reliable third-party apps that can help you transfer your Apple Music library from an iPhone or iTunes on your computer over to an Android device.

Some top options include:

• iSyncr – Syncs iTunes song information and transfers music to Android. Transfers playlists, ratings, play counts, and more. Reliable and easy to use.
• DoubleTwist – Syncs iTunes playlists, music, videos, and photos to Android. Provides a desktop app to sync from iTunes with a mobile app on Android.
• CopyTrans Manager – Transfers music, playlists, videos and more between iTunes and Android. Requires desktop software and mobile app.

In terms of reliability, iSyncr tends to be highly rated for transferring an entire Apple Music library seamlessly. DoubleTwist also works reliably for syncing playlists and media between desktop iTunes and Android. CopyTrans Manager reviews are a bit more mixed in terms of success transferring full libraries.

Overall, third-party apps can provide an easy and automated way to transfer Apple Music over to an Android device. iSyncr seems to be one of the most robust options to move over your full music library.

Manual Transfer via Computer

One way to transfer your Apple Music library to an Android device is through a manual transfer via your computer. Here are the steps:

1. Connect your Android device to your computer using a USB cord. Make sure file transfer mode is enabled on your Android device.
2. Open your computer’s file manager program (Finder for Mac, File Explorer for Windows). You should see your Android device as an external drive.
3. Open another file manager window and navigate to the location where your iTunes music files are stored. This is usually in your “Music” folder.
4. Select all the music files you want to transfer and drag and drop them into your Android’s external drive.

Once the file transfer completes, safely eject your Android device, disconnect the USB cord, and check your music app on your Android. All your transferred music files should now appear there, ready for you to play from your device or transfer to other music apps.

This manual method will copy your files directly from your computer to your Android device, bypassing any restrictions related to Apple Music. The downside is it can be tedious to download all your files again. For an easier transfer, some recommend using third-party software or cloud storage services, like Droid Transfer.

Re-downloading Purchased Music

If you previously purchased music through the iTunes Store, you can re-download those purchases to an Android device. This allows you to transfer music you rightfully own to a new platform.

To re-download purchased music, open the Apple Music app on your iPhone or iPad and go to Account > Purchased. This will display all the music and other media you’ve previously bought through iTunes. Tap the download icon next to any album or song to download it again.

The downloaded files will be saved in the Apple Music app library on your iOS device. You can then connect your iPhone or iPad to your Android phone with a USB cable and use file management apps to locate the music files and transfer them over.

Alternatively, you can use a cloud storage service like Dropbox to download the purchased music files on your iPhone and then access them from Dropbox on your Android device. Just make sure to download DRM-free versions of the files when re-downloading.

While there is no direct equivalent of iTunes on Android, this process allows you to retain access to music purchases you’ve already made, even when switching between platforms.[1]

Transferring Playlists

There are a few options for recreating your Apple Music playlists on an Android device. The easiest way is to use a third-party app like iMazing, which allows you to directly transfer playlists between devices (https://www.wideanglesoftware.com/blog/3-ways-to-transfer-music-from-itunes-to-android.php). Alternatively, you can manually recreate playlists in your Android music app by searching for songs from your library and adding them individually.

If you use a cloud storage service like Google Drive or Dropbox, you can also access playlist files saved there and import them into apps like Spotify or YouTube Music on your Android device. Just make sure playlist files are exported properly from iTunes first in supported formats like .m3u or .csv.

No matter which transfer method you use, you may lose some metadata or have issues with unavailable songs. Check playlists carefully after transferring and be prepared to manually search and replace any missing tracks. But overall the process should allow you to move the bulk of your cherished iTunes playlists over to Android.

Transferring Listening History

Your Apple Music listening history can be downloaded from Apple as a JSON file that includes details on the songs and playlists you’ve listened to. However, this data cannot be directly imported or synced to any Android music apps.

Apple provides users the ability to download their Apple Music listening and purchase history data by going to privacy.apple.com. You can request this data and Apple will email you a download link. The file contains a detailed log of your listening history and library information.

While you can access this Apple Music listening history data, there is currently no option to directly transfer the listening history over to Android. The file format and data is structured specifically for Apple’s systems. Third-party developers have not created reliable apps or services that can take this Apple listening history data and convert it for use in Android apps.

So in summary – you can download your listening history data from Apple, but have no options to transfer it for continued tracking or access on an Android device. You would essentially be starting fresh when switching your music streaming to Android.

Accessing iCloud Music Library

If you have an Apple Music subscription, you can use the Sync Library feature to access your Apple Music library from Android devices. This feature allows you to sync your music library across all your devices so you can listen seamlessly on any device.

To enable Sync Library, open the Apple Music app on your iPhone or other Apple device and go to Settings. Turn on Sync Library and all your Apple Music library content will be available across Apple devices signed into your Apple ID (1). This includes playlists, listening history, downloads, likes, and more.

You can then access this synced library from your Android device using the Apple Music app. Sign into the app with the same Apple ID and your library will be available for streaming or downloading for offline playback. This gives you access to your full Apple Music collection on Android.

Using iCloud Music Library is the easiest way to keep your Apple Music content in sync and accessible across devices, including Android. Just enable it on one Apple device and everything will stay up to date and available across platforms.

Summary

In summary, while there’s no direct way to transfer your full Apple Music library including playlists and listening history to an Android device, you do have some options:

• Use a cloud storage service like Dropbox or Google Drive to store downloaded music files, then access them on your Android device.
• Try third-party apps that claim to provide transfer support between Apple Music and services like Spotify.
• Manually transfer purchased iTunes music to your Android by connecting it to a computer.
• Re-download previously purchased iTunes music to your Android device.

However, aspects like playlists and listening history likely won’t carry over. You’d need to manually recreate playlists. Listening history may be lost entirely when switching platforms.

Additionally, access to iCloud Music Library is limited to Apple devices signed into your Apple ID. But with some effort, you can transfer key components of your Apple Music over to be used on an Android device.