How do I access my Apple Music library on Android?
Apple Music is a music and video streaming service developed by Apple Inc. Launched in 2015, Apple Music was initially only available on Apple devices like iPhones, iPads, and Mac computers. With over 78 million subscribers worldwide, Apple Music has a 15% share of the global music streaming market.
While Apple Music was exclusively for Apple users at first, the service has expanded to other platforms over the years. Android smartphone users can now access their Apple Music library and playlists through the Apple Music app. This guide will cover how to link your Apple ID, download the app, and access your full Apple Music content on an Android device.
Linking Your Apple ID
To access your Apple Music library on Android, you’ll first need to link your Apple ID to the Android device. This requires having an active Apple Music subscription associated with your Apple ID.
On your Android device, go to your account settings and look for the option to add or link an account. There should be an option to link your Apple ID. Tap on this and enter your Apple ID email address and password when prompted.
Android will verify your Apple ID and then link it to your device. This will allow the Apple Music app on Android to connect to your account and access your Apple Music library.
According to this article, you cannot directly sync iCloud backups to Android devices, but linking your Apple ID will at least provide access to your Apple Music content.
Downloading the Apple Music App
Apple Music is available as an Android app that can be downloaded from the Google Play store. The app allows Android users to access their full Apple Music library and take advantage of key features like customized playlists, online and offline listening, and song recommendations.
Some of the key features available in the Apple Music Android app include:
- Access your entire Apple Music library including over 90 million songs, playlists, music videos, and more
- Create and share playlists or listen to expertly curated playlists for any mood or activity
- Get unlimited skips, ad-free listening, and high quality audio
- Download music, playlists, and music videos to listen offline when internet access isn’t available
- Get daily recommendations based on your tastes with the “For You” tab
- Use Siri to search for artists, songs, or control playback
- See real-time lyrics that animate along with the music you’re listening to
The Apple Music app provides Android users with full access to Apple Music’s robust library and features, making it easy to enjoy your favorite music on an Android device.
Accessing Your Library
Once you’ve linked your Apple ID and downloaded the Apple Music app, your entire Apple Music library is available within the Android app. This includes all of the songs, albums, playlists and stations you’ve added over the years through iTunes and Apple Music on iPhone and other devices.
The Apple Music app for Android has a “Library” tab that allows you access to your full Apple Music collection. Tap into Library to see alphabetical listings of all your artists, albums, songs, playlists, music videos and more. It’s organized similarly to how the Library section works on iPhone.
You can then play anything directly from your personal Apple Music library. Tap on an artist to see their albums or songs, browse through your playlist collection, or search for a specific song or album to play. Everything will stream directly within the Android app so you can listen to your full Apple Music catalog.
Creating Playlists
One of the best features of Apple Music is the ability to create custom playlists that sync seamlessly across all your devices. New playlists can be created directly within the Android app, so you can start compiling tracks whether you’re on your phone, tablet, or computer.
To create a new playlist in the Android app, tap on the “Library” tab at the bottom, then tap on the “+” icon in the Playlists section. Give your playlist a name and description, then start adding songs from your library. You can also tap the “Add” button while viewing an album or playlist to quickly add those tracks.
The playlists you create on Android will automatically sync to any iOS devices and computers signed into the same Apple ID. The playlist names, order, and details will stay perfectly in sync. This makes Apple Music incredibly convenient for building playlists no matter which device you happen to be using at the time.
Syncing capabilities set Apple Music playlists apart from those created on other services. You don’t have to worry about manually transferring playlists or losing changes if you switch devices. Apple Music’s implementation is seamless and automatic.
Downloading for Offline Play
One of the key benefits of Apple Music is the ability to download songs, albums, and playlists for offline listening when you don’t have an internet connection. This lets you access your Apple Music library anywhere, even without a Wi-Fi or cellular data connection (Source).
To download music for offline listening on your Android device, open the Apple Music app and tap on the download icon (down arrow) next to any song, album or playlist. The downloads will begin, and a small download icon will appear next to items that have been downloaded for offline listening. You can see your full list of offline downloads by tapping on the Account icon > Downloads.
Apple Music allows you to download up to 100,000 songs for offline listening. If you wish to manage your offline storage and remove some downloads, go to Account > Downloads and tap Edit. You can then select songs and playlists to remove from your offline library.
With offline downloads, you can listen to your favorite Apple Music content anywhere – on a plane, subway, road trip, or other place without an internet connection. Just remember to connect to Wi-Fi regularly to keep your offline library up to date.
Using Siri
Siri can be useful for controlling Apple Music playback on iOS devices, but has limitations when used on Android. Google Assistant may be a better option for Android users who want voice control over Apple Music.
To use Siri on iOS, simply say “Hey Siri” and give a voice command like “Play [song name]” or “Skip track”. Siri allows you to search Apple Music, play songs, create playlists, and more without touching your device.
However, Siri’s functionality is limited on Android. While you can launch Siri using a long-press of the home button, voice commands are hit-or-miss according to users on Reddit (source). Siri on Android does not offer deep integration for music playback control.
In contrast, Google Assistant enables natural voice control of Apple Music on Android. Just say “Okay Google” followed by a command like “Play music by Taylor Swift on Apple Music”. Google Assistant allows you to search, play, pause, skip tracks, adjust volume, and more.
While Siri offers the best experience on iOS, Google Assistant is the smarter choice for controlling Apple Music with your voice on Android.
Sharing Music
One of the best features of Apple Music is the ability to easily share songs, albums, and playlists with friends, even if they are on Android. You can share music via messaging apps like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, SMS, and more. Just tap the share icon on a song, playlist or album and select the messaging app you want to use.
You can also collaborate with friends on shared playlists, no matter what device they use. Tap the “Collaborate” option on any playlist to invite friends to contribute tracks. They’ll get a notification and can add songs without needing an Apple Music subscription. You’ll see each other’s additions in real-time. This makes it super simple to crowd-source playlists for parties, road trips, weddings and more.
The only limitation is that you can’t directly share Apple Music links with Android users – when they tap the link it will prompt them to install Apple Music. But sharing via messaging apps provides a seamless workaround.
Limitations
While Apple Music offers a robust experience on Android, there are some limitations to be aware of compared to using the iOS version:
Some Apple Music social features like sharing playlists or following Friends don’t work on Android (source). You won’t be able to access your Friends activity or see profile pictures.
The user interface on Android won’t be identical to the iOS version. For example, the tab bar at the bottom has a different layout. There are also small UI differences in things like fonts and icon styles (source).
Overall the core Apple Music experience is there, but some ancillary social components don’t fully translate to Android. The UI also won’t feel completely native compared to using Apple Music on an iPhone.
Conclusion
So in conclusion, Android users are able to access their Apple Music library fairly seamlessly. By linking their Apple ID and downloading the Apple Music app, Android users can listen to their Apple Music playlists, albums, songs and more on their non-Apple devices.
The experience of using Apple Music on Android is quite comparable to using it on iOS. Key features like creating playlists, downloading music for offline listening, and using Siri/voice commands all work the same. The main limitations are not being able to handoff playback between devices or use smart DJ mixes.
Overall, Android users shouldn’t feel limited from subscribing to and enjoying Apple Music just because they don’t own an iPhone. The app provides full access across devices. For Android owners who want the Apple Music catalog and features, it’s great being able to use the service on their mobile devices.